
Despite constant trade disputes Mercosur this Thursday found respite and motive to celebrate with the official inauguration of the block's Parliament in Brazil.
Bitter divisions over the memory of Gen. Augusto Pinochet surfaced at his military funeral Tuesday, as mourners booed the defense minister who denied the dictator a state funeral and cheered Pinochet's grandson for justifying the bloody coup that ousted an elected president more than 30 years ago.
More than 100,000 poor Brazilians are expected to benefit from a United Nations-backed development and income-generating project in the semi-arid north-eastern region of Latin America's largest and most populous country.
Tuesday was Argentina's turn to score in the escalating controversy over the building of pulp mills on the Uruguayan side of a river that acts as a natural divide between the neighboring countries and which has triggered ongoing protests from Argentine residents and environmentalists.

Chile's president Michelle Bachelet called on the Army to sanction the grandson of former dictator Augusto Pinochet Ugarte who during a surprise funeral speech Tuesday openly praised the 1973 coup which ousted the elected government of president Salvador Allende.
The Uruguayan economy registered 7% growth in the first nine months of 2006, according to the latest figures from the country's Central Bank.

Uruguayan president Tabare Vazquez said Wednesday that the authorization for the establishment of a pulp mill by the Spanish company ENCE along the River Plate estuary will be decided by his administration.
The grandson of former dictator Augusto Pinochet Ugarte was booted Wednesday from the Chilean Army for having made a highly political and out of protocol speech during his grandfather's funeral services Tuesday.

The world's largest cruise ship, Freedom of the Seas, was unexpectedly forced to spend two additional days in Miami getting the most comprehensive cleaning yet after returning to port last Sunday with sick passengers for the second consecutive cruise.
Chile's Distortions Committee extended this week for twelve months a 23% safeguard levy on Argentine milk and Gouda cheese imports to protect Chilean dairy farmers.