Uruguay

• Monday, June 17th 2019 - 09:55 UTC

  Massive blackout hits Mercosur; Argentina and Uruguay in the dark for six hours; major investigation promised

  

  A massive blackout left tens of millions of people without electricity in Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay and parts of Chile and southern Brazil on Sunday. The Argentine president called it an “unprecedented” failure in the countries' interconnected power grid.

• Monday, June 17th 2019 - 09:50 UTC

  Argentine authorities admit they have yet to detect the cause of the major blackout

  

  Argentina's Energy Secretary Gustavo Lopetegui described the massive blackout suffered mostly by Argentina and Uruguay, but which also affected areas of neighbouring countries, Paraguay, Chile and Brazil as “an extraordinary event that should have never happened, there are no reasons for it occurring and leaving Argentina completely in the black”.

• Sunday, June 16th 2019 - 09:53 UTC

  Luis Suarez: “Losing the Champions League semi-final, the worst moments of my life”

  

  Uruguayan born Barcelona striker Luis Suarez said losing 4-0 to Liverpool in the Champions League semi-finals was as painful as when he was sent home from the 2014 World Cup for biting Italy's Giorgio Chiellini and banned from football for four months.

• Monday, June 10th 2019 - 08:31 UTC

  Five London suspects released on bail following an attack on a Uruguay/US lesbian couple

  

  British police released five suspects on bail following an attack on a lesbian couple on a London bus which threw a spotlight on homophobia in the country.

• Friday, June 7th 2019 - 09:59 UTC

  Bolsonaro and Macri announce the EU/Mercosur trade deal is “imminent”

  

  The presidents of Argentina and Brazil said on Thursday that an agreement is imminent on a free trade agreement between the European Union and Mercosur. Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro and Argentina's Mauricio Macri expressed confidence that the deal would soon be signed as they met in Buenos Aires for talks.

• Wednesday, June 5th 2019 - 21:00 UTC

  Uruguay: Finances don't grow; Economy Minister estimates an improvement for the second semester, as Macri did

  

  Uruguay is experiencing, in recent months, a marked drop in investment and the generation of employment. Uruguayan Economy Minister Danilo Astori admitted Wednesday the fall of public accounts, with an annualized fiscal deficit in April that was 4.8% of GDP, and opted to provide greater incentives to investors and entrepreneurs. The Uruguayan press accuses the government of betting on the hope that the results will begin to be felt in the second half of the year, as it was heard a while ago in Argentina under the administration of President Mauricio Macri.

• Wednesday, May 29th 2019 - 09:50 UTC

  Uruguay's diplomat and banker named EU's representative to help with the Venezuelan situation

  

  The European Union on Tuesday named Uruguayan former banker and diplomat Enrique Iglesias as its point man to help end the crisis in Venezuela, part of an intensification of diplomatic efforts to seek new elections.

• Monday, May 27th 2019 - 05:39 UTC

  Hazardous radioactive material stolen in Uruguay

  

  Uruguay's Ministry of the Interior Saturday issued a nationwide alert for the theft of a tub containing radioactive material. According to the communiqué, 100 millilitres of radioactive iodine (iodine 131) contained in a tub of 3 kg of lead (lead is used as shielding material to prevent the spread of radioactivity) were stolen.

• Monday, May 27th 2019 - 04:34 UTC

  Trump in Japan for trade talks, North Korea and to meet Emperor Naruhito

  

  After a fun-filled weekend of golf and sumo, US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are set to hold formal talks on Monday, with trade and tensions with North Korea topping the agenda.

• Thursday, April 25th 2019 - 21:48 UTC

  Economic collapse in Argentina worsens in a volatile day: Macri blames uncertainty

  

  Argentina lived on Thursday another day in which the dollar rebounded and the country risk exceeded 1000 points. President Mauricio Macri criticized the “short-term” view of the markets and the Central Bank (BCRA) had to intervene by positioning the interest rate at 70% and diverting the futures market to contain the demand on the currency, preventing it from reaching the maximum accorded of 51.45 pesos.