Evening headlines: Rape case divides Argentina; PAN has lost its “philosophy”; not all Latin American nations are “happy”

-Church vs. government: Argentina divided over a rape victim’s wish to undergo an abortion.

-Insightful look at the Border Patrol Explorer Scouts which “exposes teens…to a career with the Border Patrol”. (via Metafilter).

-Aside from signing a major arms deal, Hugo Chavez’s visit this week to Russia also ensured the expansion of Russian oil and energy companies into Venezuela.

-“Have the Mercosur countries all gone bananas” after last week’s summit? According to Álvaro Vargas Llosa the answer is a resounding “yes”.

-Mexico’s ruling party “has lost its core philosophy” according to former members. (Via Hispanic Tips.)

-The unemployment rate in Brazil rose slightly to 10.4%, while Argentina’s unemployment rate fell to10.4%.

-Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell (right image) stretched his unbeaten streak in the 100 meter dash to 11 races this year with his latest victory coming at a meet in London.

-“American women traveling south of the border, whether to the Caribbean, Mexico, or other Latin American countries, should prepare themselves for…cat-calling, groping, and staring”. Oh really?!

-Trade representatives from the U.S. and Brazil will meet this weekend in order to smooth out disagreements over the World Trade Organization.

-Lastly, Latin American nations had mixed results on the “World Map of Happiness” though Venezuela and Argentina were ranked as above average and Nicaragua and Bolivia were deemed as the most “unhappy.”

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