The King is dead
Golf — Opinion Tuesday, September 27, 2016 The King is deadBy David MackintoshGolfing TravellerArnold Palmer, 1929 - 2016Hard to believe. The King is dead. At age 87, Arnold Daniel Palmer, the King of Golf, is no longer with us. Arnold Palmer not only made you care about golf, he made you care about him. For the longest time Arnold Palmer was the most recognizable of golfers with that high-twirling swing we all loved but never wished to imitate.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:04 UTC
Malcorra up to 4th in UN race
Former Portugal PM Guterres retains top spot Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Malcorra up to 4th in UN raceForeign Minister Susana Malcorra and President Mauricio Macri enter United Nations heaquarters in New York earlier this month, as they attended the United Nations General Assembly. Foreign Minister Susana Malcorra rose one place to fourth in the latest informal poll of Security Council members, though she registered the same voting breakdown. In the nine-way race, the fact that the highest-ranked woman, Malcorra, was tied for fourth left many diplomats disappointed. Former Serbian Foreign minister Vuk Jeremic came in second with eight encourage, six discourage and one no opinion, while Slovakia’s Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak was third with eight encourage and seven discourage. Former New Zealand PM Helen Clark, who heads the UN Development Programme, and former Macedonian Foreign minister Srgjan Kerim tied for sixth, while Moldova’s former Foreign minister Natalia Gherman came in last.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
Outcry as FIFA disbands anti-racism taskforce
soccer Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Outcry as FIFA disbands anti-racism taskforceFIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura insisted that the fight against racism is being taken "very seriously" despite the governing body''s taskforce overseeing discrimination being abolished. The Associated Press revealed on Sunday that the anti-racism group was being dismantled after FIFA decided that its mission had been completed after three years. “The fight against racism is far from over and the notion that the current FIFA leadership believes that the ‘taskforce’s recommendations have been implemented’ is shameful,” said Prince Ali, a former FIFA presidential candidate and FIFA vice president. “Now the idea that FIFA believes that it’s the right time to disband its anti-racism taskforce is ridiculous.”Prince Ali believes the taskforce should have been empowered to work further with soccer authorities and governments to use the sport to tackle discrimination in wider society. “The taskforce had a very specific mandate that to our knowledge it has fully fulfilled,” Samoura said at the SoccerEx convention.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
A new independence
More attention has been bestowed on the CGT for announcing a general strike without setting a date — which should be interpreted as strengthening the union umbrella’s negotiating position (especially as regards the income tax floor, perhaps) rather than as an irreversible stoppage decision. Prior to the passage of the 2017 Budget, the governors are seeking to unite all the legislators from the various strands of Peronism via the Federal Investment Council (CFI) to impose structural changes permanently strengthening the provincial hand. A six-point package has been drafted whose general thrust is to make all remittances to the provinces within and beyond federal revenue-sharing totally automatic, thus removing the executive branch’s power to dominate the provinces via a discretionary control. One difficult question for Macri is whether he wants to block changes which he approves in principle — another difficult question is whether he can. Perhaps the biggest worry for the government is not securing approval of the 2017 Budget but having to accept it with mechanisms which end a dependence that helped Macri disguise his parliamentary weakness so well until now.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
Colombia, FARC sign historic peace deal
52 years of conflict ends Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Colombia, FARC sign historic peace dealColombian opposition leader and former president Álvaro Uribe (centre with hat, glasses) greets supporters at a protest yesterday against the government’s peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), signed last night in Cartagena. Ratification of accord leaves October 2 referendum as last hurdle to ending half-century of warCARTAGENA — Colombia’s government and the country’s largest rebel movement signed a historic peace accord yesterday, ending 52 years of combat that caused more than 220,000 deaths and left eight million homeless. “Viva Colombia,” Ban shouted at the conclusion of his speech welcoming the peace deal. The signing was greeted by wild cheers by about 1,000 FARC rebels in Sabanas del Yari, where the group recently concluded its last congress by endorsing the peace deal. “Yes, we can; yes, we can; yes, we can,” they shouted, followed by calls for Timochenko to be president.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
