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[Royal Navy nuclear deterrence program receives £8bn for the Dreadnought program]]> Dreadnoughts will displace over 17,000 tons, more than 500ft long and with a crew of around 130 each – making them slightly larger than the current Vanguard-class More than £8bn is being pumped into the Royal Navy’s next-generation nuclear deterrent submarines in the latest investment in the Dreadnought program. The cash – the fourth phase of production of the biggest submarine construction project in a generation – will carry the program through to key milestones early next decade:

]]> Thu, 06 Aug 2026 07:13:00 GMT <![CDATA[SpaceX rocket stage crashes into the Moon after 18 months adrift]]> The object, weighing around 4,000 kilograms and catalogued as 2025-010D, hit at approximately 06:35 UTC at a speed close to 2.4 kilometers per second The upper stage of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket struck the lunar surface on Wednesday near the Einstein crater, in an unplanned impact that NASA described as safe and posing no risk to Earth or to missions operating on the Moon.

]]> Wed, 05 Aug 2026 21:44:00 GMT <![CDATA[Milei announces Starlink deal to bring satellite internet to 6,000 rural schools]]> At the time of the announcement, neither the text of the agreement nor any public statement from the company about its terms had been released Argentine President Javier Milei announced an agreement between the National Communications Agency (Enacom) and Starlink to provide satellite connectivity to 6,000 rural schools that currently have poor internet access or no connection at all. The announcement was made on Sunday during the main event of the 138th International Livestock, Agriculture and Industry Exhibition in Buenos Aires.

]]> Mon, 27 Jul 2026 22:20:00 GMT <![CDATA[Chilean shipping company weighs a monthly route between Punta Arenas and the Falklands]]> The visit was organized by the Falkland Islands Development Corporation (FIDC), the territory's economic development body Chilean company Easter Island Naviera (EIL) is considering establishing a monthly cargo shipping service between Punta Arenas and the Falklands, following a visit to the archipelago in which its representatives held around a dozen meetings with local businesses and presented the project to the Islands' chamber of commerce.

]]> Sun, 26 Jul 2026 09:45:00 GMT <![CDATA[World Bank estimates $19.6 billion in earthquake damage in Venezuela]]> The disaster struck a country with a poverty rate above 76% and an economy that contracted sharply over the past decade, in a period marked by US sanctions The twin earthquakes that struck northern Venezuela on June 24 caused an estimated $19.6 billion in direct physical damage, according to a preliminary assessment published on Thursday by the World Bank. The figure is equivalent to about 18% of the country's gross domestic product, based on International Monetary Fund data.

]]> Thu, 23 Jul 2026 22:37:00 GMT <![CDATA[YPF plans to drill off Uruguay in 2027, says potential could top Vaca Muerta]]> “This could be much bigger than Vaca Muerta, it could yield millions and millions of barrels of production,” the executive projected Argentina's state oil company YPF plans to begin exploratory drilling of an offshore block off the coast of Uruguay between late 2027 and early 2028, its chairman and chief executive, Horacio Marín, confirmed, saying the area holds potential that, if confirmed, could surpass the Vaca Muerta unconventional field.

]]> Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:52:00 GMT <![CDATA[Falklands planning business delegation to Uruguay to buy construction materials, ‘costs the crux of the issue”]]> The kind of products needed in the Islands are certainly available in Uruguayan terms of construction materials as well as normal every day goods and provisions Talks are continuing over a potential Falkland Islands business delegation to Uruguay later this year. Organized by Falkland Islands Development Corporation and the Chamber of Commerce, the visit would connect Falklands businesses with Uruguayan suppliers. The issue was discussed with Sam Cockwell, Strategic Projects Manager at the Falklands Development Corporation, FIDC

]]> Thu, 09 Jul 2026 16:23:00 GMT <![CDATA[UK/Netherlands navies partnership with eight next-generation amphibious transport ships]]> The Damen Naval Enforcer 15628 LPD concept is believed to be a strong candidate for the amphibious transport design (Picture: Damen) The UK and the Netherlands have agreed a £2.4bn joint procurement program to acquire eight next-generation amphibious transport ships. Under the new maritime partnership the vessels will be built in the UK to a Dutch design, with four ships entering service with each nation.

]]> Wed, 08 Jul 2026 21:19:00 GMT <![CDATA[Uruguay enjoys 'positive discrimination' but must lift investment and productivity, BBVA says]]> The bank forecasts that Uruguay's economy will grow 1.3% this year, below the 2.2% projected in the Budget law and the 1.6% to which the Ministry of Economy later adjusted its estimate Uruguay enjoys a "positive discrimination" relative to other economies for its institutional solidity, respect for agreements and political maturity, but its economic growth has been low over the past decade and its potential GDP —now at 2.1%— is declining. That was the assessment of economists from BBVA Research, one of Europe's largest banks, at the "Situación Uruguay" webinar, where they said the country's main challenge is to boost investment and raise productivity.

]]> Wed, 17 Jun 2026 08:27:00 GMT <![CDATA[Elon Musk becomes the world's first trillionaire after SpaceX's record stock debut]]> SpaceX shares began trading on the Nasdaq, under the ticker “SPCX,” at $150, above the $135 listing price Technology magnate Elon Musk became the world's first trillionaire on Friday, after his aerospace company SpaceX made its stock-market debut. Following the IPO, which raised a record roughly $75 billion and valued the company at about $1.77 trillion, the net worth of the owner of Tesla, the social network X and Neuralink stood at around $1.1 trillion.

]]> Sat, 13 Jun 2026 19:09:00 GMT