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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, November 12th 2026 - 23:26 UTC

International

  • Friday, May 8th 2026 - 15:40 UTC

    Ushuaia landfill scrutinized in cruise ship hantavirus outbreak probe

    Several of the roughly 150 tourists who set sail for Cape Verde on 1 April had visited the landfill, which is frequented by birdwatchers from around the world, drawn by scavenger species

    Seven kilometers from downtown Ushuaia, the municipal landfill serving Argentina's southernmost city has become one of the focal points of the epidemiological investigation into the hantavirus outbreak aboard the MV Hondius cruise ship. Health teams are searching the site for traces of infected rodents. The landfill is frequented by birdwatchers from around the world, drawn by species such as the white-throated caracara, a scavenger bird endemic to the region.

  • Friday, May 8th 2026 - 05:08 UTC

    Lula and Trump declare bilateral relationship reset after three-hour meeting at the White House

    “We discussed many subjects, including trade, specifically tariffs,” Trump wrote at the conclusion of the encounter

    The presidents of Brazil, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and the United States, Donald Trump, held a meeting of close to three hours at the White House on Thursday in which both leaders declared an end to one of the most severe bilateral crises in two centuries of relations between the two largest economies in the Americas. The encounter, formalized as a working meeting, unfolded in a climate of personal fluency and allowed for the agreement to establish bilateral channels to address commercial, security, and regional cooperation matters.

  • Friday, May 8th 2026 - 01:51 UTC

    First counts confirm Reform UK's advance in Labour heartlands and open the door to a leadership crisis

    Still pending are the results of the elections to the devolved parliaments of Scotland (Holyrood) and Wales (Senedd), expected on Friday afternoon

    The first ballots counted in the local elections held on Thursday across the United Kingdom confirmed the advance of the far-right Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, in territories historically dominated by Labour in the north of England and triggered the first public expressions of discontent within Prime Minister Keir Starmer's own party, in what various analysts already describe as one of the most adverse electoral nights for the ruling party since taking office in July 2024. The vote, in which more than 5,000 municipal seats across 136 local authorities and the devolved parliaments of Scotland and Wales were contested, opened the door to a potential internal crisis over Starmer's leadership.

  • Friday, May 8th 2026 - 01:20 UTC

    Falklands brace for Middle East fallout with fuel, shipping and supply contingencies

    MLA Goss said supply is covered under the agreement with Stanley Services Limited

    The conflict in the Strait of Hormuz and its consequences for the global supply of oil and other derivative products have not bypassed the Falkland Islands, which, as one local lawmaker put it, sit “at the tail end of global distribution.”

  • Thursday, May 7th 2026 - 23:08 UTC

    Falklands students send special message to Sir David Attenborough on his 100th birthday

    Students from the Falkland Islands' schools have prepared a video message for Sir David Attenborough to mark the broadcaster and naturalist's 100th birthday, which he will celebrate on Friday, May 8. The initiative, announced by the Falkland Islands Government's London Office, seeks to recognise the influence Sir David's documentary series have had on the archipelago's younger generations and his career-long role in showcasing the islands' natural heritage internationally.

  • Thursday, May 7th 2026 - 14:06 UTC

    United Kingdom votes in key local elections that put Starmer's leadership to the test

    This British electoral day is compounded by international tensions that have marked the recent months of the Labour government

    British voters head to the polls on Thursday, May 7, in an election that will see the renewal of more than 5,000 seats across 136 local councils in England, six directly elected mayoralties, and the devolved parliaments of Scotland and Wales, in what various analysts and pollsters describe as the toughest electoral test for Prime Minister Keir Starmer since he took office in July 2024. Polling stations opened at 7:00 a.m. local time and will close at 10:00 p.m., with most results expected by Friday afternoon.

  • Thursday, May 7th 2026 - 09:18 UTC

    Gun salutes to mark third anniversary of King’s coronation

    The 13-pounders that were used in the First World War are still seeing service – albeit ceremonial this time (Picture: BFBS)

    Regular soldiers and members of the Army Reserve have paid their respects to King Charles and Queen Camilla by firing a number of royal gun salutes on the third anniversary of their coronation.

  • Thursday, May 7th 2026 - 09:06 UTC

    Foreign Office statement on the Hantavirus outbreak and UKOTs under support

    “Ministers are in close touch with our Dutch and Spanish counterparts and we have been working with other countries to facilitate the medical evacuations”, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper

    A statement from Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper on the Hantavirus outbreak, “The outbreak of Hantavirus is very serious and deeply stressful for those affected and their families. The UK response is being led by the UK Health Security Agency working with the WHO.

  • Wednesday, May 6th 2026 - 16:10 UTC

    WHO confirms Andes strain in MV Hondius outbreak and traces 23 passengers who disembarked at Saint Helena

    The MV Hondius is expected to take between three and four days to reach the Canary Islands from its current position off Cape Verde

    The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Wednesday that the variant responsible for the hantavirus outbreak aboard polar cruise ship MV Hondius is the Andes virus, the only documented strain capable of human-to-human transmission, raised the total number of linked cases to eight, and launched the international tracing of 23 passengers who left the ship two weeks ago during a stop at the island of Saint Helena. The confirmation of the strain represents a significant epidemiological development and substantially widens the scope of the health investigation.

  • Wednesday, May 6th 2026 - 01:45 UTC

    Just one day after its launch, Trump halts Hormuz reopening operation and turns to negotiations with Iran

    The announcement came hours after Rubio told reporters at the White House that Operation Epic Fury had concluded after achieving its objectives

    US President Donald Trump on Tuesday night announced the suspension of “Project Freedom,” the military operation launched barely 24 hours earlier to escort stranded vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, citing significant progress toward a peace agreement with Iran. The announcement, posted on his Truth Social platform, contradicted the messaging sustained throughout the day by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs chairman General Dan Caine, all of whom had framed the operation as a non-negotiable humanitarian rescue mission for stranded sailors.