Argentines demand action as hunger grips nation

In Argentina on Thursday, protesters gathered outside the national congress building to demand the government act on what they say is one of the most serious effects of the crisis - the rise of hunger among the poor. Argentine economic growth has stood sharply since last year, while inflation is far outstripping salaries, leading to a sharp uptick in poverty, official data shows. The country's statistics agency, INDEC, said at the beginning of the year 32 percent of the population - some 14.3 million people - was living in poverty, up from 27.3 percent in the first half of 2018. The proportion living in extreme poverty also rose to 6.7 percent from 4.9 percent.