World in Focus: Sputnik’s Daily Current Affairs Program|16/1/17

Monday: The World Economic Foundation’s annual report has warned that rising wealth inequality; Manuel Valls seems to have suffered a blow following the first televised debate in the French election campaign and we examine the Trump dossier with former MI5 intelligence officer, Annie Machon.

Today’s headlines include:
 
The World Economic Foundation’s annual report has warned that rising wealth inequality and the polarization of societies poses a major threat to the global economy in twenty seventeen. The report also states that these are the key factors behind the UK’s Brexit vote and the success of Donald Trump in the US elections.
 
The French socialists have begun the process of selecting their candidate for the upcoming presidential elections, but front runner Manuel Valls seems to have suffered a blow following the first televised debates. With the socialists polling so low against Fillon of the Republicans and Le Pen of Front Nationale can any of the candidates really turn it around?
 
The bitter war of words between Donald Trump and the U.S intelligence community is rumbling on. The President Elect responded to comments from the outgoing CIA director by questioning if HE was behind the leak of a potentially damaging dossier about him. We hear from former M15 intelligence officer and whistle-blower Annie Machon this hour.
 
When Argentina’s Mauricio Macri became President in 2015, he vowed that his right-leaning, pro-western economic model would give the country’s economy a shot in the arm by late 2016.  It’s now 2017 though, and Argentina’s inflation rate is over 40%, and its deficit is over 4%, showing little sign of happier times on the horizon.
 
You can find previous editions of World in Focus here.
 
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