Politics 17 August 2025 - 22 October 2025

Merval’s next test: Milei labor reform vote and fresh INDEC data loom for Buenos Aires stocks
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Merval’s next test: Milei labor reform vote and fresh INDEC data loom for Buenos Aires stocks

Argentina’s S&P Merval index closed Friday up 1.2% at 2,873,248.32, rising 2% for the week as investors watched a Senate vote on President Javier Milei’s labor reform bill. The bill, which eases hiring rules and lowers severance pay, is expected to face a final Senate vote next week. Key economic data on activity and retail sales are due Tuesday and Wednesday. The market reopens Monday at 10:30 a.m. local time.
February 22, 2026
Does Putin Use Body Doubles? The Truth Behind the Rumors
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Does Putin Use Body Doubles? The Truth Behind the Rumors

In August 2000, Russia’s Federal Protective Service chief denied Putin used doubles, and Putin himself dismissed the idea in 2001. In 2020, Putin said he refused a decoy during the Chechen war. Viral photos and Ukrainian officials have repeatedly fueled rumors since 2018, but agencies like Reuters and Snopes have debunked key claims. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov joked about the rumors in November 2023, insisting there is only one Putin.
August 17, 2025
Kremlin’s Global Disinformation Machine
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Unmasking Russia’s Troll Farm Empire: Inside the Kremlin’s Global Disinformation Machine

The Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg employed about 400 staff by 2015, producing hundreds of posts and comments per shift under strict quotas. During the 2016 U.S. election, IRA campaigns reached over 126 million Americans and led to indictments and sanctions. The group later outsourced operations to Africa and, by 2024, shifted to AI-driven influence, with Google reporting over 400 enforcement actions in 2023.
August 17, 2025
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