
By Joseph Stiglitz, Edmund S. Phelps, and Carmen Reinhart (*) – Argentina's creditors are being asked to accept a proposal that would reduce their revenue stream but make it sustainable. A responsible resolution will set a positive precedent, not only for Argentina but for the international financial system as a whole.

Brazil, one of the world's emerging coronavirus hot spots, registered a record number of cases and deaths on Wednesday, prompting the health minister to flag the possibility of strict lockdowns in particularly hard-hit areas.

The United States will use all options to free two Americans said to be detained in a failed mercenary attack in Venezuela, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday. “If the Maduro regime decides to hold them, we will use every tool that we have available to try to get them back,” Pompeo told reporters.

President Donald Trump said on Wednesday his coronavirus task force would shift its primary focus to reviving US business and social life while acknowledging that reopening the economy could put more lives at risk.

Brazilian Economy Minister Paulo Guedes said that according to initial estimates, the country's economy would shrink 6% as a result of the recession caused by the new coronavirus pandemic, but now, thanks to the increase in exports to China, expectations are of a retraction of only 4% this year.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday he could begin to ease a nationwide coronavirus lockdown next week, but warned he would do nothing that would risk a new surge of cases.

The Bundesliga will resume on May 15, the German league confirmed on Wednesday, after Chancellor Angela Merkel and state leaders gave the green light to restart behind closed doors following weeks of shutdown imposed to control the spread of the coronavirus.

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Monday picked a new head of the federal police following a Supreme Court decision to block his effort to appoint a family friend - a tactical retreat a day after he and supporters threatened the court in anti-democratic protests.

The government of Argentina and its biggest bondholders are clashing over plans to restructure US$ 65 billion in foreign debt, with little sign of either side budging in last-ditch talks to strike a deal.

The Falkland Islands government made public on Tuesday a guide to ensure the safety of the community and reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading around the Islands, but also looking for the best way to help safely increase contact among its members. For this FIG has looked at other countries to see what is the best way to help safely increase contacts.