A state of emergency has been declared by the Chilean government in the northern cities of Antofagasta and Tocopilla due to the strong winds, heavy rains, flashfloods and mudslides. President Michelle Bachelet visited the north on Monday to observe first-hand the damage caused by a storm that left six people dead nationwide.
Argentina confirmed it will be using Central Bank foreign-currency reserves to service more than US$3.5 billion dollars in international debt that matures in October. The confirmation came through an announcement in the Official Gazette, signed by President Cristina Fernández, Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernández and Economy Minister Axel Kicillof.
The Cristina Fernandez administration candidate Daniel Scioli, as anticipated, was the presidential hopeful with most votes in Argentina Sunday's open, simultaneous and mandatory primaries, (PASO), in which the different parties chose those who will lead them into the 25 October election to elect the head of the Executive, half the Lower House and a third of the Senate.
Pope Francis criticized the destruction of forests in order to plant soy in an interview with an Argentine radio station on Saturday, reinforcing his message that the environment should take precedence over financial gain.
Argentine seafood landings fell by 7.1% in the first half of this year compared to the same period of 2014, according to the latest statistics from the country's Under Secretariat of Fisheries and Aquaculture. Squid catches were down 24.1%.
Prices for major food commodities in July hit their lowest average monthly level since September 2009 as sharp drops in the prices of dairy products and vegetable oils more than offset some increases for those of sugar and cereals. Meat prices, meanwhile, remained stable.
Many oil companies had trimmed their budgets heading into 2015 to deal with lower oil prices. But the rebound in April and May to $60 per barrel from the mid-$40s suggested that the severe drop was merely temporary.
Gibraltar’s Conservative MEP Ashley Fox is compiling a dossier of constituent complaints and experiences of crossing the border in and out of Gibraltar. Mr Fox will hand the dossier to the EU Commission and says it will show Spain is acting “as an aggressor and not a European partner”, according to a report from the Gibraltar Chronicle.
Spain has been accused of an “outrageous” and “unlawful” violation of British sovereignty after boats entered UK waters in Gibraltar on Sunday. Helicopters were also flown over a beach on the British territory as Spanish police chased criminals on the water, a move branded extremely dangerous by the Government of Gibraltar.
Scotland is to ban the growing of genetically modified crops, the country's rural affairs secretary has announced. Richard Lochhead said the Scottish government was not prepared to gamble with the future of the country's £14bn food and drink sector.