The dreams of a 60-year-old beauty contestant come to an abrupt end in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant. Alejandra Marisa Rodríguez, a hopital legal adviser whose entry...

In message to Russia, Chilean lawmakers meet in Antarctica to underline territorial claims

SANTIAGO, Chile (AP) — Defense officials from Chile convened a meeting at the bottom of the planet on Thursday in a bid to bolster their territorial claims in Antarctica as tensions escalate over Russia's maneuvers in the polar region. Lawmakers from Chile's parliamentary defense...

Javier Milei, the hard rocker in Argentina's highest office, turns his book talk into wild show

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A book presentation about neoclassical economic theory may not sound like a crowd-pleaser. But in Buenos Aires mobs of star-struck fans packed a giant auditorium on Wednesday to hear Argentina's president, the libertarian economist Javier Milei,...

Spain withdraws its ambassador to Argentina over President Milei's insults, escalating crisis

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — A diplomatic crisis between historic allies Spain and Argentina expanded Tuesday as Spain announced the official withdrawal of its ambassador from Buenos Aires and Argentine President Javier Milei lambasted the move as “nonsense typical of an arrogant...

Spain recalls its ambassador to Argentina. President Milei calls the move 'nonsense typical of an arrogant socialist'

Argentine president begins unusual visit to Spain, snubbing officials and courting the far-right

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Even before kicking off a three-day visit to Madrid on Friday, Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei stirred controversy, accusing the socialist government of bringing “poverty and death” to Spain and weighing in on corruption allegations against the...

Subway commuters in Buenos Aires see fares spike by 360% as part of austerity campaign in Argentina

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Commuters in Buenos Aires on Friday were hit by an abrupt 360% increase in subway fares, one of the most dramatic price hikes in libertarian President Javier Milei 's harsh budget austerity campaign in Argentina. After weeks of hearings, a judge on...

Messi napkin that sealed Barcelona move sells for $965,000 at auction

LONDON (AP) — The famous napkin that linked a young Lionel Messi to Barcelona sold for 762,400 pounds ($965,000) on Friday, British auction house Bonhams said. An agreement in principle to sign the-then 13-year-old Messi was written on the napkin almost 25 years ago at a Barcelona...

A look at assassinations and assassination attempts this century

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico was seriously wounded in an apparent assassination attempt just weeks before a Europe-wide election that has been deeply divisive. He was shot multiple times in an attack in the town of Handlova that authorities described as politically motivated, although...

Argentina reports its first single-digit inflation in 6 months as markets swoon and costs hit home

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Argentina’s monthly inflation rate eased sharply to a single-digit rate in April for the first time in half a year, data released Tuesday showed, a closely watched indicator that bolsters President Javier Milei’s severe austerity program aimed at fixing the...