MercoPress https://en.mercopress.com/ South Atlantic News Agency en Copyright 2026, MercoPress. https://en.mercopress.com/web/img/en/mercopress-logo.gif MercoPress http://en.mercopress.com/ <![CDATA[The Falklands turn into a small South Atlantic economic power as the ghosts of 1982 return]]> The Falklands have 3,662 inhabitants and a per capita income higher than that of the United Kingdom The Falkland Islands are going through their traditional “commemoration season,” the cycle of ceremonies that recall the 1982 war each year, culminating in Liberation Day on 14 June, at a moment defined by two overlapping realities: the consolidation of the archipelago as a small economic power in the South Atlantic and the reactivation of diplomatic tensions with the United States and Argentina. A feature published on Saturday by the British newspaper The Sunday Times, written by Matthew Campbell from Fitzroy, captures the contrast between growing economic prosperity and the anxiety generated by the recent leak of a Pentagon memorandum.

]]> Mon, 18 May 2026 05:37:00 GMT <![CDATA[Venezuela announces formal restructuring of its external debt after nearly a decade in default]]> The restructuring advances within the framework of the gradual easing of sanctions promoted by Washington following the 3 January military operation The Venezuelan government on Wednesday announced the formal launch of an "integral and orderly" restructuring of the country's public external debt and that of the state oil company PDVSA, in the most concrete step by acting President Delcy Rodríguez's administration toward financial normalization after nearly a decade in default. The communiqué, issued by the Sectoral Vice Presidency for the Economy, sets as its central objective "to put the economy at the service of the Venezuelan people and free the country from the burden of accumulated debt."

]]> Thu, 14 May 2026 09:27:00 GMT <![CDATA[Warsh to succeed Powell at the Fed with inflation at three-year high]]> Warsh takes office with US inflation at a three-year high The US Senate on Wednesday confirmed economist Kevin Warsh as the 17th chair of the Federal Reserve in a 54-45 vote, in a transition that hands control of the world's most influential central bank to President Donald Trump's pick at a moment of strong inflationary pressure. Warsh, a former Fed governor during the 2008 financial crisis and a former Morgan Stanley banker, will formally take office on Friday 15 May, following the departure of Jerome Powell, whose eight-year term has been marked by successive economic crises and a prolonged clash with the White House over the central bank's political independence.

]]> Wed, 13 May 2026 20:00:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil's inflation accelerates to 4.39% in April driven by food and pharmaceuticals]]> The Central Bank of Brazil, which closely tracks the indicator, cut the Selic benchmark rate by half a percentage point at each of its two latest meetings, bringing it to 14.50% annually Year-on-year inflation in Brazil accelerated to 4.39% in April, up from 4.14% in March, pressured mainly by rising prices for food and pharmaceuticals, the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) reported on Tuesday. The national consumer price index advanced 0.67% from the previous month, 0.21 percentage points below March, reflecting a slower monthly pace even as the annual comparison continues to climb.

]]> Tue, 12 May 2026 13:31:00 GMT <![CDATA[Argentina sees new university protest as government pledges post-march dialogue]]> The National Interuniversity Council estimates that transfers to national universities fell by 45.6% in real terms between 2023 and 2026, while sector salaries rose 158% against accumulated inflation Argentina's public universities are staging the fourth Federal University March on Tuesday against the budget adjustment imposed by Javier Milei's government, with the main rally in Plaza de Mayo and simultaneous mobilizations in the country's major cities, while the national administration announced it will meet with rectors after the protest to discuss the allocation of funds for university hospitals. The day combines a strike with suspended classes, a broad opposition turnout, and an official discursive shift aimed at opening a dialogue channel without yielding on the substance of the dispute.

]]> Tue, 12 May 2026 13:14:00 GMT <![CDATA[Milei government cuts nearly 1.79 billion dollar from budget with sharp education adjustment]]> The politically most sensitive cut affects the Education Secretariat, with a reduction of 78.7 billion pesos (around 56 million dollars) The government of Javier Milei amended Argentina's 2026 budget on Monday with a cut of nearly 2.5 trillion pesos (around 1.79 billion dollars at the parallel exchange rate) —equivalent to approximately 1.6% of the total— in an administrative decision that deepens the adjustment effort to sustain the fiscal surplus target agreed with the International Monetary Fund. The measure, signed by Chief of Staff Manuel Adorni and Economy Minister Luis Caputo, comes one day before the fourth Federal University March, called for Tuesday with its main event in Plaza de Mayo.

]]> Mon, 11 May 2026 20:32:00 GMT <![CDATA[Trade, Iran and Taiwan dominate agenda of Trump-Xi summit beginning Wednesday in Beijing]]> Trump will attend the official welcome ceremony on Thursday, hold his bilateral meeting with Xi, visit the Temple of Heaven, and attend a state banquet China confirmed on Monday that US President Donald Trump will pay a state visit from 13 to 15 May at the invitation of his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. It will be the first trip by a US president to the country in nearly a decade —since Trump's own November 2017 visit— and will unfold against the backdrop of the US war against Iran, the fragile trade truce between the two powers, and the dispute over Taiwan's sovereignty.

]]> Mon, 11 May 2026 03:55:00 GMT <![CDATA[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.

]]> Fri, 08 May 2026 05:08:00 GMT <![CDATA[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."

]]> Fri, 08 May 2026 01:20:00 GMT <![CDATA[Brazil central bank cuts Selic interest rate 25 points to 14.50%]]> The cut anticipated by markets, marked the second consecutive 25 basis point cut since the Central Bank initiated its current loosening cycle last month. Brazil’s Central Bank following its two days meeting 28–29 April of the Monetary Policy Committee (COPOM) announced the reduction of its SELIC rate by 25 basis points to 14.50%.

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