Argentina's monthly inflation ticks up as Milei faces backlash over an outdated index

Diego Armando Custodio stands inside a coal sales
market where he works in Buenos Aires,
Argentina, Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026.
 (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Inflation in crisis-prone Argentina accelerated more than expected and for a fifth straight month in January, the country’s statistics agency said Tuesday, a closely watched report whose outdated methodology in recent days stoked political turmoil and created a headache for libertarian President Javier Milei.

Consumer prices rose 2.9% last month compared with December, said the statistics agency known by its Spanish acronym INDEC, largely owing to increases in the prices of food, restaurants, hotels and utility bills.

Economists say that the formula that INDEC used to calculate the inflation rate still underestimates real price rises in a country reeling from Milei's harsh austerity program that his close ideological ally, U.S. President Donald Trump has backed with $20 billion and championed as a model for downsizing federal bureaucracy.

By Isabel Debre
Full story at Yahoo News

Cardoso: Foreign Reserves now $49 billion

Nigeria’s net foreign reserves have risen to $49 billion in a remarkable sustained recovery from about $3 billion recorded in May 2023. 

Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Mr. Olayemi Cardoso, said the nation’s net foreign reserves hit $49 billion by February 5, 2026 as inflows from remittances, non-oil exports and other individual and institutional sources continued to provide strong buffers for the nation’s currency stability.

Cardoso spoke yesterday in Abuja at the second edition of National Economic Council (NEC) Conference.

By Nduka Chiejina

Full story at Pulse NG

South Africa withdrawing more than 700 troops from UN mission in Democratic Republic of Congo

South Africa has decided to withdraw its troop contribution to the United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (MONUSCO), ending nearly three decades of involvement in UN peacekeeping operations in the country.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has informed United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres of the South African government’s decision, which was conveyed during a telephone conversation on 12 January 2026.

South Africa ranks among the top 10 troop-contributing countries to MONUSCO, with a force presence of over 700 soldiers deployed in the Democratic Republic of Congo in support of the mission’s peacekeeping mandate, according to the Presidency in Pretoria.

Full story at IOL

By Jonisayi Maromo

Nigeria: Late Submission of Audit Reports Affecting Our Work, Reps Panel Cries Out

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the House of Representatives has lamented the delay in the submission of audit reports by the Office of the Auditor General for the Federation (OAuGF) was affecting its legislative oversight work.

This is just as the committee vowed to ensure timely submission of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 Reports by the OAuGF.

The committee's chairman, Hon. Bamidele Salam, stated this while speaking at a retreat held for members of the legislative panel and its staff as well as other stakeholders held in Ghana over the weekend.

By James Kwen

Full story at All Africa

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‘He is Satan’: Malema blasts Trump after court appearance

EFF leader Julius Malema has launched a scathing attack on US President Donald Trump, criticising his leadership and his impact on global stability.

Addressing party members after the postponement of his pre-sentencing proceedings for firearm-related convictions, Malema took the opportunity to lash out at his local detractors and the American head of state.

“Whether he likes it or not, Trump’s term is coming to an end and he is going to jail, unless he does the quickest thing and drinks poison,” Malema said.

By Innocentia Nkadimeng
Full story at Times Live

‘The Presidency is the perpetrator’: Zuma says he’s a victim and innocent recipient of R28 million

Counsel for former president Jacob Zuma has argued that the former head of state was not responsible for the unlawful government payments made towards his legal fees and should therefore not be compelled to repay the millions in question.

Earlier on Thursday, IOL reported that the High Court in Pretoria was set for a high-stakes showdown as the Presidency and the State Attorney seek to recover more than R28 million spent on Zuma’s legal battles.

The application stems from a 2024 Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) ruling that found Zuma was not entitled to taxpayer-funded legal support and that the state must be reimbursed.

By Jonisayi Maromo

Full story at IOL