
Of all four Pacific Alliance countries, Colombia spends most on its congressional representatives, despite the South American country’s low wages. According to a report published on Monday by economic newspaper La Republica, the state pays Colombia’s congressmen a total of nearly $2.1 million per month in salaries, almost double the total of Chile, whose congressmen have the highest individual salaries, but in total cost the state $1.2 million per month.

Brazil’s currency closed on Monday at the weakest level ever against the dollar as raging economic and political situations increased uncertainty and the odds of the country losing its investment-grade credit rating from yet another ratings company, which could be catastrophic.

Shares in German auto giant Volkswagen (VW) fell more than 20% in morning trading at the Frankfurt stock exchange on Monday in reaction to revelations that some of its diesel cars in the United States had been fitted with software that gave false emissions data.

More than 75,000 people visited the British Pavilion at the Expo Prado 2015 -the largest agro-industrial exhibition in Uruguay. The Pavilion was awarded first prize in the category “Best Embassy and Chamber of Commerce Pavilion” by the Uruguayan Rural Association, organisers of the Expo.

The UK GREAT pavilion at Uruguay's main agri-business exhibition in Montevideo received the top prize for its category while a stall from the Falkland Islands, tended to by Islanders, is estimated to have been visited by 10% of the more than half million visitors that attended the week-long Expo-Prado.

The Bank of England may have to cut rates to combat low inflation, rather than raise them as its next move, its chief economist Andy Haldane has said. UK inflation may not pick up in the second half of the year, and there are risks of fallout from emerging economies, he said in a speech.

A business delegation from the Falkland Islands participated in Uruguay's main agri-business show at the Prado grounds with a stall in the British GREAT pavilion. The week attendance was described as 'surprising and successful' and Falklands lawmaker Gavin Short addressed an open letter thanking all those involved in helping with the Islands' presence.

The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged on Thursday in a nod to concerns about a weak world economy, but left open the possibility of a modest policy tightening later this year. In what amounted to a tactical retreat, the US central bank said an array of global risks and other factors had convinced it to delay what would have been the first rate hike in nearly a decade.

Consumer prices in the United States fell in August as petrol prices dropped and a strong dollar curbed the cost of goods, the US Department of Labor has said. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) slipped 0.1% last month, the first decline since January. But in the 12 months to August, the CPI rose 0.2% after a similar gain in July.

Brazil's state-controlled Petrobras produced a record 2.69mn b/d of oil equivalent (boe/d) in August, 3.1% increase over July and almost 1% higher than the previous 2.67mn boe/d record set in December 2014, the company said on Wednesday.