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[UK agrees £190m Airbus deal to boost RAF's strategic airlift fleet of A400M Atlas]]> The British Forces South Atlantic Islands command utilizes the A400M's long-range capabilities to secure and monitor the remote British Overseas Territory. The UK Ministry of Defence has signed a £190m contract extension with Airbus to deliver a 30% improvement in the availability of the Royal Air Force's tactical and strategic airlift fleet.

]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2026 09:08:00 GMT <![CDATA[US withdraws all its bombers from Britain's RAF Fairford base]]> The base, in Gloucestershire, is a forward operating location for the US Air Force's Global Strike Command The United States has withdrawn all the bombers it had deployed at RAF Fairford, in western England, a week after the incident near the base that British counter-terrorism police are investigating. Washington gave no reason for the decision.

]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2026 01:35:00 GMT <![CDATA[From Group Chats to Matchday Streams: How Sports Communities Grow Online in Indonesia]]> Indonesia's sports communities no longer depend on one venue or one broadcast. A football supporter can follow club news before breakfast, join a messaging group at lunch, watch the match at night, then debate tactics long after full time. Basketball fans do something similar around IBL clubs, while esports communities add livestreams, creator analysis, team clips, and tournament chats. APJII reported internet penetration of 81.72% in 2026, or roughly 235 million users, and DataReportal estimated 180 million social media user identities in Indonesia in October 2025. That scale gives communities room to form around a club, player, game title, city, or creator. The strongest ones grow because members have reasons to return, not because a page collects the most followers.

]]> Mon, 05 Oct 2026 00:20:00 GMT <![CDATA[Scientific workshop on Illex Squid in Vigo with the participation of Falkland Islands]]> The workshop forms part of an international scientific cooperation process that began with meetings held in Chile and Panama and continued with a scientific gathering in Bangkok Argentine unions linked to the fishing, maritime and port industries have complained bitterly to the International Transport Workers Federation against a workshop on the Shortfin Squid (Illex Argentinus) organized by OPPC3, in Vigo with the suppot of the Sustaianble Fisheries Partnership, and to which Argentina allegedly has not been invited, but it does include the Falkland Islands.

]]> Sat, 03 Oct 2026 17:11:00 GMT <![CDATA[Uruguay ranks third in Latin America for international air passengers per capita]]> Uruguay ranked third in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2025 for international air passengers per inhabitant, according to Airports Council International figures presented in Lima this week, despite its small share of the region's total traffic.

]]> Sat, 03 Oct 2026 09:40:00 GMT <![CDATA[Halliburton rules out Sea Lion after Argentina raised criminal and civil enforcement]]> In a statement issued in Houston, the New York Stock Exchange-listed company said it had been in contact with the “Argentine Federal Authority” regarding any involvement in the project US oilfield services company Halliburton confirmed on Friday that neither it nor its subsidiaries will work on the Sea Lion project or take part in hydrocarbon exploration or production in or around the Falklands, after Argentine authorities raised the prospect of criminal and civil enforcement.

]]> Sat, 03 Oct 2026 06:56:00 GMT <![CDATA[British foreign secretary reiterates support for the Falklands in meeting with Cheryl Roberts]]> Roberts holds the Trade, Industry and Mineral Resources portfolio in the archipelago's government and announced on September 21 the five-year extension of offshore hydrocarbon licences. British Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband hosted Cheryl Roberts, a member of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly, in London on Thursday, and reiterated to her that the United Kingdom “stands shoulder to shoulder” with the archipelago's residents and “remains steadfast” in supporting their right “to determine their own future and develop their own resources”.

]]> Thu, 01 Oct 2026 23:07:00 GMT <![CDATA[British-Iranian man arrested over the RAF Fairford incident]]> Prime Minister Andy Burnham said there were “strong indications” that Iran “played a part” in what happened, though he said he could not give details and that the investigation was ongoing British counter-terrorism police on Thursday arrested a 25-year-old man with dual British and Iranian nationality in London on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts, in connection with Sunday's incident near RAF Fairford, an airbase in western England used by the United States Air Force.

]]> Thu, 01 Oct 2026 22:26:00 GMT <![CDATA[Uruguay's foreign minister separates the "invaded island" from the money extracted from the Falklands]]> The minister said this was the main subject of his conversation with his Argentine counterpart, Pablo Quirno, and denied discussing with him Uruguay's interest in acquiring British ships Uruguay's Foreign Minister Mario Lubetkin argued that the Falklands dispute has changed in nature with oil exploration: one thing, he said, is "the invaded island" and "the fight against colonialism", and another is "when a lot of money is taken from there". His remarks come as Yamandú Orsi's government considers buying two patrol vessels from the Royal Navy, a deal that has already prompted a resolution from twenty deputies of Argentine President Javier Milei's party.

]]> Thu, 01 Oct 2026 09:32:00 GMT <![CDATA[London rejects Argentina's arbitration and questions its "reliability" as a partner]]> MLA Roberts this morning working the Labour Party Conference with Minister of Overseas Territories and Defence Secretary Wes Streeting The British government has rejected Argentina's decision to initiate international arbitration over the Sea Lion oil project and said Buenos Aires' campaign over the Falklands "raises questions about Argentina's reliability as a partner for the United Kingdom". It is the first time London has extended the dispute to the bilateral relationship as a whole.

]]> Wed, 30 Sep 2026 22:59:00 GMT