
The 10 leaders of the Mercosur trade bloc meeting in Tucuman, Argentina, Monday and Tuesday are expected to condemn the EU's new immigration rules, discuss plans for regional integration and address the global food crisis.
In its June 27 edition Chile business magazine Qué pasa published for the second year in a row a list of the country's 24 most prominent business conglomerates, revealing the Luksic, Falabella and Angelini groups the leading three.
The global food crisis and strengthening the regional social agenda are the two main issues which Brazilian president Lula da Silva will address during the next six months when his country holds the rotating chair of Mercosur.

Productive integration for small and medium sized companies plus a special financing fund for that group of companies and a technological renovation plan are some of the main issues in the official agenda to be addressed by the coming Mercosur summit to be held in the Argentine province of Tucuman.
The Chilean Senate reiterated an invitation to Pope Benedict XVI to travel to Chile for the commemoration of a crucial papal mediation in avoiding a war between Chile and Argentina in 1978.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe told Congress to call a new presidential ballot after a court challenged the law that allowed him to seek re-election in 2006.
Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez said that Mexico must integrate with Mercosur and Unasur (Union of South American nations) because otherwise the concept of unity, which these two organizations represent would be incomplete and insufficient.
Bolivia's strategic gas-rich Tarija province voted overwhelmingly on Sunday in favor of greater autonomy, approximately 80%, according to the first results which also confirms exit polls. However abstention in the fourth Bolivian province to vote for greater autonomy was above 35%.
Hundreds of government officials, scientists and NGO representatives from around the globe will converge at Santiago de Chile's Sheraton Hotel next week for the 60th Annual Meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC60).
The indigenous peoples of South America from the Andes highlands to the extreme south of Chile celebrated early Saturday the arrival of the winter solstice which signals the beginning of a new year.