Daily Archives: February 11, 2024
IMF Chief: Mideast Growth to Slow in 2024 on Oil Cuts, Gaza
Dubai, United Arab Emirates — The International Monetary Fund said on Sunday Middle East economies were lagging below growth projections due to oil production cuts and the Israel-Gaza conflict, even as the global economic outlook remained resilient. Despite uncertainties, “the global economy has been surprisingly resilient,” IMF managing director Kristalina Georgieva told the Arab Fiscal Forum in Dubai, while warning of a potential wider impact on regional economies of continued conflict in Gaza. In a regional economic report last month, the IMF revised its GDP growth forecast for the Middle East …
Mexican Avocado Scarcity Affects Super Bowl Guacamole
MEXICO CITY — As the Super Bowl approaches, there could be problems for guacamole, a favorite game-time food in America: A lack of rain and warmer temperatures has resulted in fewer avocados being shipped from Mexico. The western state of Michoacan, which supplies almost 90% of the creamy textured fruit for the big game, has suffered a hotter, drier climate that has led to a lack of water in growing areas. Lakes in the state are literally drying up: Desperate avocado growers send tanker trucks down to suck up the last …
First Female Argentine Saint Brings Together Pope Francis and Milei
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Sunday will elevate to sainthood the first female saint from his native Argentina, an event that will be attended at the Vatican by his former strong critic, Argentine President Javier Milei. Milei, a maverick right-wing libertarian, in the past called Francis an “imbecile,” a “son of a bitch preaching communism” and the devil’s man on Earth — but has softened his tone since taking office in December. The pope, for his part, has said he did not pay too much attention to the insults, telling …