
Annual sales of organic products have hit a record £2 billion - but home-grown supplies are struggling to meet growing demand.

Climate change, and its economic impact was pushed onto the front burner at a seminar on Monday organized by the British Embassy in Argentina which the key speaker was Stephen Green, a senior economist at the UK's Ministry of Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.

United Nations-backed climate change talks drawing 1,000 representatives from over 150 Governments, business and industry, environmental organizations and research institutions kicked off in Vienna Monday, preparing the way for a global summit set for later this year in Bali.

United Nations is bolstering its assistance through the release of almost 10 million US dollars from an emergency fund and an appeal for nearly 40 million to be launched next week to victims of the major earthquake which rocked Peru on 15 August, one of the world body's top humanitarian officials revealed Friday.

Bolivia's President Evo Morales arrived in Pisco today to distribute 19 tons of medicines, blankets and drinking water, the second visit by a Latin American leader to the disaster area. Colombia's Alvaro Uribe traveled to the area last weekend.

The protection zones around two farms at the centre of the foot-and-mouth outbreak will be lifted at noon.
As the United Nations (UN) system finalizes a Flash Appeal for the earthquake stricken parts of Peru, UN inter-agency teams are assessing the situation in the affected areas.

Hurricane Dean strengthened into a monstrous Category 5 storm Monday night as its outer bands of wind and rain slammed the coasts of Mexico and Belize. Thousands of tourists fled the beaches of the Mayan Riviera as it roared toward the ancient ruins and modern oil installations of the Yucatan Peninsula.

Hurricane Dean buffeted Jamaica's southern coast, flooding the capital and littering it with broken trees and roofs after killing nine people earlier on its run through the Caribbean.

Farmers are able to begin moving calving cows again after the Government's foot-and-mouth transport restrictions were eased.