The Ministry of Production confirmed this week its plan to boost consumer spending with an expanded interest free commodity purchase program entitled “Ahora 18”. Originally instituted in 2014 as a Kirchnerist initiative known as “Ahora 12”, the new programme aims to stimulate the domestic economy and combat inflation by allowing consumers to purchase select goods in 12 or 18 interest free payments with credit cards. The original product list from Ahora 12 has been updated to incorporate a wider range of goods, and now includes both electronics and tourism packages. Looking to stimulate holiday season shopping, the new plan will take effect on 1st December, and run through the end of March 2017. The government, which had originally expressed an intent to disband the Ahora 12 programme, reversed his position in light of recent reports showing dismal domestic sales figures.

Friday, November 18, 2016 Living in a fantasy worldArgentina coach Edgardo Bauza, left, consoles captain Lionel Messi as he walks off the pitch after the 2018 World Cup qualifying soccer match against Brazil at the Estadio Mineirão in Belo Horizonte last Thursday night. The five-time world champions have never lost a qualifying game while playing on home turf, and that record will stand at least until 2017 after Neymar inspired a 3-0 drubbing of Argentina last Thursday. The chief culprit of this syndrome is beleaguered coach Edgardo Bauza. Fantasy and denial are rampant within the ivory tower that is Argentine football. Burst the bubbleOnce again, it was down to Lionel Messi to burst the bubble and lay bare Argentina’s woes.

Hauser probes an institution which retains its aristocratic and enigmatic airs until now. Así lo viví, Héctor Magnetto (Planeta)Not a conventional auto-biography of the Clarín Group’s CEO since the story of the “Public Enemy No. 1” of the Kirchnerite era is filtered by Marcos Novaro with commentary by leading pundits Marcelo Longobardi and Carlos Pagni. Especially since both these postures were basically false — media did not disappear, as argued by the Clarín Group, and nor did it advance pluralism, as the government proclaimed. Written in 1924 and by Trotsky himself, this account of the Third International reflects an idealistic revolutionary strategy which has little to do with subsequent Stalinist deformations.

Book review Friday, November 18, 2016 The writer who came in from the coldBy Nicolás MeyerFor The HeraldIt takes a special kind of talent to write an engrossing autobiography of 450-plus pages while talking mainly about others until page 387. But then, David Cornwell — who parlayed a few years in minor intelligence work into a lifetime as a writer of top-notch spy fiction, under the name John le Carré — is a born storyteller, and has a lot of stories to tell. Le Carré emerges as essentially a moralist, forever shocked at cruelty and cynical behaviour even though he has been studying them and writing about them all his life. Reclaiming episodesIn these memoirs le Carré explicitly seeks to “reclaim” some episodes told in a recent biography of him. The latter’s author, Adam Sisman, has averred that the present book may embellish some facts; le Carré says that “nowhere have I consciously falsified” anything.

Their anniversary show will have acrobats soaring through the skies of the theatre in a mesmerising display of dexterity. There will be juggling, plays on shapes, and aerial silk, all of which is bound to create a unique atmosphere. Saturday 19 November at 9pm and Sunday 20 at 8pm at Club de Trapecistas (Ferrari 252). Today, the grand finale of the performance poetry competition organized by Justa Poética is taking place at La Hormiga de Oro. Friday 18 November at 9pm at La Hormiga de Oro (Medrano 688).

Pollsters are under pressure to explain their errors but it is the electoral verdict itself which is inexplicable. Without entering into detailed analysis, just two aspects of the voting will be singled out here to underline the absurdity. If Trump’s triumph was secured by just over 27 percent of the electorate, perhaps in this sense the people are always right after all. Freed from the gridlock hampering previous presidencies by his majorities in Congress, Trump faces many other problems starting with bringing his own party on board. But the answers to these and many other questions can only be speculation at this stage.

Friday, November 11, 2016 Do not doctor it up! As many as nine out of 10 teenage girls in some schools would doctor themselves to appear thinner, she claimed – with disturbing psychological consequences. It’s unbelievably easy to doctor a photo. “images that have been doctored” “undoctored” (4)When you “doctor” or “doctor up” something, you alter or modify them for a specific end, the purpose usually being to improve, to make it favourable. When you doctor up evidence, documents or liquor, for instance, the intention is to deceive, as in The corrupt lawyer doctored up part of the evidence.

