International

• Tuesday, January 19th 2021 - 09:27 UTC

  With Trump leaving, Brazil backtracks in its opposition to Huawei's 5G bid

  

  China's telecommunications sector is celebrating that the Brazilian government became the first in the world to backtrack on its opposition to Huawei's 5G bid. Brazil will not seek to bar the Chinese telecommunication giant from its 2021 5G network auctions in June, according to reports published in the newspaper Estado de S. Paulo.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2021 - 09:25 UTC

  Independent panel blasts WHO and China on their tepid response to the initial Covid-19 outbreak

  

  An independent panel said on Monday that Chinese officials could have applied public health measures more forcefully in January to curb the initial COVID-19 outbreak, and criticized the World Health Organization (WHO) for not declaring an international emergency until Jan. 30.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2021 - 09:07 UTC

  Icebreaker HMS Protector is back to sea after £14m revamp

  

  The HMS Protector, the only Royal Navy's ice patrol ship, has returned to sea after a £14m revamp to improve her ability to work in Antarctica. Extra weight was added to the vessel during the work has improved her ice-breaking capability, the Navy said.

• Tuesday, January 19th 2021 - 08:41 UTC

  Guatemalan forces beat back to Honduras a migrant caravan heading for the US

  

  While the Mexican government militarized its borders, Guatemalan security forces on Monday cleared a road of hundreds of people in a mostly Honduran migrant caravan that had camped out overnight when authorities barred it from advancing toward the United States.

• Monday, January 18th 2021 - 09:21 UTC

  Argentina reports the first case of Britain's coronavirus variant

  

  Argentina confirmed on Saturday the first case in the country of a new coronavirus variant that was first identified in Britain and appears to be more contagious.

• Monday, January 18th 2021 - 09:20 UTC

  Falkland’s students wishing to return to UK face mounting difficulties

  

  Falkland Islands elected lawmaker MLA Stacy Bragger, has commented on the difficulties facing Islands students as the UK goes into lockdown. Penguin News contacted MLA Bragger to ask how the UK cancellations of GCSEs and A-Levels will affect locals.

• Monday, January 18th 2021 - 08:34 UTC

  UK hopes to ease some lockdown restrictions in March

  

  Britain's government hopes to ease some lockdown restrictions in March as it presses ahead with Europe's fastest rollout of Covid-19 vaccines, foreign minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday.

• Monday, January 18th 2021 - 08:32 UTC

  Chinese economy expands 6,5% in IV quarter and 2,3% in 2020

  

  China’s economy grew at a faster-than-expected pace in the fourth quarter of last year, ending a rough coronavirus-stricken 2020 ahead of all major industrialized nations, as well poised to expand further this year.

• Monday, January 18th 2021 - 08:23 UTC

  China expects to launch its third and largest carrier this year

  

  China's third aircraft carrier, expected to be very different from the previous two with much larger displacement and featuring electromagnetic catapults, could be launched in 2021 and enter naval service around 2025, media reports predicted based on recent photos of the ship's construction site.

• Monday, January 18th 2021 - 08:13 UTC

  Pope Francis repeats he's eager to visit Uruguay and Argentina

  

  Pope Francis told Uruguay’s new ambassador to the Holy See that a future visit to the country as well as to his native Argentina is still very much on the table. In an interview with Catholic News Service last week, Guzman Carriquiry, who prior to his appointment as Uruguay’s ambassador served as secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, said he decided to ask the pope about the long-awaited visit when he presented his letters of credential Jan. 9.