Under strong pressure from the fishing industry and some island communities, the Scottish government has scrapped plans to create Highly Protected Marine Areas in 10% of Scotland's seas. The proposals would have restricted fishing and other human activities in some coastal areas, in a bid to protect the environment.
A new coin to celebrate the coronation of King Charles III will be gifted to every child in the Falkland Islands under 16 or in full-time education.
In a significant move towards promoting sustainable energy solutions, the World Bank Board of Directors has approved a loan of $150 million to support green hydrogen projects in Chile. This loan marks the World Bank's first endeavor in promoting green hydrogen and aligns with Chile's commitment to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The investment aims to accelerate the country's green growth, energy transition, and foster a resilient and inclusive economic development.
Argentina's Coast Guard (PNA) will up its patrolling in the Yacyretá dam area following an incident with the Paraguayan Navy which allegedly crossed into its waters, according to a complaint filed by local authorities of the province of Corrientes, it was reported.
Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said Wednesday it was essential that an agreement between Mercosur and the European Union (EU) be concluded as soon as possible, Agencia Brasil reported. Rebelo made those remarks during a forum in Lisbon which was also attended by Brazilian Vice President Geraldo Alckmin, who is also the South American country's Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce, and Services.
After Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO) failed to pass on the pro tempore presidency of the Pacific Alliance to Peru citing illegitimacy on the part of President Dina Boluarte's government, Chile announced Wednesday that it was assuming the position for a month, in a move to unblock such a transfer.
Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro Wednesday downplayed the magnitude of the Jan. 8 events in Brasilia when some of his followers tried to seize the headquarters of all three branches of government and compared the situation with recent events in Russia.
Uruguayan authorities finally decided Wednesday that primary school pupils will have a two-week winter recess between July 3 and July 14 in a move to curb the contagion of respiratory diseases that have caused at least two deaths so far, it was reported in Montevideo. Plans to hold online classes that had been evaluated earlier this week have been dropped.
Brazil's population in 2022 was determined to be 203,062,512 people, the Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) announced Wednesday after the results of last year's census were published. The new figures showed an increase of 12.3 million since the 2010 census, Agencia Brasil noted.
The Brazilian Association of Vegetable Oil Industries (Abiove) reported that the soybean harvest in Brazil, already completed in 2023, exceeded expectations, leading to an upward revision in export forecasts for soybean grain, meal, and oil this year. Soy remains Brazil’s primary export product.