United States

Tuesday, January 26th 2021 - 09:21 UTC
Janet Yellen Secretary of the Treasury: ample bipartisan support

By an overwhelming majority, the United States Senate voted on Monday to confirm Janet Yellen as the 78th Secretary of the Treasury. Yellen, 74, is the first woman to hold the position in the Treasury’s 231-year history, and only the second person to ever have served as both Federal Reserve chair and Treasury Secretary.
Tuesday, January 26th 2021 - 09:14 UTC
“Buy American”, one of the lessons learnt from the pandemic, Biden underlines

United States President Joe Biden on Monday signed a “Buy American” executive order to ensure that the federal government invests taxpayers' money on U.S.-made goods in an effort to revitalize the country's manufacturing industry and resilient supply chains.
Tuesday, January 26th 2021 - 08:47 UTC
Colombian ex paramilitary boss deported back from the US

REUTERS – A Colombian ex paramilitary boss accused of crimes including torture and murder was deported from the United States on Monday, Bogotá migration authorities revealed. Hernan Giraldo, 72, was extradited to the United States from Colombia in 2008, where he served a 12-year sentence for drug trafficking offenses.
Tuesday, January 26th 2021 - 08:27 UTC
Merkel and Biden agree to closer cooperation in pandemic, defense and trade

REUTERS – German Chancellor Angela Merkel spoke on Monday to US president Joe Biden to congratulate him and agreed on closer cooperation in tackling world challenges, particularly the pandemic, defense, and trade.
Monday, January 25th 2021 - 08:15 UTC
Global FDI collapsed in 2020, down 37% for Latin America, and 2021 does not look much better, UNCTAD

Global foreign direct investment (FDI) collapsed in 2020, falling 42% from US$ 1.5 trillion in 2019 to an estimated US$ 859 billion, according to a UNCTAD Investment Trends Monitor released on Sunday.
Saturday, January 23rd 2021 - 09:07 UTC
Trump's impeachment delayed to concentrate on president Biden's agenda

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.
Saturday, January 23rd 2021 - 07:31 UTC
The Biden administration foreign policy faces Pompeo's laying mines retreat tour

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.
Friday, January 22nd 2021 - 09:40 UTC
Bolsonaro sends Biden a three page letter calling for deeper bilateral relations

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.
Friday, January 22nd 2021 - 09:34 UTC
Biden signs executive orders increasing production of special syringes and joining the COVAX initiative

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.
Friday, January 22nd 2021 - 09:30 UTC
WHO chief thanks Biden and Fauci for keeping the US a member of the organization

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.