International

• Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 22:12 UTC

  Galicia closes a third of mussel polygons because of resurgent bio-toxic red tide

  

  The Xunta of Galicia in the northwest of Spain banned the extraction of mussels in 18 of the 55 floating nurseries of the autonomous region, that is to say, in 32% of the total capacity because of the presence of lipophilic biotoxin.

• Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 07:09 UTC

  Brazil admits EU/Mercosur deal stalled because of European concerns about agriculture

  

  Brazil's agricultural competitiveness is a concern to countries and trade blocks negotiating agreements with Brazil, according to ambassador Paulo Estivallet de Mesquita, head of the Economics Department of the country's Ministry of Foreign Relations (MRE).

• Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 06:41 UTC

  Philip Morris prepared to sue the UK over plain packaging of cigarettes

  

  Philip Morris International, the world's largest tobacco company, is prepared to sue the British government should it implement a law requiring plain packaging of cigarettes, a document showed.

• Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 06:29 UTC

  First European Ebola infected dies; WHO approves unproven drugs for people at risk

  

  Spanish priest Miguel Pajares, 75, the first European infected by a strain of Ebola that has killed more than 1,000 people in West Africa, has died in hospital in Madrid, a spokeswoman for the city's health authorities said.

• Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 06:23 UTC

  Spain celebrates as 'excellent' the latest EC fisheries TACs and quotas awarded

  

  The head of the Ministry of Food and Environment (Magrama), Miguel Arias Cañete, highlighted the ”excellent results achieved by Spain in negotiating total allowable catches (TACs) and quotas for 2014.”

• Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 05:52 UTC

  Three Finnish icebreakers for Russia's oil and gas operations in the Arctic

  

  Finland-based Arctech Helsinki Shipyard has been contracted to build three icebreaking stand-by vessels for Russian shipping company Sovcomflot, for a total cost of 380 million dollars.

• Wednesday, August 13th 2014 - 01:04 UTC

  EU sanctions 10 countries for overfishing with reduction of fishing quotas

  

  The European Commission (EC) has decided to sanction Spain and nine other Member States for exceeding their fishing quotas during the past financial year, and reduce their fishing opportunities for 2014. This measure is intended to repair the damage caused to resources and in this way ensure the sustainable capture of resources.

• Tuesday, August 12th 2014 - 06:36 UTC

  Uruguay wants Unasur to reach a consensus position of Gaza Strip conflict

  

  Uruguay will ask fellow members at the Unasur summit to be held in Montevideo later in the month to discuss the Gaza Strip situation, said Foreign minister Luis Almagro who next week will be meeting a delegation from the Palestine Authority. Almagro and president Jose Mujica have been questioned for using the words 'genocide' and 'massacre' to describe the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

• Monday, August 11th 2014 - 22:56 UTC

  Falkland Islands and the saga of Sir Ernest Shackleton a century ago

  

  One hundred years ago this month Sir Ernest Shackleton set sail from Plymouth on HMS Endurance at the beginning of the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-17), also known as the Endurance Expedition.

• Monday, August 11th 2014 - 22:24 UTC

  Global economic recovery remains 'disappointing' says Fed's Vice Chairman

  

  US Federal Reserve Board Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer said that the economic recovery has been and remains “disappointing” and made it clear that he expects monetary policy to continue to play a significant role in encouraging growth in the future.