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index-May-2008-1.html English News Blog for  Uruguay News Blog May Archive 

Uruguay is second most peaceful nation in Latin America, says study

By Website Introductions at 05/21/08 08:08

If "being peaceful" means less or absence of internal or external conflicts, Uruguay will rank high in a list. This is what the latest Global Peace Index shows.

Among 140 nations included in the study, Uruguay ranks second in the Latin American nation (following Chile), while Colombia and Venezuela ranks the lowest. Read more details about it here in Mercopress.

News: Chile and Uruguay most “peaceful” countries in region

Director Loves Test Screenings

Fernando Meirelles, director of Blindness have this habit of making test screenings before going with post-production. While this is not abnormal, it's fairly uncommon.

Why does Meirelles do this? Well, he has two reasons. First, he will be able to know what appeals to the audience. Secondly, he will have an insight to cultural differences when it comes to watching movies.

Oh yeah, why don't many film directors do this all the time?

News: Why the director of Blindness likes test screenings

Uruguay exports cars to Argentina

Chery-Socma Uruguay, a Chinese, Argentine, and Uruguayan consortium, will be making its first export Uruguayan assembled cars to nearby Argentina.

The production of the cars started last year with 130 people, producing at least ten vehicles a day.

After Argentina, the group plans to penetrate the Brazilian automobile market. This is clearly golbalization working.

News: Chinese Cars

Fray Bentos pulp mill going strong

Pulp mills will always be in demand as long as commodities like paper are being used. This being said, it is no wonder that new pulp mills are still erected like Botnia's new billion-dollar pulp mill in Fray Bentos, Uruguay.

As of press times, the mill has already produce 377,000 tons of eucalyptus pulp that is exported to countries in Europe and Asia for further processing.

News: Botnia's Fray Bentos pulp mill at full capacity - Lesprom Network

XP to be Installed in XO

At last, this is something many people are waiting for. The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project has finally struck a deal with software giant Microsoft to incorporate its Windows XP operating system to the OPLC's XO machines. This means that Microsoft versions of the notebook computer will be available in at least six countries, including Uruguay.

However, dual boot between Windows and the origianl Linux-based OS is still not possible.

Link: OLPC and Microsoft finally reach XO Windows deal

Compulsory energy-saving measures imposed

If in some places rainfall is abundant, in others it is just too lacking. Ons such country missing the rain is Uruguay.

Hydropower is the country's main source of energy. Lack of rainfall means that energy will be very scarce here. Compulsory energy saving measures have been imposed by the national government to avoid the possibility of total energy absence. Read more about the news here.

News: Lack of rainfall forces energy restrictions in Uruguay

Workshop to find ways against corruption held

Corruption is one of the banes of any economy. It hinders growth from fully achieving its potentials and it paints a bad image to outsiders, which include potential investors.

Perhaps it may not be totally eliminated, but it can be surely lessened, if efforts are made.

Such efforts are currently made by the Organization of American States and the government of Uruguay. A convention was recent;y conducted to find out ways to sort out this problem of corruption. Find out more details here in Newswire.

News: URUGUAY HOSTING WORKSHOP TO SPOTLIGHT IMPLEMENTATION OF INTER-AMERCAN CONVENTION AGAINST CORRUPTION

Prime Minister says country will be strong despite the bad situation in Argentina

They say that no one in this world is an island. We are all affected by what our neighbors do--and if your neighbor is as big and as powerful as Argentina, then you should already worry.

Recent economic turmoil in Argentina arising from conflicts with farmers may badly influence the current situation in Uruguay. After all, there are a lot of Argentine investments in the country.

However, the government assures its citizens that the situation in its neighbor is not that serious to affect its own economy. The Prime Minister already said that the country has a budget surplus that will cushion whatever fallback it receives as effect of the bad weather in Argentina.

Read more about it here in Mercopress.

News: Uruguay downplays possible impact of Argentine situation

US and Uruguay Signs Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement

They say that there are four pillars of power: Wealth, Military, Intelligence, and Technology. Each one is important. If one is lost, then there is danger that your race will be washed off from the face of the planet.

Not everyone has wealth. Not everyone has a good military force. But every country has its pool of experts that can be used to innovate technology. Uruguay and the United States both know this, which is why they signed a Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement, aiming to widen cooperation in science and technology fields.

Link: The United States and Uruguay Sign a Science and Technology Cooperation Agreement

Wifi Installed in School and Towns

There will come a time when there will be wifi anywhere you are in the world.

Well at least there's wifi now in many schools in Uruguay, thanks to Wavion and the Technological Laboratories of Uruguay, which brought the One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) to the country.

Know more about the details of the project here.

Link: Wavion Provides Wi-Fi Infrastructure to OLPC Project in Uruguay