Syria says truce still viable after week of airstrikes batters Aleppo
Russia, Western powers trade accusations Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Syria says truce still viable after week of airstrikes batters AleppoBEIRUT — Syria’s foreign minister said yesterday that an internationally-brokered ceasefire is still viable, as rescue workers in Aleppo sifted through the rubble from the heaviest airstrikes on rebel-held areas of the northern city in five years. The UN Security Council convened an emergency meeting but failed to take any action because of deep divisions between Russia and Western powers. “It’s apocalyptic what is being done in eastern Aleppo.”Airstrikes on Aleppo yesterday killed at least six people, according to the Local Coordination Committees, an activist-run collective. President Bashar al-Assad’s media adviser told Al-Mayadeen TV that the Syrian government abided by the ceasefire but the rebels did not. Al-Moallem accused the US, Britain, and France of convening the Security Council meeting a day earlier in order to support “terrorists” inside Syria.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
C. Bank: 12-17% inflation in 2017
The INDEC statistic bureau’s “most widely representative index” will be used for comparison, the Central Bank confirmed yesterday. “The first step is to announce the inflation target. Then the Central Bank has a series of instruments that it will use to reach that target. No more and no less than that central inflation target. The reference rate will now be the seven-day interbank lending rate, which the Central Bank will determine weekly.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
Massa tries to dissuade unions from striking
Meanwhile, the ATE state employees union confirmed yesterday they would continue with their strike planned for today, a work action of mostly Buenos Aires province teachers’ unions and health professionals. ATE union leader Hugo “Cachorro” Godoy announced yesterday that his union would lead a nationwide strike to express rejection of various government policies. The Buenos Aires Teachers Federation (FEB), the SUTEBA teachers union of Buenos Aires province, Private Teachers Union (SADOP), Argentine Teachers Union (UDA) and DAC Argentine Teachers Confederation have all confirmed they will participate. The CTERA union leader said that they had asked to meet with different congressional lawmakers so that they could determine their opinions about the upcoming 2017 budget. Along with the strike, the unions are planning to march to Congress at midday where they will hold a protest demonstration.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
OECD urges Argentina to raise taxes on high-income earners
Such a move would help to reverse widening inequality between the wealthiest and the richest, the OECD said. In order to boost tax revenue, governments should also “offer incentives to increase the formalization (process) for workers,” said Angel Melguizo, head of the Latin America and the Caribbean Unit of the OECD’s Development Centre. OECD representatives will meet local officials to hold a series of meetings and to advance tax reform proposals. ‘Tolerance for tax evasion’Melguizo said only 22 percent of Latin American and Caribbean residents pay individual income tax (versus an average of 36 percent in OECD countries), while the richest 10 percent contribute only six percent of their income. “In Argentina, this tax income represents just three percent of Gross Domestic Product, while in the OECD it is up to nine percent,” said Melguizo as he presented a detailed report on the tax burden in regional wages.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
Clinton, Trump trade blows in debate showdown
Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Clinton, Trump trade blows in debate showdownRepublican presidential candidate Donald Trump (left) stands next to Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton before the first presidential debate at Hofstra University, last night. The debate kicked off with Clinton fielding the first debate question from moderator Lester Holt, who asked about her plan to create better jobs for US workers. The Democratic presidential candidate then dubbed her Republican rival’s tax cut proposals “Trumped-up trickle-down” economics. Just go to her website, she tells us how to fight ISIS on her website,” said Trump during the Monday night presidential debate. For Clinton and Trump, the first of three debates is a crucial moment to boost their standing with voters who view both candidates negatively.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
Macri and Massa both attend ceremony in Cartagena
Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Macri and Massa both attend ceremony in CartagenaPresident Mauricio Macri and Renewal Front leader Sergio Massa both attended the signing of the historic peace accord yesterday between the Colombian government and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrilla rebels. As Macri arrived in Cartegena yesterday, he spoke of the peace deal saying “how important this is for the region and for the whole continent ... As he too arrived at the airport in Cartagena yesterday, Massa said: “I’m proud to share a historic day for Latin America; after decades of disputes, peace will be signed. I think it is really a historic day.” The former presidential candidate was invited by Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos to the ceremony at the Cartagena Convention Centre. The Renewal Front leader also held meetings yesterday with the mayor of Medellín, Federico Gutiérrez and Colombian legislators.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
Another PT heavyweight arrested in Brazil graft scandal
Antonio Palocci — Former Finance minister to Lula, Chief-of-staff to Rousseff Tuesday, September 27, 2016 Another PT heavyweight arrested in Brazil graft scandalBrazilian Antonio Palocci, a former Finance minister and presidential chief-of-staff in recent Workers’ Party (PT) governments, is escorted by federal police officers after he leaves the Institute of Forensic Science in Curitiba yesterday. Palocci’s arrest brings the investigation of Brazil’s biggest corruption scandal further into the core leadership of the PT. Last week, police detained Guido Mantega, who succeeded Palocci as Lula’s Finance minister and stayed in the post for almost nine years. “This is another nail in the Workers Party coffin,” said Andre César, a political analyst at Brasilia-based public policy consultancy Hold Legislative Advisors. As finance minister from 2003 he continued the anti-inflation and pro-market policies of the previous centrist government, helping calm financial markets’ concerns about Lula's presidency.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 03:00 UTC
US gives backing to tax amnesty plan
Tuesday, September 27, 2016 US gives backing to tax amnesty planTreasury chief praises Macri, Prat-Gay; agrees to exchange information on Argentine citizensUnited States Treasury Secretary Jack Lew offered Washington’s additional support to President Mauricio Macri’s whitewash tax amnesty plan yesterday, announcing a fresh effort and new steps to improve the exchange of tax information between the nations during a stopover in Argentina. Lew said Argentine officials would be invited to Washington at his request soon, in order to speed the process. The Macri administration is betting a tax amnesty can bring in some of the investment crucial to restoring stuttering growth in the economy. Amnesty plansIn May, the government declared its proposals to bring in an estimated US$400 billion of undeclared assets that Argentines hold abroad through a sweeping tax amnesty programme that officially opened in August. Showers gov’t with praiseWhile Lew met with Macri briefly, his most substantial meeting was with his local counterpart, Prat-Gay, with the tax amnesty reportedly very much at the forefront of the agenda.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 02:48 UTC
Chaos in the zodiac
The dates for the western zodiac calendar have compressed and shifted later by a few weeks: if you were a Virgo born before mid-September, so the story goes, you are a Leo (now August 10 to September 16). With all of the chaos in the heavens, one might think that a retrograde Mercury is to blame. In January, NASA wrote a brief history of how the western zodiac came to be. The dates of the zodiac calendar follow this laser line as it sweeps from constellation to neighbouring constellation, a bit like the hand of a clock. “We didn’t change any zodiac signs, we just did the math.”NASA’s ultimate counter-argument is that the zodiac calendar is a fantasy on par with a fortune cookie.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 27, 2016 02:37 UTC
Colombia, FARC rebels to sign accord ending 52-year war
The agreement to end Latin America's longest-running war will turn the FARC guerrillas into a political party fighting at the ballot box instead of the battlefield they have occupied since 1964. Kerry lauded the deal during a visit to a training center for war victims, ex-combatants and other young people. The US Department of State has pledged $390 million for Colombia next year to support the peace process. PEACE VOTE NEXT WEEKDespite widespread relief at an end to the bloodshed and kidnappings of past decades, the deal has caused divisions within Latin America's fourth-largest economy. Influential former President Alvaro Uribe and others are angry that the accord allows rebels to enter parliament without serving any jail time.
Source:Bueno Aires Herald
September 26, 2016 20:15 UTC