Stories for January 2021

Thursday, January 28th 2021 - 09:42 UTC
Brazil on the brink of financial default, points out the Financial Times

Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro has been s skeptical of the coronavirus pandemic and the effectiveness of different vaccines to contain it, arguing that the economy, jobs and activity, were the priority above sanitary recommendations. As a result of this approach, his administration's federal spending jumped almost 40% between January and November, according to the Institute of International Finance. And Bolsonaro had even admitted the country is “broke.”
Thursday, January 28th 2021 - 09:37 UTC
Argentine traders and millers discussing options to avoid a ban on wheat exports

Argentina is worried about domestic food prices and inflation, and as it happened a few weeks ago with an attempt to ban corn exports, a similar situation apparently is happening with wheat, and the different actors involved are working on measures aimed at securing the wheat supply and reasonable bread and pasta prices.
Thursday, January 28th 2021 - 09:23 UTC
Secretary of State Blinken: US-China is “arguably the most important relationship in the world”

The United States-China relationship is “arguably the most important relationship that we have in the world,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during his first full day in office.
Thursday, January 28th 2021 - 09:15 UTC
Johnson off to Scotland to confront growing support of independence referendum

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is traveling on Thursday to Scotland to confront growing support for another independence referendum. Ahead of his visit, Johnson said that Scotland, as a part of the UK, gained access to a coronavirus vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca, and they are being administered by their shared armed forces, who are creating 80 new vaccine centers in Scotland.
Thursday, January 28th 2021 - 09:14 UTC
Putin criticizes “digital giants” that challenge “legitimate democratic institutions”

Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the growing influence of U.S. social media companies and said their impact on society now puts them in competition with elected governments.
Thursday, January 28th 2021 - 09:11 UTC
Colombian defense minister and respected politician dies of Covid-19

Colombia's defense minister has died in hospital after contracting coronavirus, the government announced. Carlos Holmes Trujillo, 69, was taken to hospital with Covid-19 earlier this month and had developed viral pneumonia.
Thursday, January 28th 2021 - 08:55 UTC
China has begun using anal swabs for high risk population

AFP – Anal swabs are being used in China to test those it considers at high risk of contracting Covid-19, state TV reported. According to doctors, the invasive procedure is said to be more effective in detecting the virus.
Thursday, January 28th 2021 - 08:33 UTC
Climate change becomes a national security issue for the Pentagon

Reuters – The risk of climate change in military theatre simulations and war games was confirmed by the Pentagon following a raft of executive actions signed by US president Joe Biden to tackle the climate issue.
Wednesday, January 27th 2021 - 20:39 UTC
Director of Sinovac's intermediary institute said it did not close a deal with Uruguay for vaccine

The Director of the Butantan Institute on Tuesday contradicted the words of Uruguayan President Luis Lacalle Pou, assuring that there is not yet a closed agreement between the Uruguayan government and the Chinese laboratory Sinovac for the purchase of the vaccine against Covid-19. However, the institute affirmed that there is a pre-agreement and talks are still ongoing. Lacalle Pou announced on Saturday at a press conference the purchase of 1.75 million doses from this laboratory.
Wednesday, January 27th 2021 - 09:45 UTC
Chilean president ratifies support for Argentina claims in the Falklands' dispute

Chilean President Sebastián Piñera ratified his administration's support for “Argentina's sovereignty claims over the Falklands/Malvinas and other South Atlantic islands,” and called for Argentina and UK to resume talks to find a peaceful solution to the controversy in the framework of UN resolutions on the issue.