
The United States grew at a 4% annual rate in the final three months of 2020 and shrank last year by the largest amount in 74 years. The coronavirus inflicted the worst economic freeze since the end of World War II, the economy contracted 3.5% and clouded the outlook for this year.

More than one million people have died from COVID-19 in North and South America, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reported. Last week two million more cases were reported in the Americas, with the United States the main driver of the outbreak.

The United States-China relationship is “arguably the most important relationship that we have in the world,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said during his first full day in office.

Russian President Vladimir Putin criticized the growing influence of U.S. social media companies and said their impact on society now puts them in competition with elected governments.

Reuters – The risk of climate change in military theatre simulations and war games was confirmed by the Pentagon following a raft of executive actions signed by US president Joe Biden to tackle the climate issue.

AP – The European Union called for broad political talks in Venezuela to set up new elections and warned that it stands ready to slap sanctions on more senior Venezuelan officials in the country if they undermine democracy or take part in human rights violations.

Forty-five Senate Republicans backed a failed effort on Tuesday to halt US ex-president Donald Trump's impeachment trial, in a sign of party unity and the former president's continued sway over the GOP.

Reuters – Former US President Donald Trump has opened an office in Florida that will handle his duties as an ex-president and seek to further his administration’s agenda.

One of the US Coast Guard newest vessels docked in Montevideo early Monday looking for supplies and fuel, but given the strict sanitary isolation measures no member of the crew will be disembarking or anybody visiting the vessel.

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.