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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, January 9th 2025 - 10:30 UTC

Stories for December 2024

  • Wednesday, December 11th 2024 - 10:46 UTC

    Brazil's inflation slows down, IBGE announces

    Over the past 12 months, official inflation reached 4.87%, exceeding the government's target, the IBGE warned

    The Broad National Consumer Price Index (IPCA) in South America's largest country stood at 0.39% in November, according to the Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) survey released Tuesday, Agencia Brasil reported. The new figures represented a slowdown from October's 0.56%, which “does not indicate a drop in prices but rather a slower pace of increases” as food items kept driving the IPCA upwards.

  • Wednesday, December 11th 2024 - 10:45 UTC

    Argentine gov't repeals ancestral land ownership claims in Patagonia

    The previous measures prevented “the free exercise of productive and recreational activities on the lands involved,” Milei's Decree underlined

    Indigenous communities in Argentine Patagonia voiced their rejection of the Federal Government's Decree 1083/2024 signed Tuesday repealing the territorial emergency in the region which entitled them to claim ancestral land ownership. “It will bring consequences that everyone will regret,” a Mapuche group warned.

  • Wednesday, December 11th 2024 - 10:24 UTC

    Orsi tells US Ambassador: “We will continue working together”

    Fulton said there is no date yet for Uruguayans to be included in the US visa waiver program

    Uruguay's President-elect Yamandú Orsi promised US Ambassador Heide Fulton that “we will continue working together” after his March 1 inauguration. During their meeting Tuesday at the Hampton by Hilton hotel in Montevideo where Orsi set up his transition offices, the diplomat replied that her office would keep working to add Uruguayan nationals to the visa waiver program.

  • Wednesday, December 11th 2024 - 10:09 UTC

    Labour pledges 150 major infrastructure projects and 1.5 million homes, biggest building boom in half century

    The extensive Plan for Change program announced by the Prime Minister “will deliver a decade of national renewal”.

    The new Labour government in Britain is pledging more giga-factories, solar farms, roads, and railway lines are set to be green-lighted in the next five years, adding billions to the economy, as part of stretching new milestones.

  • Wednesday, December 11th 2024 - 10:05 UTC

    International Soil and Water Forum opened in Bangkok to tackle water scarcity and soil degradation

    Agriculture uses roughly 70% of global freshwater, land and soil degradation are directly undermining agri-food systems with human-induced degradation

    The first International Soil and Water Forum opened this week in Bangkok to map out concrete measures to boost global efforts in managing water scarcity and reversing soil degradation – both critical for global food security and environmental health.

  • Wednesday, December 11th 2024 - 09:23 UTC

    Cuban’s misery and darkness increase with blackouts and lack of fuel

    Havana has blamed the 62-year-old trade embargo with the U.S., which makes it difficult to import fuel, for the energy shortages

    The Cuban energy crisis situation with its frequent blackouts and fuel shortages means increased economic hardship leading to social unrest, according to international news agencies reports. Blaming the US embargo is the common reaction from the government, but also are an aging infrastructure, lack of investment, plus insufficient supply of fuel add to the people’s misery, living in darkness and uncertainty.

  • Wednesday, December 11th 2024 - 09:01 UTC

    November FAO Food Price Index, highest since April 2023, boosted by dairy and vegetable oils

    Additionally, the weakening of the Brazilian Real against the United States dollar and lower international crude oil prices contributed to the decline in world sugar prices

    The FAO Food Price Index, FFPI, averaged 127.5 points in November 2024, up 0.5 percent from the October level and reaching its highest value since April 2023. The increase was driven by higher price quotations for dairy products and vegetable oils, which slightly outweighed declines in the meat, cereals, and sugar quotations. Compared to historical levels, the FFPI in November was 5.7 percent higher than its corresponding value a year ago but remained 20.4 percent below its peak of 160.2 points reached in March 2022.

  • Wednesday, December 11th 2024 - 09:01 UTC

    Brazil becomes world’s leading cotton producer and exporter, ahead of US

    Brazilian cotton exports for the crop year 24/25 are forecasted at 12.6 million bales, supported by global demand and reduced Indian output.

    Brazil has become the world’s leading producer and exporter of cotton, the preeminence of United States. Brazil’s s cotton planted area reached a record 1.97 million hectares, driven by favorable prices and reduced production costs.

  • Tuesday, December 10th 2024 - 22:36 UTC

    Falklands, success of FIDF 3 Peaks Challenge; gold medal for Gurkhas

    One of the Gurkha servicemen that completed the three peaks challenge

    Last weekend, personnel from BFSAI, (British Forces South Atlantic Islands) took on The Falkland Islands 3 Peaks Challenge. Comprising of a 20km endurance race over Tumbledown, Two Sisters and Mount Longdon, over 250 competitors walked, 'TAB'd', or ran the stunning course.

  • Tuesday, December 10th 2024 - 21:00 UTC

    Paraguay's antidrug agency parts ways with DEA

    “The results will be seen over time,” Abdo warned

    Paraguay's National Anti-Drug Secretariat (Senad) decided to break off from its partnership with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), according to a note sent by Minister Jalil Rachid on Dec 6, which went public Tuesday in Asunción. Rachid said the move stemmed from the need to optimize resources and strengthen operational areas.