
Thousands of flesh-eating piranhas have infested a Brazilian river beach popular with tourists, biting at least 15 unwary swimmers. One of the bathers lost the tip of their toe during a frenzied attack.

Paraguay’s wheat exports have doubled in 2011 compared to the previous year and has increased 33 fold in the last decade, and this has been based on a government-private effort of investing in scientific research and technology.

The Southern Cone Standing Veterinary Committee, CVP, accused Paraguay of not complying with promises related to foot and mouth disease, FMD, control following on the outbreak reported to the north of the country last September 18.

Russia has decided to resume purchases of Paraguayan beef and derivates following the foot and mouth disease, FMD, episode detected in an only farm last September and which according to Paraguayan sanitary officials was caused by a ‘human error’.

Paraguay’s Livestock Service has confirmed that negligence in the handling of foot and mouth disease vaccines was the cause for the September FMD outbreak that forced the country to cease exports. The announcement discards doubts about the quality of the vaccines.

Nations from the Ibero-American bloc reaffirmed the need for the resumption of Falklands/Malvinas sovereignty negotiations and called on the UK to avoid carrying out “one-sided” actions, such as exploiting resources and military action.

Mercosur and the European Union are committed to presenting their proposals with list of products for a free trade agreement in June 2012, announced on Friday Uruguay’s Foreign Affaire minister Luis Almagro.

“State reform and development” will be driving force of the coming Ibero-American summit to take place next week, October 28/29 in Paraguay and already has the attendance confirmation of eighteen presidents, according to the organizers.

Paraguay Animal Health and Food Quality Department (Senacsa) has started a cattle census in the north of the country where a limited outbreak of foot and mouth disease was reported last month.

Paraguay will be receiving the pro-tempore chair of Unasur (Union of South American Nations) from Guyana next October 29 during the Ibero-American summit which will be taking place in Asuncion.