
Brazil has reported a single-day record of 90,303 new cases of COVID-19, as the country continues to grapple with mounting coronavirus infections and deaths.

The EU regulatory body is “fully convinced” that the vaccine's benefits outweigh possible risks. Global health experts have been under growing pressure to answer questions over the safety of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 shot. “There is ”no indication'' that AstraZeneca vaccines are the cause of blood clots reported in some shot recipients, the European Medicines Agency's (EMA) chief said on Tuesday.

Health officials in Sao Paulo, have called on the new health minister to consider imposing a national lockdown as coronavirus deaths continue to rise. On Tuesday Brazil recorded 2,841 Covid-related deaths - its highest ever daily total.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro said on Tuesday that the arrest of former interim Bolivian President Jeanine Áñez over the weekend seemed unreasonable, adding he sees the situation in Bolivia as a cause for concern.

Brazilian economic activity rose sharply in January, a central bank index showed on Monday, indicating that Latin America’s largest economy has not only recovered all its pandemic-related decline but is now back to the size it was over five years ago.

Democracy is in retreat around the world, British foreign minister Dominic Raab will warn on Wednesday in a speech setting out the danger that autocratic regimes pose to global stability and prosperity.

Argentina's Ministry of Development and Production anticipated that the country's industrial output should grow more than 6% this year compared to 2020. Economist Matias Kulfas said he expected Argentina's economy as a whole to expand 5% to 6% during the year, based on preliminary data and depending on how the novel coronavirus and vaccination campaign evolves and its impact on growth.

REUTERS – The World Health Organization's director-general said on Monday that systems meant to protect public health were working, as several countries suspended the use of the AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine to investigate possible side-effects.

With Covid-19 infections and deaths seeing in Brazil, President Jair Bolsonaro confirmed on Monday that he will appoint cardiologist Marcelo Queiroga as the replacement to health minister Eduardo Pazuello. This would be the third change for the position in less than a year.

A collapse in support for Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats in two regional elections on Sunday signaled that a widening corruption scandal and missteps during the pandemic may threaten the party’s hold on power in a national election this September.