Stories for January 15th 2021

Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:40 UTC
Argentine president celebrates a rare success of his administration, promulgation of an abortion bill

Argentina on Thursday became one of just a handful of Latin American countries to allow elective abortion, as neighboring Chile initiated its own debate on decriminalizing a procedure denied to most women on the continent. President Alberto Fernandez signed a law that allows abortion until 14 weeks of pregnancy that was passed by the Senate on December 30.
Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:39 UTC
Falklands exempt from UK requirements for pre departure coronavirus testing

The Falkland Islands has been exempted from new UK regulations regarding pre-departure Covid-19 testing for international travelers to England. The new testing requirements, announced by UK Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, will be in force from 4 am on January 15.
Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:39 UTC
Argentina and IMF resume discussions and “fresh funds” could be included in the package

The International Monetary Fund expects the pace of its ongoing discussions with Argentine authorities to accelerate in coming weeks, IMF spokesman Gerry Rice said on Thursday.
Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:30 UTC
Biden plans a US$ 1,9 trillion economic rescue package to spur the economy and fight the pandemic

United States president-elect Joe Biden laid out his plan for another US$ 1.9 trillion economic rescue package on Thursday, seeking to combat the economic and health crises stemming from the pandemic.
Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:30 UTC
Delays in launching an inoculation program in Brazil, threatens the economic recovery

The risks to an expected economy recovery in Brazil during 2021 are increasing as delays in rolling out a vaccine program against coronavirus continues to be delayed, according to Moody's rating agency.
Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:29 UTC
PAHO warns new Covid-19 variants make it urgent to continue with public health measures

The appearance of new variants of the COVID-19 virus in several countries of the Americas, combined with an acceleration in the virus’s spread in virtually every country in the Americas, makes it urgent to continue public health measures such as social distancing, wearing masks, and washing hands often, Pan American Health Organization Director Carisa F. Etienne said.
Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:24 UTC
Pence running the show vows to ensure a safe transition of power to president elect Joe Biden

REUTERS – United States Vice-President Mike Pence on Thursday vowed to uphold American history and ensure a safe transition of power to President-elect Joe Biden, eight days after supporters of US president Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol.
Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:17 UTC
In 2021 the Earth is forecasted to spin faster making astronomical days shorter

In 2020, the Earth broke the previous record for shortest astronomical day, set in 2005. In effect the Earth broke the record 28 times in 2020, and it's still spinning faster. While Earth is, on average, pretty reliable and takes 86,400 seconds to rotate around its axis, this is not perfect.
Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:15 UTC
Falkland Islands penguins’ catastrophic moulting and how you can help them

Falklands Conservation has illustrated that unlike all other birds, penguins go through what is called a “catastrophic” moult. For the penguin it is probably as bad as it sounds. Every penguin must moult once a year, normally between December to March, by drastically shedding all their feathers and re-growing new feathers in one go – hence the “catastrophic.”
Friday, January 15th 2021 - 09:11 UTC
Falklands promotes workshops for prospective lawmakers' candidates ahead of November's election

Falkland Islands' lawmakers discussed on social media and in the Legislative Assembly late in 2020 a need for a ‘pre-election program’ to encourage members of the public to stand for election as a Member of the Legislative Assembly late in 2021.