International

• Saturday, January 30th 2021 - 09:05 UTC

  Large companies sign “Neptune Declaration” to help crews trapped in ships because of Covid-19

  

  More than 300 large companies pledged this week to work together to help hundreds of thousands of merchant sailors trapped on ships for many months due to Covid-19. About 90% of world trade is transported by sea, and coronavirus restrictions in many countries are affecting global supply chains.

• Friday, January 29th 2021 - 08:56 UTC

  Falklands‘ sovereignty: in UN letter, UK makes clear to Argentina its historical and legal position

  

  Last 14 January, the United Kingdom Permanent Representative to the United Nations addressed a letter to the Secretary-General. The letter, in accordance with instructions received from the UK Government, was to refer to the letter dated 30 December 2020 from the Permanent Representative of Argentina to the United Nations, addressed to the Secretary-General.

• Friday, January 29th 2021 - 08:55 UTC

  Canada and Uruguay, the Americas' countries with the less corruption perception

  

  Transparency International has released its 2020 Corruption Perception Index, which is not very generous with Latin American countries, including Mercosur members Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay, with Uruguay the great exception and best-ranked in the Americas behind Canada.

• Friday, January 29th 2021 - 08:42 UTC

  Hess Exploration investing heavily in its Guyana oil offshore operations

  

  The Hess Exploration company is betting strongly in the opportunities of its Guyana operations. With a 30% interest in the Stabroek Block, it has allotted more than 80% of its capital and exploratory budget of US$1.9 billion for 2021 to its offshore blocks.

• Friday, January 29th 2021 - 08:12 UTC

  Uruguayan skipper leads female rowers across the Atlantic in the Talisker Whisky Challenge

  

  All-female four-boat, The Bristol Gulls, including for the first time a Uruguayan skipper, raced into English Harbour, Antigua, completing this year’s Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge on the 27th January 2021.

• Friday, January 29th 2021 - 08:00 UTC

  Beijing warns Taiwan, “any mention of independence means war”

  

  Beijing warned Taiwan on Thursday that “independence means war” and that its armed forces stepped up activities were in response to provocation and foreign interference.

• Thursday, January 28th 2021 - 09:51 UTC

  Over a million people have died from Covid-19 in the Americas

  

  More than one million people have died from COVID-19 in North and South America, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported. Last week two million more cases were reported in the Americas, with the United States the main driver of the outbreak.

• 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 - 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.