Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Pope endorses softer approach to divorceesPope Francis waves to faithful at the end of the Angelus noon prayer he delivered from his studio window overlooking St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016. Francis was Archbishop of Buenos Aires immediately prior to elected as pope. The keenest anticipation centred on what he would say about the full re-integration into the Church of Catholics who divorce and remarry in civil ceremonies. The number of divorces has risen markedly in recent decades in most of the leading economies grouped in the OECD. Here I am not speaking only of the divorced and remarried, but of everyone, in whatever situation they find themselves,” the pope said in July.

Wednesday, September 14, 2016 Aranguren bends to pressure and finally sells his shares in ShellAfter weeks of mounting speculation and criticism, Energy Minister Juan José Aranguren sold approximately 16 million pesos (US$1million) worth of shares in Royal Dutch Shell Plc yesterday following overwhelming pressure from the opposition, the Anti-Corruption Office (OA) and even government allies to halt a potential conflict of interests. The decision was announced simultaneously by Aranguren and the government. “Aranguren has sold his shares in Shell. Prior to accepting his position in the Cabinet as Energy minister, Aranguren was CEO of Shell Argentina for twelve years,from 2003 to 2015, a nominally separate entity from the energy giant’s parent company which is based in the Netherlands and UK. Aranguren “has recused himself from having anything to do with Shell precisely in order to avoid further speculation,” Peña said during an interview with Radio Continental.

Hypothesis on the SpillJudge Pablo Oritja closed his investigation this year when he prosecuted nine Barrick Gold employees and presented his interpretation of the facts. “[These included] the CEO of Barrick Gold, Guillermo Caló, who was accused. Can you believe Barrick Gold has been exploiting this mine for ten whole years without a pressure gauge? “What little we have left is with Cassanello: we already know about the justice here (in San Juan),” says Seguí. We also know that the government’s neglect of the Jáchal area since the day of the spill is shocking.”Translated by Katie McGhee.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Weather set to give CEOs a windy welcome. While the government is pulling out all the stops for the business community, who arrive in town today for the Argentina Business and Investment Forum, it seems the weather has decided to not to play ball. After yesterday’s downpour and gusty winds — the National Weather Service even issued a warning for hail, strong winds and storms — it seems today will be a drier but perhaps even slightly more blustery. Temperatures in the capital are expected to hover at around 14 degrees Celsius all day, but winds will reach up to 47 kilometres/hour — even stronger than yesterday.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016 UK government minister arrivesUK Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan (right) meets with provisional Senate leader Federico Pinedo at Congress in a photo Duncan posted on Twitter yesterday. First visit from foreign office representative in seven yearsUnderlining the changing relationship between Argentina and Great Britain, Sir Alan Duncan arrived in Buenos Aires yesterday, becoming the first British foreign office minister to visit the country in seven years. The minister, an MP for the ruling Conservative Party, seemed happy to be in Argentina , tweeting about his meetings with Cabinet Chief Marcos Peña, PRO lawmaker and Senate leader Federico Pinedo at Congress and Deputy Foreign Minister Carlos Foradori — though he was less pleased about the weather on his arrival. The British Foreign Office said in a briefing that “there are significant opportunities for British business ­ including in infrastructure, natural resources, agri-business, manufacturing, and financial services.”Duncan said that the visit was mainly to explore commercial ties. We will continue to support them as they look to develop their economy.”The last foreign office minister to visit Argentina was Lord Malloch Brown in 2009.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016 argentina in numbers. GDP growth: +2.1 percent in 2015, -0.7 percent in first quarter of 2016 (INDEC statistics bureau)12-month inflation rate: 39.9 percent (Elypsis consultancy agency)Investment-to-GDP ratio: 18 percent (Ferreres consultancy agency)Unemployment rate: 9.3 percent (INDEC statistics bureau)Poverty: 34.5 percent (UCA Argentine Catholic University)

tax incentives for companies suggested Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Macri launches ‘patronage bill’ to privately fund cultural projectsPresident Mauricio Macri and Culture Minister Pablo Avelluto announced yesterday that the government had sent a new “Federal Commitment to Culture” bill to Congress for approval that will offer tax incentives to private companies that invest in cultural and artistic projects in Argentina“Imagine entrepreneurs that have incentives such as a reduction in tax expenses to finance projects. So the role of the state will be to tell employers that they can directly transfer the money to those who create these projects, without needing to go through the state itself,” Avelluto said, unveiling the details of the so-called “Patronage Bill”. He was speaking at the Usina Del Arte centre in La Boca, Buenos Aires City, yesterday. The bill promotes a “direct and transparent way of financing cultural projects of social interest through contributions from private companies,” the government said in a statement, with proposed tax incentives for participating companies. Macri meanwhile claimed that the bill would also help his much-criticized a central promise from his successful presidential campaign last year — deliver “Zero Poverty”.

