Politics

• Thursday, March 12th 2020 - 08:50 UTC

  WHO declares coronavirus a pandemic and warns about “alarming levels of inaction”

  

  The World Health Organization declared the novel coronavirus a pandemic on Wednesday as it spreads in more than 100 countries around the world. WHO defines a pandemic as “the worldwide spread of a new disease.” The determination is based on the geographic spread of a disease, the severity of illnesses it causes, and its effects on society.

• Thursday, March 12th 2020 - 07:52 UTC

  Brazilian stocks plunged on Wednesday; second day in the week trading had to be suspended

  

  Brazilian stocks plunged on Wednesday on fears about the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic, leading the Sao Paulo stock exchange to suspend trading for the second time this week.

• Thursday, March 12th 2020 - 07:48 UTC

  With local elections looming, Brazilian congress overturns Bolsonaro veto on social spending

  

  Brazil's Congress overturned a presidential veto on Wednesday in an ongoing battle over appropriations with President Jair Bolsonaro, doubling social assistance for elderly and disabled people that will cost an extra 20 billion reais (US$ 4.2 billion) this year.

• Thursday, March 12th 2020 - 07:41 UTC

  Merkel warns that up to 70% of German population could contract coronavirus

  

  German Chancellor Angela Merkel has warned that up to 70% of the country's population - some 58 million people - could contract the coronavirus. Mrs Merkel made the stark prediction at a news conference on Wednesday alongside Health Minister Jens Spahn.

• Thursday, March 12th 2020 - 07:40 UTC

  Brazil February inflation, 0,25%, the lowest since the same month in 2000

  

  Brazilian inflation rose more than expected in February, official figures showed on Wednesday, although the monthly increase was still the lowest for any February in 20 years.

• Thursday, March 12th 2020 - 07:35 UTC

  Coronavirus: Bank of England cuts interest rate 50 basis points to 0.25%

  

  The Bank of England (BOE), the UK's central bank, cut interest rates by 0.5 percentage points on Wednesday morning as part of an emergency response to the coronavirus, or COVID-19.

• Thursday, March 12th 2020 - 07:31 UTC

  Brazilian lawmaker sponsors bill to punish corrupt politicians with amputation of both hands

  

  A lawmaker who says Brazil is not doing enough to fight rampant political corruption put forward a bill on Tuesday that would punish any politician convicted of the graft with amputation of both hands.

• Wednesday, March 11th 2020 - 10:00 UTC

  Falklands updates its Travel Advisory concerning COVID-19

  

  The Government of the Falklands updated its advice on travelling to the Islands, in response to a further change in the global COVID-19 situation. The Italian Government this week announced emergency measures across the entire country in response to the virus.

• Wednesday, March 11th 2020 - 09:11 UTC

  Uruguay abandons Unasur and rejoins the TIAR reciprocal assistance treaty

  

  The Uruguayan government announced on Tuesday that it was withdrawing from the Union of South American Nations, Unasur and returning to the Inter-American Treaty of Reciprocal Assistance, TIAR.

• Wednesday, March 11th 2020 - 08:55 UTC

  Brazil downplays the threat of coronavirus: “it is overstated”

  

  Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro minimized the threat of the new coronavirus - which has killed nearly 4,000 people in more than 60 countries and tanked global financial markets, saying its destructive power has been “overstated”.