MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
Stories for September 17th 2026
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Thursday, September 17th 2026 - 17:51 UTC
Two weeks to Brazilian presidential election, Central Bank cuts interest rate for the fifth time running
With presidential elections in two weeks’ time, Brazil’s central bank cut its benchmark interest rate for the fifth straight time. The bank lowered the so-called Selic rate from 14% to 13.75%, and is part of a cycle that began in March after almost two years of rate hikes.
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Thursday, September 17th 2026 - 17:23 UTC
Falklands, Rockhopper raises US$ 20 million in fresh funds to fund Sea Lion project
Rockhopper Exploration has completed a plan to raise fresh funds from shareholders, expecting to bring in around US$200 million to fund its investment in the Sea Lion prospect in the Falklands. The AIM-listed firm announced the results of its open offer to shareholders on Wednesday, which raised total gross proceeds of around US$ 20m.
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Thursday, September 17th 2026 - 15:01 UTC
Trump still has confidence in his Fed’s chairman, despite the rate increase to 4%
President Donald Trump said he has confidence in the recerntly appointed Federal Reserve chair Kevin Warsh and found a way to justify the central bank’s decision to increase the benchmark interest rate to 4%, the first since 2023.
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Thursday, September 17th 2026 - 14:07 UTC
Brazil grain harvest expected at 361.7 million tons, Conab, led by soybeans, corn and cotton
Brazil is expected to harvest a record 361.7 million metric tons of grains and fibers in the 2025/26 crop year, according to the latest estimate from Conab, the country’s food supply and crop agency.
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Thursday, September 17th 2026 - 08:45 UTC
Falklands MLA says islands have “state of the art” defense technology
A member of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly said the archipelago's current defenses are sufficient, in response to questions raised in Westminster over the maintenance of the armed forces and the equipment deployed in the islands.
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Thursday, September 17th 2026 - 08:35 UTC
US removes Venezuela and Bolivia from list of countries failing on drugs
The United States government removed Venezuela and Bolivia from the category of countries that Washington says have failed to demonstrably combat international drug trafficking, while keeping Colombia, Afghanistan and Myanmar on that list. The determination, sent to Congress on Tuesday and released by the State Department on Wednesday, is part of the annual assessment of the 23 countries deemed major drug transit or producing states, five of which had been designated last year as having “failed demonstrably.”
