Latest news with #BuenosAires
CTV News
7 hours ago
- Entertainment
- CTV News
100-year-old woman reacts to AI-generated video of late husband
A 100-year-old woman in Argentina reacts as an AI-animated photo of her late husband moves more than 30 years after he died.
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Liam Payne's sister Nicola heartbreakingly admits 'I hate that this happened' in emotional tribute after watching him in Building The Band - nine months after his tragic death
Liam Payne's sister Nicola has paid tribute to the late singer on Instagram on Wednesday after watching him in Netflix 's Building The Band. Nicola heartbreakingly admitted 'I hate that this happened' and feels she will 'never be able to process his passing', nine months after his tragic death. The series, filmed before the tragic passing of the One Direction singer in October 2024, landed on the streaming giant's platform July 9. Liam, who features as a guest judge on the series, tragically died at the aged of 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires last October. In the tearjerking post, Nicola wrote: '9 months ago today, our lives changed forever. I still find it incredibly hard to process what happened. I'm not sure I ever fully will, or even want to. 'Liam, you are the most incredible person. For those of us lucky enough to know and love you, our lives were truly blessed. In the tearjerking post, Nicola wrote: '9 months ago today, our lives changed forever. I still find it incredibly hard to process what happened. I'm not sure I ever fully will, or even want to... I love you so much, and I miss you even more. I hate that this happened' 'Today, the world gets to see just a glimpse of your passion and talent and wow, you are amazing in this show. 'You cared so deeply about the people around you. You wanted to make a difference, and you are lighting up that stage like you were born to do. 'You were made to be a judge, to guide, to encourage, and to let your voice be heard. Watching you in this show, I've never been more proud. 'I just wish you got to see it. It's everything we knew it would be when we were at filming. 'This show will forever hold a special place in my heart because it's one of the last times I saw you, and I got to witness you shine so bloody brightly, but it's also allowed me to still feel close to you. 'I love you so much, and I miss you even more. I hate that this happened.' Nicola and Ruth are Liam's two older sisters, making him the youngest of three siblings in the tight-knit family. Backstreet Boys' AJ McLean hosts Building The Band, with Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger as the main mentor and judge, being joined by Liam and Kelly Rowland throughout the process. Liam, who features as a guest judge on the series, tragically died at the aged of 31 after falling from the third-floor balcony of a hotel in Buenos Aires last October Building The Band viewers were moved to tears just five minutes into the first episode after Netflix paid a bittersweet tribute to Liam. Stripped across 10 episodes, fans wondered how the show would address the unexpected death of the singer - especially after reports that there were plans to cut down Liam's presence in the show. However, at the start of the episode, AJ addressed the audience with a powerful message, moving viewers to tears. 'When we came together to film building the band we never imagined we'd soon be saying goodbye to our friend Liam Payne,' he began as it faded out to a series of images and clips of the singer on the show. He continued: 'Liam is a guest judge in later episodes, and through his presence, we see his deep love for music and his unwavering commitment to helping others find their voice. It's through that spirit that we dedicate this series to Liam and his family.' Building The Band is available to stream exclusively on Netflix now.
Yahoo
12 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Argentina under Milei: a tale of two economies
In Javier Milei's Argentina, falling inflation has stimulated a boom in car and real estate sales and foreign-bound planes take off laden with tourists. But on the other side of a very complicated economic coin, consumption is dropping precipitously among low- and middle-income groups while more and more people work in precarious jobs and buy groceries on credit. Milei, who took office as president in December 2023, has partly succeeded in his quest to curb state spending and runaway inflation, which reached a five-year monthly low in May. But the price has been a devalued peso and deep cuts to state subsidies that made access to housing, health care and education prohibitively expensive for millions. Consumer spending dipped heavily last year and a tentative rebound has been unequal: spending on tangible assets such as apartments and cars has skyrocketed among the rich, while ever more poorer people can not afford shoes or food. Nine out of 10 Argentine households are in debt, official data shows. Even more have defaulted on a loan. - 'An excellent June' - "Nothing is selling," shoe store employee Laura Comiso told AFP in downtown Buenos Aires after yet another afternoon without customers. But in San Andres de Giles west of the capital, car salesman Blas Morales waxed lyrical about "an excellent June!" According to Sebastian Beato, president of Argentina's ACARA car dealership association, the first half of 2025 was "the best in seven years" with sales up nearly 80 percent from 2024. Under Milei's measures, loans have become cheaper, and Argentines have been encouraged by a tax amnesty to bring out billions of US dollars they had stashed under mattresses and floorboards, in safety deposit boxes and offshore accounts. Investment in real estate increased 22 percent year-on-year in Buenos Aires in May. In the first four months of 2025, more mortgages were taken out in Argentina than in all of 2024. "The change in government has been very positive for this sector," third-generation real estate agent Diego Sardano told AFP. "Under the previous government, we went months without making a single sale. Now we have about five sales per month," he added. A stronger peso also benefits those traveling abroad but harms domestic tourism, with bookings plummeting. Between January and April, about six million Argentines traveled abroad -- 70 percent more than in the same period in 2024. The country received only two million visitors at the same time, the lowest figure in a decade. - No more candy - Consumption is being driven largely by Argentina's upper class, which comprises no more than six percent of the population. Consulting firm Moiguer said in a recent report the economic recovery after months of recession was not benefiting everyone equally, and was exacerbating income inequality. Half of Argentines tell pollsters they cannot make ends meet, and a third delay planned purchases in order to pay for essentials. Sardano, the realtor, said he feared spending on homes and apartment may have peaked "because people's purchasing power isn't increasing." "High-end car registrations are increasing while food consumption is falling. The middle class is being wiped out," added Rodolfo Aguilar, head of the State Workers' Union (ATE) which has reported 40,000 job losses among its ranks under Milei. Fernando Savore, head of the Federation of Small Businesses in Buenos Aires province, said having a job no longer guarantees financial stability because wages have not kept pace with rising gas, electricity and transport prices, or school fees. "Much of a worker's income goes toward these obligations. There are items that no longer sell, like candy and desserts," he told AFP. "People only buy necessities like pasta and tomato puree, nothing more, and many are buying on credit." sa/lbc/mlr/mlm
France 24
12 hours ago
- Business
- France 24
Argentina under Milei: a tale of two economies
But on the other side of a very complicated economic coin, consumption is dropping precipitously among low- and middle-income groups while more and more people work in precarious jobs and buy groceries on credit. Milei, who took office as president in December 2023, has partly succeeded in his quest to curb state spending and runaway inflation, which reached a five-year monthly low in May. But the price has been a devalued peso and deep cuts to state subsidies that made access to housing, health care and education prohibitively expensive for millions. Consumer spending dipped heavily last year and a tentative rebound has been unequal: spending on tangible assets such as apartments and cars has skyrocketed among the rich, while ever more poorer people can not afford shoes or food. Nine out of 10 Argentine households are in debt, official data shows. Even more have defaulted on a loan. - 'An excellent June' - "Nothing is selling," shoe store employee Laura Comiso told AFP in downtown Buenos Aires after yet another afternoon without customers. But in San Andres de Giles west of the capital, car salesman Blas Morales waxed lyrical about "an excellent June!" According to Sebastian Beato, president of Argentina's ACARA car dealership association, the first half of 2025 was "the best in seven years" with sales up nearly 80 percent from 2024. Under Milei's measures, loans have become cheaper, and Argentines have been encouraged by a tax amnesty to bring out billions of US dollars they had stashed under mattresses and floorboards, in safety deposit boxes and offshore accounts. Investment in real estate increased 22 percent year-on-year in Buenos Aires in May. In the first four months of 2025, more mortgages were taken out in Argentina than in all of 2024. "The change in government has been very positive for this sector," third-generation real estate agent Diego Sardano told AFP. "Under the previous government, we went months without making a single sale. Now we have about five sales per month," he added. A stronger peso also benefits those traveling abroad but harms domestic tourism, with bookings plummeting. Between January and April, about six million Argentines traveled abroad -- 70 percent more than in the same period in 2024. The country received only two million visitors at the same time, the lowest figure in a decade. No more candy Consumption is being driven largely by Argentina's upper class, which comprises no more than six percent of the population. Consulting firm Moiguer said in a recent report the economic recovery after months of recession was not benefiting everyone equally, and was exacerbating income inequality. Half of Argentines tell pollsters they cannot make ends meet, and a third delay planned purchases in order to pay for essentials. Sardano, the realtor, said he feared spending on homes and apartment may have peaked "because people's purchasing power isn't increasing." "High-end car registrations are increasing while food consumption is falling. The middle class is being wiped out," added Rodolfo Aguilar, head of the State Workers' Union (ATE) which has reported 40,000 job losses among its ranks under Milei. Fernando Savore, head of the Federation of Small Businesses in Buenos Aires province, said having a job no longer guarantees financial stability because wages have not kept pace with rising gas, electricity and transport prices, or school fees. "Much of a worker's income goes toward these obligations. There are items that no longer sell, like candy and desserts," he told AFP.
