The Americas

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• Canada's Conservative Harper Under Cloud After Chief of Staff Resigns
  Canada's Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper was under intense pressure on Monday to reassure voters that his administration is above reproach amid questions surrounding a secret check paid to Sen. Mike Duffy.
• Guatemala Top Court Overturns Rios Montt Genocide Conviction
  Guatemala's top court overturned the genocide conviction of former dictator Efrain Rios Montt and ordered on Monday that his trial restart.
• Large Earthquake Strikes Off Coast of Chile
  The U.S. Geological Survey says an earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 has struck off the coast of Chile.
• Ted Cruz's Canadian Birth Wouldn't Hinder Run for Presidency
  The freshman Texas Republican senator who has conservatives talking presidency hasn't made his intentions known, but if Ted Cruz does decide to seek the Oval Office he likely is eligible despite being born in Canada. Cruz was born in Canada to a Cuban father and an...
• Canada's Conservatives in Crisis as PM's Aide Quits in Scandal
  The top aide to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper abruptly resigned on Sunday over his role in an mounting expenses scandal which is threatening to undermine the Conservative government.
• Venezuela Frees Opposition Activist Jailed in Election Violence
  Venezuela has released an opposition activist who had been jailed on accusations of inciting violence in the wake of President Nicolas Maduro's narrow election victory in April.
• Argentina’s Former Military Dictator Videla Dies in Jail at 87
  Argentine former dictator Jorge Rafael Videla, who led the country’s military junta from 1976 to 1981, died in a Buenos Aires jail today from natural causes. He was 87.
• Venezuelans Scrambling to Find Scarce Toilet Paper
  Venezuelans scrambled to stock up on toilet paper Thursday as fears of a bathroom emergency spread despite the socialist government's promise to import 50 million rolls.
• Mexican General Sent to Quell Drug Violence in New Strategy
  A Mexican general took over all police and military operations in a chaotic western state on Thursday in a test run of President Enrique Pena Nieto's new security strategy to tame raging drug violence.
• Quebec Seeks Fracking Moratorium in Shale Gas Rich Area
  The Canadian province of Quebec, citing public concerns, unveiled a bill on Wednesday to impose a moratorium on hydraulic fracturing, known as fracking, in a region rich in shale gas deposits.
• Venezuela's Maduro Buries Hatchet with Billionaire Businessman
  Socialist leader Nicolas Maduro and the billionaire boss of Venezuela's biggest private company have buried the hatchet after a war of words over food shortages and other economic problems in the South American nation.
• Canadian Man, Missing After Truck Test Drive, Found Dead
  A Canadian man who went missing after he took two men for a test drive in a truck he was trying to sell online has been found dead, Canadian police said on Tuesday.
• Colombia Warns of Plot to Kill High-Profile Journalists
  Colombia's government warned on Tuesday of a plot by a criminal group to kill several high-profile journalists just weeks after the attempted assassination of an investigative reporter boosted concerns over threats to a free press in the violence-plagued Andean nation.
• Mayan Pyramid Bulldozed By Belize Construction Crew for Road Project
  One of Belize's largest Mayan pyramids has been destroyed by a construction company with backhoes and bulldozers to extract crushed rock for a road-building project, authorities announced on Monday.
• 2 Arrested in Mexico Murder of 'Malcolm X' Grandson; More Sought
  Authorities in Mexico City have arrested two men on suspicion of the fatal beating of the grandson of U.S. civil rights activist "Malcolm X" in a bar last week and are looking for at least two more people, Mexico City Attorney General Rodolfo Rios said on Monday.
• Canada Deports Palestinian Hijacker After 25-year Legal Battle
  Canada has finally deported a Palestinian convicted of an attack on an Israeli airliner in 1968, after a 25-year legal battle, Immigration Minister Jason Kenney said on Monday.
• Venezuela's Maduro Sends Military to Fight Crime in Caracas Streets
  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday sent some 3,000 troops into the streets of the capital of Caracas to crack down on rampant crime that has made the OPEC nation one of the most dangerous in the world.
• Mexico Raises Alert Level for Popocatepetl Volcano
  Mexican authorities raised the alert level for the Popocatepetl volcano near Mexico City on Sunday morning after observing an increased level of explosive activity.
• Venezuela’s Maduro Accuses Company of Causing Food Shortages
  Venezuela President Nicolas Maduro accused the owner of the country's largest privately-held company of reducing food production and creating shortages amid record scarcity and the region’s fastest inflation.
• Prison for Ex-Dictator Soothes Guatemala
  Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt spent his first full day as a convict Saturday in a 16-by-13 foot cell with a small bed, bathroom and window, after receiving a landmark 80-year sentence for genocide and crime against humanity.
• Former Guatemalan Dictator Rios Montt Convicted of Genocide
  Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt has been found guilty of genocide and crimes against humanity committed during the bloodiest phase of the country's 36-year civil war and was sentenced to 80 years in prison.
• Venezuela's Maduro Gets Firm Brazil Backing, Trade
  Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro got strong backing from regional heavyweight Brazil on Thursday on a tour of South American allies to cement his legitimacy as political heir to the late Hugo Chavez.
• Former Guatemala Dictator to Court: I Never Ordered Genocide
  Former Guatemalan dictator Efrain Rios Montt told a court on Thursday he never ordered the genocide of his own people, taking the witness stand for the first time as the war crimes trial against him neared its conclusion.
• Mexico Seeks Sweeping Bank Reforms, Cheaper Loans
  Mexico's government proposed a sweeping overhaul of the banking sector Wednesday to make credit cheaper and more available, a move desperately needed in a country where bank loans represent less than 20 percent of GDP — one-tenth the level seen in the United States.
• