Latin America Digest: Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay and Mexico

Today’s One-Line News Briefs:

Buenos Aires— Argentina's last dictator, 82-year-old Reynaldo Bignone, was convicted and sentenced Tuesday to 25 years in prison for torture and illegal detentions committed during the nation's 1976-1983 military regime.

Bogota, Colombia — Colombian Gen. Fernando Joya, two colonels and three other servicemen were killed when a military helicopter and a civilian helicopter crashed into each another at a base in the southwest province of Tolima.

The Hague, Netherlands — A United Nations court rejected Argentina's claims that a Uruguayan pulp mill is pumping dangerous pollution into the river on their mutual border, angering Argentine protesters who have waged a three-year campaign against the mill.

Mexico City — The lower house of Mexico’s Congress joined the Senate by approving the creation of a space agency that will seek to bolster research and raise Mexico's scientific profile, a proposal that now goes to President Felipe Calderon.

-- Times wire reports