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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, May 13th 2026 - 01:52 UTC

International

  • Tuesday, March 17th 2026 - 10:00 UTC

    Saudi Arabia diverts more crude to the Red Sea to bypass Hormuz, but alternative capacity remains limited

    The bottleneck is not only the pipeline itself, but also the port and shipping logistics

    Saudi Arabia is stepping up the use of its pipeline network to the Red Sea to keep crude exports moving while the Strait of Hormuz remains heavily disrupted by the war with Iran. The key route is the Abqaiq-Yanbu system, also known as the East-West Pipeline or Petroline, which links Gulf oil fields with the Yanbu terminal on the Red Sea. That infrastructure has become the kingdom’s main escape route around Hormuz, the chokepoint that normally carries about a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas supply.

  • Monday, March 16th 2026 - 16:14 UTC

    Germany rejects sending ships to Hormuz as the EU seeks a diplomatic and logistical way forward

    The German frigate FGS Sachsen (F-219) of the Sachsen class (Type 124) during a missile-firing exercise

    Germany on Monday rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s request for allies to send warships to the Strait of Hormuz to help reopen the shipping route. Defence Minister Boris Pistorius questioned what “a handful” of European frigates could do that the U.S. Navy could not already do, and summed up Berlin’s position bluntly: “This is not our war.” Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s spokesperson added that the conflict “is not NATO’s war” and that Germany had no plans to be drawn into it.

  • Monday, March 16th 2026 - 16:00 UTC

    Fed and ECB face a pivotal week as the oil shock revives inflation risk

    For the Fed, the dilemma is especially awkward because the latest official data, recorded before the full impact of the energy shock. In the euro zone, the starting point is somewhat calmer

    The U.S. Federal Reserve and the European Central Bank head into this week’s policy meetings in a far more uncertain environment than they faced just two weeks ago. The Fed meets on March 17-18, and the ECB on March 18-19, just after the Middle East war pushed oil prices above US$100 a barrel and forced markets to rethink the expected path of interest rates. Even so, neither institution is expected to change borrowing costs at these meetings.

  • Monday, March 16th 2026 - 15:56 UTC

    ‘One Battle after Another’ leads the Oscars with six wins in a ceremony with few direct references to war

    Paul Thomas Anderson’s film finished ahead of Sinners

    The 98th Academy Awards crowned One Battle after Another as the night’s dominant winner, taking six Oscars including best picture, best director, best adapted screenplay, best supporting actor for Sean Penn, best film editing and the new award for casting. The ceremony was held Sunday in Los Angeles with Conan O’Brien as host.

  • Monday, March 16th 2026 - 01:10 UTC

    Oil tops US$100 a barrel as Middle East war and Hormuz disruption rattle markets

    Tokyo also warned that strategic reserves can soften the shock in the short term but cannot replace a sustained reopening of Hormuz if the crisis drags on

    Oil prices moved back above US$100 a barrel on Monday as the conflict involving the United States, Israel and Iran intensified and shipping disruption in the Strait of Hormuz hit one of the world’s most critical energy chokepoints. Brent crude rose to US$105.15 a barrel and U.S. West Texas Intermediate climbed to US$100.32 in early Asian trading, according to market data.

  • Monday, March 16th 2026 - 00:10 UTC

    Fishing Tourism Set to Rise Globally as Angler Seek Exotic Locations to Cast a Line

    Photo: Unsplash

    Just about every nation is home to anglers who like to venture out more locally to spend a day by the waterways. Increasingly, however, those anglers and newcomers are hoping to place themselves in new surroundings or take on new challenges in the form of exotic fish around the world.

  • Friday, March 13th 2026 - 16:03 UTC

    Uruguayan fugitive Sebastián Marset captured in Bolivia and placed in U.S. custody

    Marset was also listed among the DEA’s most wanted fugitives and was regarded as one of the agency’s five highest-priority drug trafficking targets

    Suspected Uruguayan drug trafficker Sebastián Marset was captured on Friday in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, in an operation that ends one of the Southern Cone’s longest and most visible manhunts. Paraguayan authorities confirmed the arrest and said Marset had been secured after a raid carried out by Bolivian forces.

  • Friday, March 13th 2026 - 11:24 UTC

    Iran exploits its asymmetric edge in Hormuz, narrowing the U.S. Navy’s room to act

    Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Thursday that the U.S. military is “not ready” to escort tankers through Hormuz because its assets remain focused on striking Iranian offensive capabilities

    Iran is shifting a key part of the war to the sea, where its conventional naval power is far weaker than that of the United States but where it still retains enough tools to disrupt global energy traffic. In the Strait of Hormuz, a corridor that carries roughly a fifth of the world’s oil, attacks on merchant shipping, the threat of mines and the use of fast boats and coastal missiles have raised the cost and complexity of any escort operation.

  • Friday, March 13th 2026 - 04:34 UTC

    U.S. temporarily allows sales of Russian oil already loaded on tankers to ease energy pressure

    The conflict in the Middle East had entered a broader regional phase and that pressure on energy infrastructure had again pushed oil above $100 a barrel.

    The United States has temporarily authorized the sale of Russian oil and petroleum products already loaded on tankers, in a limited easing of sanctions adopted as global energy prices rise because of the Middle East war. The measure was announced by the Treasury Department and will remain in force until April 11.

  • Thursday, March 12th 2026 - 10:42 UTC

    Iran broadens regional attacks as Israel launches new strikes on regime targets

    The conflict is also deepening the economic and military cost for Washington

    The war involving Iran, Israel and the United States entered a broader regional phase on Thursday, with fresh Iranian attacks on energy infrastructure, shipping routes and military positions across Gulf states, while Israel responded with a new wave of strikes on Iranian territory. The escalation again tightened pressure on the Strait of Hormuz and pushed oil prices back above $100 a barrel.