In this edition: a court in Argentina slaps life sentences on two former officers convicted of human rights abuses during the dictatorship; Uruguay gears for a run-off vote; and Barack Obama declares the swine flu pandemic a national emergency.
Former guerrilla leader Jose Mujica led his rivals in Sunday's presidential election by a wide margin but fell short of the 50 percent needed to avoid a November 29 run-off.
Uruguayans began voting Sunday in a presidential election, in which an ex-guerrilla leader who was shot nine times and twice escaped from jail during the military dictatorship has a good chance of winning.
Retired Argentine general Jorge Olivera Rovere was sentenced Friday to life in prison for crimes committed during the 1979-1983 dictatorship, including the assassination of two Uruguayan lawmakers.
A judge in Uruguay on Thursday sentenced former leader Gregorio Alvarez to 25 years in prison for 37 "aggravated homicides" and rights violations during his 1981-1985 rule.
Tango, the sensual dance born in the working class neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires and Montevideo that has become a global byword for Latin passion, is now part of humanity's "intangible cultural heritage", UNESCO has announced.
In this edition: Gabon's opposition stokes up an online protest, ecology is at the centre of a Argentina-Uruguay dispute, and a Russian version of the Beatles hit "Let it be" sets the Web ablaze.
In this edition: the Web has become an indispensable tool in the campaign for Uruguay's presidential election; and Net users are up in arms against Kanye West, the rapper who burst onto the stage at the MTV video music awards.
Uruguay's Congress has voted to allow gay couples to adopt children, making it the first Latin American country to extend this right to same-sex, as well as unmarried, couples. The measure must still be signed by President Tabare Vazquez.
Uruguay lawmakers voted in favour of allowing gay and lesbian couples to adopt children, a move opposed by the country's religious leaders and right-wing politicians. Uruguay's parliament is controlled by the left-wing Frente Amplio coalition.
