Stories we're watching

1. Latin America's largest trade bloc, the Mercosur, held a summit yesterday in Paraguay that yielded agreements, including on a plan to invest more in making movies — but a marked absence has some worried about the bloc's future.

• President Javier Milei of Argentina, one of Mercosur's founding members, attended a conservative conference in Brazil instead.
• Paraguayan President Santiago Peña acknowledged the danger of "setbacks" if there are divisions in the bloc.

2. Guatemala declared a state of disaster yesterday as forecasts showed the rainy season will be especially severe.

• The declaration, which needs to be ratified by Congress by tomorrow, would facilitate access to emergency funds.
• At least 13 people have died so far during Guatemala's rainy season, which runs from late May to October.