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[Brazil to spend nearly three-quarters of its 2027 defence budget on personnel and pensions]]> Of the total, about 12.7 billion reais is for investment and 21.7 billion for operating costs. The proposal must be approved by Congress Brazil plans to allocate 147.68 billion reais to defence in 2027, about US$27 billion at current exchange rates, but 73% of that will go on salaries, retirement benefits and pensions, according to the budget bill sent to Congress. With only 8.6% set aside for investment, the country will have to decide the pace of programmes that include fighter jets, frigates, armoured vehicles and a nuclear-powered submarine.

]]> Fri, 30 Oct 2026 01:09:00 GMT <![CDATA[Adderstone builds on the foundations of hangar success with new Stanley House contract]]> M. Wallbank (Managing Director), G. Vatamanu (General Foreman) and Natasha Greenland (General Manager), Adderstone Co. (Falkland Islands) Ltd, outside the newly completed FIGAS hangar, Port Stanley. Adderstone Construction (Falkland Islands) Limited, part of the Newcastle-headquartered property and construction group, has been awarded a further contract by the Falkland Islands Government, shortly after completing the redevelopment of the FIGAS aircraft hangar in Port Stanley.

]]> Wed, 28 Oct 2026 10:28:00 GMT <![CDATA[Argentina spent US$445 million on weapons and military equipment under Milei]]> The largest acquisition was 24 F-16 fighters from Denmark, agreed in April 2024 for US$301.2 million payable in five annual instalments Argentina’s government spent some US$445 million on weapons, military and security equipment from when Javier Milei took office in December 2023 to August 2026, according to an analysis by the newspaper Infobae based on the state’s official procurement system and agreements signed with other countries. The figure already exceeds what was invested during the full terms of Alberto Fernández and Mauricio Macri.

]]> Mon, 19 Oct 2026 19:46:00 GMT <![CDATA[Tesla’s new Roadster uses compressed air and fans to jump and drive upside down]]> In the demonstration, held at SpaceX’s test site in McGregor, the prototype drove up a ramp, turned upside down, separated from it and completed a rotation before touching the ground Tesla unveiled on Thursday in Texas a redesigned version of its Roadster electric sports car, developed with SpaceX, which combines suction fans and compressed-air thrusters to climb near-vertical surfaces, drive upside down and flip in the air. The company plans to begin production in 2028.

]]> Sun, 18 Oct 2026 12:31:00 GMT <![CDATA[Uruguay signs a US$5.7 billion data centre investment with Spain’s Solaria]]> The project, under a free-trade-zone regime, will allocate US$5.5 billion to the data centres and US$200 million to a 350-megawatt solar plant to supply the complex Uruguayan President Yamandú Orsi on Wednesday signed an agreement with Spanish company Solaria Energía y Medio Ambiente to develop a data centre campus of up to 500 megawatts with its own solar generation, a US$5.7 billion investment the government described as the largest in the country’s history. The opposition has demanded explanations about the company’s financial capacity and the jobs the project will create.

]]> Fri, 16 Oct 2026 09:52:00 GMT <![CDATA[British Airways restores non-stop London-Buenos Aires flights and adds a daily Santiago service]]> According to the airline, it will be the only non-stop flight between London and Buenos Aires British Airways will operate a daily non-stop flight between London Heathrow and Buenos Aires from March 28, 2027, continuing on to Santiago, Chile. A direct route between the British and Argentine capitals has not operated since October 2023.

]]> Tue, 06 Oct 2026 22:31:00 GMT <![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[Falklands Chamber of Commerce backs the Punta Arenas route despite Argentine warnings]]> “Now we need to see this continue and see the ship at sea heading to the islands, and then we can start to talk about it being a success. Success comes when the goods arrive,” Summers said The president of the Falkland Islands Chamber of Commerce, Mike Summers, has defended reopening trade with Chile's Magallanes region despite Argentina's campaign against economic activity linked to the archipelago, and warned that this week's business meeting in Punta Arenas will only be a success once cargo starts crossing the sea.

]]> Sun, 04 Oct 2026 21:19:00 GMT <![CDATA[Stanley Harbour begins three months of dredging at its energy dock]]> The aim is to create a deeper approach channel and a berthing pocket at the facility, previously known as the Temporary Dock Facility The Falkland Islands Government will begin dredging the approach channel and a berthing pocket at the Energy Dock Facility in Stanley Harbour on Monday, October 5, in works expected to last about three months, according to a notice to mariners issued by the harbour master.

]]> Sat, 03 Oct 2026 06:52:00 GMT <![CDATA[Latin American airports will need US$178 billion to nearly double their traffic]]> The organisation also argued that airport charges, set by each country's regulators rather than by the airports themselves, account for a small share of airline costs Airports in Latin America and the Caribbean will require investment of around US$178 billion over the next thirty years to handle demand that would rise from 809 million passengers this year to around 1.5 billion in 2045, according to projections presented in Lima at the annual assembly of Airports Council International.

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