As peace accord with gov’t approaches Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Colombia’s FARC apologizes for kidnapping during warBOGOTA — Colombia’s Marxist FARC rebels apologized for the “great pain” they caused by kidnapping thousands of people to fund half a century of conflict as the insurgent group prepared to sign a peace accord with the government. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) said in a video recording late on Sunday that it had taken captives over the years but would not do so again. The rebels and government are gearing up to sign the accord after reaching agreement on August 24 to end a war that has killed more than 220,000 people and displaced millions. Some 7,000 FARC fighters will be incorporated into society and permitted to form a political party. Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos said in an interview last week that the deal has to pass the plebiscite otherwise, he said, “more war would be a disaster.”Herald with Reuters

Macri is betting that such moves will improve the stuttering economy, which shrank by 0.7 percent in the first quarter. The president believes that an economic revival will trickle down to those worse-off, as poverty levels are rising in Argentina. In it, the government’s strategies to revive key sectors of the economy, promote private enterprise and encourage inclusive long-term growth will be presented,” a statement released by the Foreign Ministry said. Today’s eventsFollowing his opening remarks this morning, Macri will open a panel discussion called “Investing in Argentina: A Global Perspective,” in which leaders of global companies assess the possibilities for private investment in Argentina. “Business leaders were confident from day one, but we had some prior problems to resolve, that have (now) been resolved,” she said ahead of today’s event.

Yet investment decisions require a long-term perspective, which makes news of the day, week or even month of relative importance. While a forum on this scale offers the perfect venue for the big picture, potential investors would be wise to be wary of generalizations and concentrate strictly on their sector. Potential investors should also keep an eye on the evolution of tax reform in the near future — the current system overburdens companies while exempting the financial sector and dividends, an imbalance which might well be corrected before too long. Returning to legal security, in its quest for productive investments, the Macri government might try being a little less understanding towards tax evaders and capitalists attracted by tax havens. Legal security also requires governments with firm principles against such toxic capitalism.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Ex-British PM Cameron ends political careerSurprise announcement as Conservative leader quits Westminster after Brexit nightmareLONDON — Former British Prime Minister David Cameron, who has stayed out of the public eye since leaving Downing Street in July, has decided to step down from his position in Parliament and put an end to his political career. Cameron’s surprise announcement yesterday will trigger a by-election in the county of Witney in Oxfordshire, which has been a safe seat for his Conservative Party for several decades. The former prime minister said he fully supports successor Theresa May, now charged with carrying out the voters’ mandate to extricate Britain from the 28-nation EU bloc. He became party leader in 2005 and prime minister in 2010, when he led a coalition government that included the Liberal Democrats. He promised to support the Conservative Party candidate chosen to replace him in the by-election that will be held in order to fill the Parliament vacancy.

Tuesday, September 13, 2016 Atendees to the forum will include:Politicians: President Mauricio Macri, Finance Minister Alfonso Prat-Gay, Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra, Cabinet Chief Marcos Peña, Energy Minister Juan José Aranguren, Defence Minister Julio Martínez, Interior, Public Works and Housing Minister Rogelio Frigerio, Production Minister Francisco Cabrera, UK Minister of the Americas Alan Duncan, US Ambassador Noah Mamet. Banking: Vice President of European Investment Bank, Román Escalono; Vice President of the World Bank (Latin America and Caribbean), Jorge Familiar; CEO of Citigroup Latin America, Jane Fraser; JP Morgan CEO for Latin America and Canada Martin Marron; President of Bank of Americas Merrill Lynch (Latin America), Alexandre Bettamio; Head of Goldman Sachs Global Financing Group and Latin America, Marc Nachmann. Business leaders: Group Chief and CEO of BP, Robert Bob Dudley; President and CEO of Siemans, Joe Kaeser; Chairman and CEO of the Coca-Cola Company, Muhtar Kent; Chairman and CEO of the Dow Chemical Company, Andrew N. Liveris; Chairman and CEO of the Technit Group, Paulo Rocca.

The percentage of total internet users (both mobile and fixed) compared to the total population of Latin America and the Caribbean grew 10.6 percent annually between 2000 and 2015. However, the ECLAC report showed that the expanding access has concentrated itself “in the richest percentiles, widening the gap with the poorest percentiles,” pointing towards a greater inequality in internet access. At the same time, access to broadband connections outside of the cities increased sharply, particularly in the mobile market, which rose to 58 percent in 2015 from just seven percent five years before. Although some countries in the region have an urban-rural disparity of around 41 percentage points. Argentine Internet PlanIn May this year, the Argentine government launched its Federal Plan for Internet which aims to “promote access to quality internet in every corner of the country, narrowing the development gap and opportunities between large urban centres and villages.”The plan aims to install fibre optic connections in 1100 settlements through the government’s ARSAT satellite communication programme, raising the equality across the country in the populations access to broadband internet.

It is quite an experience to see the paintings that have impacted modern art so greatly in real life: and the famous Black Square is here. Blazing his own trail, Malevich went through a period in which he was influenced by Impressionism, and subsequently by Symbolism. With Suprematism, Malevich did not intend to merely make an artistic statement; it went beyond art. The Black Square has become the icon of his Suprematism. The black square became an icon in itself.

Sources close to ex-head of state call move ‘demented’ Tuesday, September 13, 2016 CFK called for questioning as part of public works probeSupporters of former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner have repeatedly joined her whenever she’s come back to Buenos Aires to face court cases against her. Ercolini also called former Federal Planning minister Julio De Vido, former Public Works secretary José López, former government official Carlos Santiago Kirchner — a cousin of the late former president Néstor Kirchner — and Báez himself, among others, while also freezing assets worth millions of pesos. Speaking to the Herald yesterday, sources close to CFK said that “accusing a group of people of winning the elections just to create a criminal conspiracy dedicated to public works overpricing is insane. “We did public works, a lot of it, all over the country. Rallies have been organized to defend CFK when she was called for questioning over the dollar futures case by Judge Claudio Bonadio in the past.