MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Stories for August 18th 2026
-
Tuesday, August 18th 2026 - 22:06 UTC
Trump posts a map designating the Strait of Hormuz as “new US territory”
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday posted an image on his Truth Social platform showing a map of the Strait of Hormuz circled and captioned “NEW U.S. Territory,” above a band in the colours of the American flag. The post carried no accompanying text.
-
Tuesday, August 18th 2026 - 06:56 UTC
Petrobras confirms oil off the Amapá coast but cannot yet estimate the volume
Brazil's state-controlled Petrobras confirmed on Monday the presence of oil in the Morpho exploratory well, located in ultra-deep waters off the northern state of Amapá, in the Foz do Amazonas basin. The company cautioned that it cannot yet estimate the volume found or the viability of commercial production.
-
Tuesday, August 18th 2026 - 06:52 UTC
Argentina's vice-president says she is “extremely worried” about those who cannot make ends meet
Argentina's vice-president, Victoria Villarruel, has again distanced herself from Javier Milei's government, voicing concern over unemployment and the financial difficulties facing households. “I am extremely worried about Argentines who today have no work or who cannot make ends meet,” she said at the opening of Expo Venado 2026, an agricultural fair in Venado Tuerto, Santa Fe province.
-
Tuesday, August 18th 2026 - 06:38 UTC
Colombia's president hands out branded footballs in an earthquake-hit port city
Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella was filmed on Sunday throwing footballs to children on a street in Buenaventura, the country's main Pacific port and one of the places worst affected by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake of August 10. The balls carried the logo of Defensores de la Patria, the political movement that brought him to the presidency eleven days ago.
-
Tuesday, August 18th 2026 - 06:15 UTC
Moscow warns the UK of “consequences” over British drones used against its territory
Russia's embassy in London has accused the British government of deliberately opting for an escalation of the Ukraine conflict, after it emerged that British-made drones were used in strikes on targets inside Russian territory. “In doing so, the United Kingdom is acting as an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks,” it said in a statement.
-
Tuesday, August 18th 2026 - 00:24 UTC
Venezuela's Reopening and Latin America's Payment Shift
Cash, Crypto, or Cards: How Venezuela's Reopening Could Redraw Latin America's Payment Map:
