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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, March 3rd 2025 - 19:59 UTC

Stories for February 2025

  • Thursday, February 20th 2025 - 17:31 UTC

    Hamas hands over bodies of Argentine national and her two children

    The Bibas family became a symbol of what Hamas terrorists are capable of

    Israeli authorities confirmed Thursday that the four bodies handed over by the pro-Palestine terrorist organization Hamas to the Red Cross belonged to Argentine national Shiri Bibas (née Silberman) and her two children, Ariel and Kafir, who were 9 months and 4 years old at the time of their abduction on Oct. 7, 2023. Yarden Bibas, Shiri’s husband and the children’s father, was released on February 1, 2025, as part of the ceasefire. The fourth victim was Oded Lifshitz, an 84-year-old Israeli who had long fought for an understanding between the two peoples but was eventually “betrayed” by the Palestinians, according to his wife, who was released by Hamas 16 days after the incursion. All five had been kidnapped from Kibbutz Nir Oz.

  • Thursday, February 20th 2025 - 16:23 UTC

    Price of eggs forces Trump to rehire fired bird flu experts; in NYC a dozen sells for over US$ 12

    As egg prices soar, grocers limit how many cartons customers can buy

    US President Donald Trump's administration is attempting to rehire officials with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) who worked on the government response to bird flu before being fired over the weekend, US media report.

  • Thursday, February 20th 2025 - 10:53 UTC

    Milei turns Banco Nación into a corporation

    It was Milei's last measure before departing for the United States

    Argentine President Javier Milei signed a decree transforming Banco de la Nación Argentina into a corporation in a move to facilitate its future privatization or allow private investors to join its capital. The bank currently has assets of US$ 48 billion, deposits of US$ 33 billion, and a net worth of US$ 15 billion.

  • Thursday, February 20th 2025 - 10:46 UTC

    Milei’s crypto scandal deepens, now involving his sister 'The Boss'

    Hayden Davis, a key figure in the Libra project, boasted in a text message that he had paid Karina Milei to influence the president’s actions

    The fallout from Argentine President Javier Milei’s involvement in a crypto scandal has expanded, now implicating his sister and closest adviser, Karina Milei. Allegations have surfaced that she was directly approached by those behind the controversial Libra memecoin, which skyrocketed and then collapsed after Milei endorsed it on social media.

  • Thursday, February 20th 2025 - 10:46 UTC

    São Paulo: Public health emergency decreed due to dengue fever

    So far 131 deaths have been recorded nationwide in 2025. Photo: EFE

    The Brazilian State of São Paulo Wednesday declared a public emergency due to the persistence and worsening of the dengue epidemic, Health Secretary Eleuses Paiva announced from the Butantan Institute.

  • Thursday, February 20th 2025 - 10:29 UTC

    Argentina settles scores with Paraguayan side of Yacyretá

    It was a requirement from the IMF, Benítez explained

    The Paraguayan side of the Yacyretá Binational Entity (EBY) admitted Wednesday that Argentina now owed nothing after paying US$ 23 million earlier this week, although certain arrangements concerning US$ 50 million were still pending. Paraguay's EBY General Manager Luis Benítez also pointed out that a financial agreement would be signed next week to set the entity's accounts straight.

  • Thursday, February 20th 2025 - 09:37 UTC

    Lula highlights Brazil's economic improvements

    Lula also underscored the nation's continued growth, controlled inflation, and living standards improvements

    Brazil's President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva highlighted Wednesday that his country's economy has outperformed expectations in the past two years when it reached 3.2% in 2023 and 3.8% in 2024 amid projections of +0.8% and +2.5% respectively.

  • Thursday, February 20th 2025 - 09:33 UTC

    Nicaragua introduces constitutional reform granting Ortega additional powers

    Ortega and his wife have ruled Nicaragua for years through fudgy elections

    Nicaragua's Sandinista Government introduced a constitutional reform on Wednesday, granting the ruling couple of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo additional powers. For starters, Vice-President Murillo has been designated as “co-president” and extends presidential terms from five to six years, as Ortega becomes Supreme Chief of the Army, the National Police, and the Ministry of the Interior.

  • Wednesday, February 19th 2025 - 20:41 UTC

    Argentina hands over regional defense leadership to Peru

    Petri (L) passed on the symbolic baton to Peru's Astudillo

    Argentina's Defense Minister Luis Petri Tuesday handed over the pro tempore presidency of the XVII Conference of Defense Ministers of the Americas (CMDA) to his Peruvian colleague Walter Astudillo during a ceremony at the Libertador Building (Army Headquarters) in Buenos Aires.

  • Wednesday, February 19th 2025 - 15:19 UTC

    Pod of 157 false killer whales stranded in Tasmania; most died and survivors have to be euthanized

    A large number of false killer whales stranded on a remote Tasmanian beach. Image / Parks and Wildlife

    Australian authorities have confirmed that 67 of the 157 false killer whales stranded on a remote beach on Tasmania’s West Coast overnight Tuesday/Wednesday have died. Parks and Wildlife’s Shelley Graham said on Wednesday afternoon that the surviving whales remain in “unfavorable” conditions, with attempts to refloat two of them unsuccessful, meaning euthanasia is a strong solution.