Japan Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Japan Times
A Nazi document trove raises questions for Argentina
The Supreme Court official had a secret to share when he called Eliahu Hamra, the rabbi of Argentina's main Jewish community center, one night around the turn of the year. The court had found a dozen boxes of Nazi documents in its basement archive containing photos of Hitler as well as thousands of red Nazi labor organization membership booklets stamped with the swastika of the Third Reich. Silvio Robles, chief of staff to the court's president, wanted the rabbi's advice about how to handle the discovery, Hamra recalled. It was an uncomfortable subject for Argentina, home to Latin America's largest Jewish community, but also notorious for giving refuge to dozens of Nazi war criminals after World War II. Hamra said he told Robles the court could face awkward questions about how the Nazi material came to be in its basement. "I warned him to take into account that this could leave a stain on them," Hamra said in an interview. The conversation with the rabbi was an important early step in a coordinated effort between the Supreme Court and Jewish community leaders to bring the trove of documents to light. The find surfaced at a time when Argentina is demonstrating new readiness to look back at its complicated history with Nazis in the war era. President Javier Milei, who has shown a personal interest in Judaism and strong support for Israel, in April opened up access to Nazi documents, uploading hundreds of declassified documents online. "The Argentine government is committed to bringing these issues to light," said Emiliano Díaz, a spokesperson for Milei's government. Argentina remained neutral during the conflict until March 1945 when it declared war on Germany. After the Allied victory, many Holocaust survivors emigrated to Argentina. So did Nazi war criminals Adolf Eichmann, the chief organizer of the massacre of Jews during the Holocaust, and Josef Mengele, an Auschwitz death camp doctor who performed experiments on prisoners, granted entry by the Juan Perón government. Even decades later, this history made the Supreme Court tread carefully around the discovery. It declined to answer written questions on the finding or to allow the news agency to see the booklets. The court has said it discovered the boxes during preparations for a new Supreme Court museum. But the Nazi documents had been seen sporadically in the court's archives since the 1970s, according to interviews with three judiciary employees and a private attorney with direct knowledge of the matter. Reporters could not determine why the trove of documents was not made public until now. "Nazis in Argentina set in motion many feelings," said Argentine historian Germán Friedmann. 'Don't touch' The basement archives housed in the large stone building of Argentina's Supreme Court contain hundreds of thousands of legal case files. It's easy to imagine that something could get lost. The Nazi materials were rediscovered in a room storing broken furniture, according to two judiciary officials. Robles, alerted to the find, then reached out to Hamra, the rabbi. And on May 9, Hamra, Jonathan Karszenbaum, the director of the local Holocaust museum and himself the grandson of survivors, and Horacio Rosatti, the president of the court, gathered in a judge's chamber to watch workers pry open the wooden crates. "I couldn't register even my own sensations because of the strangeness of the moment," said Karszenbaum. The court announced the find two days later. Crates containing Nazi-related material are displayed after they were rediscovered at the Supreme Court in Buenos Aires in this picture released on May 11. | Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Republica Argentina / via REUTERS It later said the discovery included 5,000 membership booklets from the German Labor Front and the German Association of Trade Unions, both Nazi labor organizations. But some people who worked in the archives have long known about the boxes of Nazi material. One archive employee said he saw the boxes in the same storage room about a decade ago, and caught a glimpse of booklets with German names in a partially opened box. In the early 1970s, Alberto Garay, now an attorney and constitutional law expert in Buenos Aires, was visiting a friend who worked at the archives. He spotted a pile of red notebooks, imprinted with swastikas and bundled together with string, on the floor, he said. "I was surprised and said, 'what do you have here?'" Garay recalled. "He said, 'don't touch.'" A ship and a raid According to the Supreme Court, the material arrived in Argentina in 1941 aboard a Japanese vessel, part of a shipment of 83 packages from the German Embassy in Tokyo. The cargo was impounded by customs agents because of concerns it could damage Argentina's war neutrality, the court said. But for local historian Julio Mutti, whose work focuses on Nazis in Argentina, that sounded implausible. In a May 15 article, Mutti suggested the court had conflated two events that occurred a month apart: the arrival of the Japanese ship and a raid on underground Nazi organizations. Argentina was home to about 250,000 German-speakers at the outbreak of World War II. When Hitler annexed Austria in 1938, more than 10,000 people filled a Buenos Aires stadium to celebrate, causing alarm among locals. In 1939, Argentina's president dissolved the local branch of the Nazi party. Two years later, in 1941, Argentina's congress created a commission to investigate Nazi activities in the country. When the Nan A Maru docked in Buenos Aires, the commission asked the foreign ministry to intervene, according to a review of reports in La Prensa, a popular Argentine daily at the time. Inspectors opened five packages, finding propaganda, La Prensa reported. Searches of the remaining 78 packages revealed mostly children's books, magazines and envelopes with war photographs. There was no mention of membership booklets. Reporters were unable to determine what happened to the impounded cargo. Around this time, the commission was also investigating whether the banned Nazi party and the German Labor Front were continuing to operate underground. On July 23 — a month after the arrival of the Japanese ship — the authorities raided the offices of the German Association of Trade Unions and the Federation of German Beneficence and Cultural Clubs, fronts for the banned Nazi labor organization and party, seizing thousands of red membership booklets, according to La Prensa. The booklets were stored in the Supreme Court, La Prensa reported. Mutti, who learned about the raids through archival research in 2016, had searched for the notebooks in the court building, eventually concluding they had been incinerated to make space in the archive. When news broke of the discovery of the red booklets in the basement, "I immediately realized where they came from," he said. In June, the Supreme Court said it was digitizing and cataloguing the materials, and released photos of workers in masks and hairnets poring over the find. For now, it's unclear what the rediscovered booklets will reveal. Four historians said it's unlikely the notebooks will yield information not already uncovered by the wartime commission. Holger Meding, a historian at the University of Cologne, didn't expect the booklets would radically change historians' understanding of Nazi activities in Argentina. But, he said, "for historians, every piece of the mosaic is important."