Under a blind trust, the owner has no say or knowledge in how the assets are managed. Conflicts of interest could stem, for example, from countries trying to influence policies by doing business with any of his companies or even his children. Given the high-profile properties that bear his name, a blind trust would do little to help his case, experts said. “You can’t put a golf course in a blind trust; it would be pointless,” said Robert Kelner, a Washington lawyer and an expert on government ethics. He will likely face scrutiny of policy decisions that affect countries where he is known to have business interests.

Friday, November 11, 2016 Argentina reacts to Republican ’s winNews of Clinton’s defeat sparks rejection, tepid support — and even criticism for the governmentThe news that Donald Trump had prevailed over Hilary Clinton in the US presidential election sparked myriad responses in Argentine political circles ranging from outright rejection to ambivalence. Criticism of the government here, led by President Mauricio Macri, for leaning toward a Clinton victory was also on display. That is why the triumph of Republican candidate who won the US presidential election does not seem to be an isolated phenomenon but rather too-closely linked to these signs that had been coming from all over the world. “And that is why I believe that Donald Trump is much more than Trump himself. That anger had been expressed by the left through the (Bernie) Sanders candidacy in the Democratic primaries.

Thursday, November 10, 2016 Inflation rate jumps to 2.4% after utility hikesAfter a massive hike in utility bills, October inflation jumped to 2.4 per cent, the INDEC statistics bureau reported. The most significant increases were registered in Housing and Basic services (10.7%), clothes (3.6%); medical care and health expenses (3.4%) and food and drinks (1.5%). "The result of October index reflects the change of natural gas tariffs for residential users,” the INDEC explained. Private estimates unveiled by opposition lawmakers had placed October inflation at 2.9 percent.

Trump, elected on Tuesday to his first public office, said he looked forward to more meetings with Obama. Obama said he will do everything he can to help the New York businessman succeed when he takes office on January 20 and urged the country to unite to face its challenges. "My number-one priority in the coming two months is to try to facilitate a transition that ensures our president-elect is successful," Obama said at the end of the meeting.

First lady Michelle Obama will also meet privately with Trump's wife, Melania, in the White House residence. On Wednesday, Obama said that despite his major differences with the New York real estate magnate, he would follow the lead of former Republican President George W. Bush in 2008 and ensure a smooth handover to Trump. "Eight years ago, President Bush and I had some pretty significant differences, but President Bush’s team could not have been more professional or more gracious in making sure we had a smooth transition," Obama said. "So I have instructed my team to follow the example that President Bush’s team set." Trump spent Wednesday focusing on that transition during meetings with his staff at Trump Tower in New York.

After the Republican Trump's stunning upset of the heavily favored Clinton, Democratic President Barack Obama and leading figures in the Republican Party who had struggled to make peace with Trump all vowed to move past the ugliness of an angry and sometimes personal campaign to seek common ground. "Donald Trump is going to be our president. She also failed in a White House bid in 2008. Trump and his senior aides were meeting at Trump Tower in New York on Wednesday to begin the transition. Trump will enjoy Republican majorities in both chambers of the U.S. Congress that could help him implement his legislative agenda.

This triggered an idea, which by 2004 had turned into an epic mission: travel around the world on his bicycle creating awareness about HIV/AIDS. Undeterred by occasional setbacks, Debnath plans to complete 191 countries by 2020, before returning build a “Global Village” in his hometown. Your ultimate dream is to build a ‘Global Village’ in your hometown. One third of the funds covers expenses of my travel and the other two thirds I will dedicate for our global village. The blueprint for one part of the global village is ready and we are expecting some support from government and the process is going on.

The Argentine government has been reacting today to the news that Donald Trump was elected to become the 45th US President of the United States after defeating favourite Hillary Clinton. According to a survey carried out by Poliarquia Consultores before the election, few Argentines support Trump. In the survey carried out among 1170 people across 40 localities in the country, 72% of the country wanted Clinton to win, and only 6% wanted Trump. The survey also asked which participant they thought would have a more positive impact for Argentina, and whilst an overwhelming 62% said Clinton would, for Trump it was a mere 5%. Before the elections took place, Malcorra gave an interview describing Trump as “worrying”.