
Germany said that its position on the Falkland Islands dispute has not changed, following claims by Argentina that Lufthansa's request for two flights to the Islands, in support of a polar research expedition, implied recognition of the archipelago as Argentine territory.

U.S. Senate leaders agreed to delay ex-president Donald Trump’s contentious impeachment trial by two weeks, and to concentrate on President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda and Cabinet nominees.

By Gwynne Dyer – When defeated armies are retreating, they always lay mines behind them if they have time. The mines' slow pursuit, they may inflict casualties on the victors, and they give the losers something purposeful to do amidst panic and despair. That’s what Mike Pompeo has been doing just before time was called on his ideologically driven term as United States Secretary of State.

Argentina is rejoicing because Germany's flag carrier Lufthansa formally requested the Civil Aviation National Administration and the Tierra del Fuego, Antarctica and South Atlantic Islands provincial government over flight and landing authorization for two charter flights to the Malvinas Islands from Hamburg.

Striking a conciliatory tone, Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro made public a three-page letter congratulating president Joe Biden and calling for the two nations to deepen ties, including a free trade agreement.

The Falkland Islands government and local industry have given reassurances following cases of Covid-19 identified on Loligo fishing ships due to the Falklands from Galicia. Penguin News investigated reports of positive cases on vessels bound for the Islands and asked for comment from FIG, who responded in writing:

United States president Joe Biden spent his first full day in office on Thursday signing a number of executive orders addressing the handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which has affected more people in the United States than anyplace else in the world. The U.S. has 24.6 million of the world’s more than 97 million infections.

Fitch Ratings forecasts Latin American economies will rebound this year from the 2020 recession but risks remain in particular because of the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the meeting of the 148th session of the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) on Thursday, WHO Director-General Dr Tedros welcomed the pledge that the United States will remain a member of WHO.

A group of Peruvian doctors launched a hunger strike this week to protest the government’s lack of preparation for a second wave of COVID-19 cases.