Buenos Aires city council passes law authorising relatives to attend bedside vigils for patients dying of COVID-19. Healthcare workers in the Argentine capital will be instructed to allow family members to maintain a bedside vigil for dying COVID-19 patients, after legislators approved a new law on Thursday. The move by the Buenos Aires city council is seen as a breakthrough […]

The Caribbean nation of 10 million lifted a coronavirus state of emergency as candidates made their final drive. Voters in the Dominican Republic are set to defy rising coronavirus infections to choose a new president in an election that could end 16 years of unbroken rule by the centre-left Dominican Liberation Party (PLD).   Opposition candidate Luis Abinader is favourite […]

The arrest warrants were issued almost three weeks after AT&T announced its withdrawal from Venezuela. Venezuelan authorities have jailed three local DirecTV executives under an arrest warrant issued after the Dallas-based company abruptly cut off services to the South American country last month, citing US sanctions against the socialist government, the men’s lawyer said on Friday. Carlos Villamizar, one of […]

Last week, Brazil saw the highest number of new coronavirus cases in a seven-day period since its outbreak began. The WHO’s regional Latin American health authority has warned that the new coronavirus is “still accelerating” in Brazil, Peru, Chile, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua, as the Americas become the new epicentre of the global pandemic.  Carissa Etienne, WHO director for […]

The extension comes amid a continued spike in infections, making Peru’s lockdown one of the longest in the world. Peru has extended its state of emergency and a nationwide lockdown until the end of June, marking one of the world’s longest periods of mandatory isolation aimed at containing the coronavirus outbreak. The extension on Friday is the fifth time the […]

Interior Minister Nestor Reverol says ‘mercenary terrorists’ launched attack from Colombia. Venezuela’s government has said it foiled a marine incursion by “terrorist mercenaries” who attempted to enter the country on speedboats from neighbouring Colombia, adding security forces killed eight of the fighters. The group landed early on Sunday on a beach in the port city of La Guaira, about 20 […]

A cruise ship carrying more than 1,800 people off Panama is in a race to transfer healthy passengers to another ship after four people died – and two others tested positive for coronavirus. The owners of the Zaandam, Holland America, said that more than 130 people on board had reported suffering “flu-like symptoms” and respiratory issues. Nobody has left the […]

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has accused the media of “fear-mongering” in a speech that downplayed the threat of coronavirus to the country. In a televised address on Tuesday, he called on mayors and governors to roll back restrictions they have introduced to curb the spread of Covid-19. His intervention came as the two biggest cities – Sao Paulo and Rio […]

Top diplomat was credited for Iran-Iraq ceasefire and for running against Peruvian president, Alberto Fujimori in 1995. Javier Perez de Cuellar, the two-term United Nations secretary-general who brokered a historic ceasefire between Iran and Iraq in 1988, and who came out of retirement to help re-establish democracy in Peru, died on Wednesday, Peru’s foreign ministry said. He was 100. His […]

Police in Mexico have clashed with protesters, following a huge march marking International Women’s Day. About 80,000 people took to the streets to highlight the country’s rising levels of violence against women. The rally began peacefully, but police say some groups threw petrol bombs and officers responded with tear gas. More than 60 people were injured. Tensions are high ahead […]