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index-May-2008-2.html English News Blog for  Uruguay News Blog May Archive 

South American nations form a regional group

By Website Introductions at 05/28/08 14:39

It's official. South American nations will form a regional group called the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). Much like the European Union, it aims to promote peace and economic stability among the member nations.

It was launched this Friday together with other plans like a mutual South American Defense Council, in which only Colombia declined to join. Through the council, it is hoped to establish the region as a force in the global scene.

News: South American Nations Form New Regional Grouping: UNASUR | venezuelanalysis.com

Uruguay is second most affordable retirement destination

If peace is considered, Uruguay is second in Latin America. If economy is considered, Uruguay is the region's number one. And if it is cost of living that is taken into account, Uruguay is number two. This is according to Live and Invest Overseas. Number one is Ecuador, by the way.

News: Live and Invest Overseas Names World's Three Most Affordable Retirement Cities

Poverty is What?

Poverty, if you decide to become qualitative is something that can be easily defined--poor, unable to buy life's basic needs. But what is poverty when we talk about it quantitavely? Surely, there has to be a lot of studies before anyone can set up a poverty a line, or a level we assume a person can still attend to his/her needs.

Uruguay's poverty level is a generous $9 per day. How is it in other nations? Find out here in Tehran Times.

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The energy crisis continues

When Uruguay chose to go energy independent and pushed for creating hydroelectric power generators, every Uruguayan cheered on. Uruguay does not have any natural gas source, so getting energy from water will drive energy prices lower.

However, the country has experienced drought for the third consecutive month now, and there's still no rain. Without the much-needed water, it will have to buy energy from Argentina and Brazil because its oil-powered plants are already at full capacity and, yet, demand is not satisfied.

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The Sane Cow

BEEF is big business but of late this trend has reversed. This might have been partly due to the "mad cow" disease or may be the people around the globe are following vegetarian diet more and more. But whatever the reason the export figures for most countries that export beef have been dropping drastically recently. Check out for exact figures on this page for major beef exporting countries

News: Farmers Guardian - Beef exports to USA down

Rice prices expected to go down

Farmers from top rice exporters like Uruguay and Vietnam might want the current price of rice to be still, but the global market will most probably see a rice price downturn in the following months.

This is according to the experts of the Institute for Policies and Strategies on Agriculture and Rural Development in Vietnam. According to them, the 1.5mil tonnes of Japanese rice will satisfy hunger when it finally decides to change its bilateral WTO agreement with the US. This and the stability of rice supply in Asian countries will push the price of rice lower. More details here in Vietnam Net

News: Rice prices may drop considerably

Largest rodent may not be as large as what we thought

The largest rodent ever recorded, discovered in Uruguay, might not have been as large as it was first thought to be.

This is the result of a reorganization made by Uruguayan researchers on the study. They thought the largest rodent, Josephoartigasia monesi had weighed around a ton, but new studies reveal that it could have been just around a third of that.

More details here in BBC.

News: BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Biggest rodent 'shrinks in size'

A New Theory on Climate Change

A new theory about the cause of climate change was recently released by Uruguayan researcher Luis Seguessa. According to him, it isn't gas emissions of vehicles other industrial products that cause the change in climate, but the internal combustion engine.

Combustion engines, according to Seguessa, around the world roughly use around 20 billion liters of air everyday, 20% of which is taken from the Ozone layer.

How does this relate to climate change? Read this article from Earth Times to find out.

News: New Theory on Climate Change

The End of OLPC?

Many critics have argued that One Laptop per Child (OLPC) project will not push through as it seems to be not feasible. According to them, a more feasible device that can be used to educate children in the developing world is a mobile phone.

Furthermore, Piers Fawkes of PSFK has said that the recent partnership of OLPC and Microsoft will seal the project's death, as it will "kill what was at the very heart of the project - being open source...."

Read more about Fawkes' analysis here in this article.

News: Microsoft: The Final Nail For The $100 Laptop? on PSFK

Uruguayan economy leads Latin America

More good news for Uruguay.

Yesterday, it was reported that Uruguay places second in the Latin American region in the Global Peace Index. Today, we are told that Uruguay leads its neighbors in the Economic Climate Index.

Even though Uruguay dropped to 7.6 points (from 7.8), its economic environment remains to be the most attractive in the region, according to the index.

Read more details here in Mercopress.

News: Uruguay leads region’s Economic Climate Index