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Montevideo, May 3rd 2024 - 14:29 UTC

International

  • Tuesday, May 31st 2016 - 17:30 UTC

    FAO sponsored illegal fishing accord scheduled to become law on 5 June; 30 countries have adhered

    Each year, IUU fishing is responsible for annual catches of up to 26 million tons, with a value of up to US$ 23 billion.

    Illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing is about to become much more difficult thanks to the imminent entry into force of the Port State Measures Agreement (PSMA), a ground-breaking international accord championed by FAO.

  • Tuesday, May 31st 2016 - 06:16 UTC

    World No Tobacco Day, 31 May 2016: Get ready for plain packaging

    “Plain packaging reduces attractiveness of tobacco products. It kills the glamour, which is appropriate for a product that kills people,” says Dr. Margaret Chan.

    Recent moves to introduce plain (standardized) packaging of tobacco products can save lives by reducing demand for tobacco products, say the World Health Organization (WHO) and the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control Secretariat (WHO FCTC).

  • Monday, May 30th 2016 - 07:48 UTC

    At the 100th anniversary of Verdun, Hollande and Merkel appeal to unity

    Hollande and Merkel said just as France and Germany had put aside their shared history to become close allies, EU must now pull together to deal current challenges. (Pic EPA)

    French President Francois Hollande and German Chancellor Angela Merkel appealed on Sunday for Europe to unite to face its current challenges as they marked the 100th anniversary of Verdun, the longest battle of World War I. The 300 days of fighting in northeast France were one of the bloodiest battles of the war, claiming more than 300,000 lives before France emerged victorious.

  • Monday, May 30th 2016 - 07:13 UTC

    Chilean rescue of Shackleton's crew from Elephant Island marked at British residence

    Defense Under-Secretary Marcos Robledo, Ambassador Fiona Clouder, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Heraldo Muñoz.

    A networking reception was held in the British residence on Wednesday 25 May to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the rescue by the Chilean pilot Luis Pardo, of the Armada de Chile, of Ernest Shackleton’s crew from Elephant Island.

  • Monday, May 30th 2016 - 07:03 UTC

    Australia enforces low sulfur fuel regulations: Carnival cruise fined

    The Pacific Jewel, breached new low sulfur fuel regulations in Sydney Harbor, following a fuel sample taken by the ship’s crew and provided to EPA officers

    Australia’s Environment Protection Authority (EPA) has fined Carnival PLC US$15,000 after one of its P&O Cruises ships, the Pacific Jewel, breached new low sulfur fuel regulations in Sydney Harbor. A fuel sample taken by the ship’s crew and provided to EPA officers while the ship was berthed at the White Bay Cruise Terminal on February 26, 2016 had a sulfur level of 0.293%, nearly three times the 0.1% sulfur limit.

  • Sunday, May 29th 2016 - 14:18 UTC

    British tourists target holidays in Spain and Portugal instead of Egypt and Tunisia

    ABTA cited figures showing that bookings to Portugal were up 29%, while Spain was up 26% and Cyprus increased 18% compared to last year.

    More British tourists are set to spend their summer holidays in Spain and Portugal as demand for sunshine breaks in Tunisia and Egypt declines over fears of violence, travel agents said. Trade body the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) cited figures showing that bookings to Portugal were up 29%, while Spain was up 26% and Cyprus increased 18% compared to last year.

  • Sunday, May 29th 2016 - 13:06 UTC

    Superbug in US: Doctors fear it could herald a post-antibiotic era

    The recently discovered antibiotic-resistant gene, known as mcr-1, has also been found in China and Europe.

    A superbug resistant to all known medications has been found in the United States for the first time, raising new concern about the dwindling effectiveness of antibiotics, the top US public health official said this week. . The case involved a 49-year-old woman in Pennsylvania whose urinary tract infection tested positive for a strain of E. coli that is resistant to the antibiotic of last resort for such infections, known as colistin.

  • Sunday, May 29th 2016 - 08:23 UTC

    “Modern Times”, robots rapidly replacing workers in electronics factories

    Xu Yulian, head of Kunshan region PP.RR., said: “More companies are likely to follow suit.” China is investing heavily in a robot workforce.

    Apple and Samsung supplier Foxconn has reportedly replaced 60,000 factory workers with robots. One factory has “reduced employee strength from 110,000 to 50,000 thanks to the introduction of robots”, a government official told the South China Morning Star.

  • Saturday, May 28th 2016 - 08:25 UTC

    Net migration to UK, 333.000 in 2015, provides more ammo to the Leave campaign

    “The system has spun out of control,” Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson, the former London mayor said in a statement.

    Campaigners wanting Britain to leave the European Union warned that immigration has “spun out of control”, as the new mayor of London launched his campaign for the country to stay in the bloc. Four weeks before the so-called Brexit referendum on June 23, the Office for National Statistics published data putting net migration - the difference between those arriving and leaving Britain - at 333,000 last year.

  • Saturday, May 28th 2016 - 07:27 UTC

    WHO public health advice regarding the Olympics and Zika virus

    WHO advises pregnant women not to travel to areas with ongoing Zika virus transmission.

    Based on current assessment, cancelling or changing the location of the 2016 Olympics will not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus. Brazil is one of almost 60 countries and territories which to-date report continuing transmission of Zika by mosquitoes. People continue to travel between these countries and territories for a variety of reasons. The best way to reduce risk of disease is to follow public health travel advice.