International

• Monday, August 10th 2015 - 06:05 UTC

  Scotland to ban growing genetically modified crops

  

  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.

• Monday, August 10th 2015 - 05:50 UTC

  World Lion Day, Monday 10 August to celebrate the King of Beasts

  

  World Lion Day is to be remembered on Monday, August 10, and to celebrate this first campaign to protect the imposing animal many websites are dedicating amazing photos of the King of Beasts, as it is sometimes called.

• Saturday, August 8th 2015 - 10:28 UTC

  Shell planning to invest billions in Brazil, despite recent purchase of BG group

  

  Royal Dutch Shell is considering investing billions in Brazil, set to become a focal point after the planned acquisition of BG Group, even as it prepares to sell huge chunks of its business to pay for the $70bn deal.

• Saturday, August 8th 2015 - 10:14 UTC

  Germany rocked by debate on freedom of the press and government influence over the courts

  

  Journalists have been accused of treason; a chief prosecutor fired; and we have witnessed the unedifying spectacle of government ministers scrambling to get out of the firing line after popular outrage. But the scandal rocking Germany's political establishment isn't about sleaze or corruption but rather whether a little-known website can publish documents already publicly discussed.

• Saturday, August 8th 2015 - 09:44 UTC

  FAO pressing countries to ratify agreement on illegal, unreported, unregulated fishing

  

  A growing number of countries are ratifying an international agreement to combat illegal fishing, fueling interest in how best to implement the instrument. Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing is estimated to strip between $10 billion and $23 billion from the global economy, and their impacts undermine the way fish stocks are managed to make it a double concern around the world.

• Saturday, August 8th 2015 - 09:31 UTC

  Chile's inflation climbs 0.4% in July to an annualized 4.6%; Peso slides 11%

  

  Chile’s inflation rate rose to the highest this year in July as the Peso approaches its weakest level in more than a decade. Prices climbed 0.4% in the month, the National Statistics Institute said on its website Friday. Annual inflation accelerated to 4.6% from 4.4% the month before, while the central bank target is between 2% and 4%.

• Saturday, August 8th 2015 - 08:54 UTC

  Argentine embassy in US launches website on the struggle with 'vulture funds'

  

  The Argentine Embassy in the United States has launched a website to explain the conflict between Argentina and holdout investors commonly referred to as “vulture funds”. The website explains the origins of the conflict, its history, and provides documents and expert opinions on the subject. Its virtual library has until now over 200 documents and 100 independent sources.

• Saturday, August 8th 2015 - 08:22 UTC

  Bank of England keeps rates unchanged; little talk of rise because of China and Greece

  

  UK interest rates have been held at 0.5% again by the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC). Members voted 8-1 to keep rates on hold - the first time for months the decision has not been unanimous, with Ian McCafferty voting for an increase.

• Friday, August 7th 2015 - 07:54 UTC

  Falklands-born candidate says he has sufficient credentials to be a Mercosur parliament member

  

  Falkland Islands born and pre-candidate for the Mercosur Parliament in representation of a Tierra del Fuego political party, Alejandro Betts, underlined his diplomatic experience in international forums and meetings with 30 presentations, including those at the annual UN Decolonization Committee or C24 in New York.

• Friday, August 7th 2015 - 07:38 UTC

  Argentina's worst terrorist (AMIA, 1994) attack trial takes off

  

  Argentina's Cabinet Chief Anibal Fernández hoped the AMIA cover-up trial that began on Thursday in Buenos Aires enables to find a “hint on the local connection” that paved the way for Argentina’s worst terrorist attack to take place 21 years ago.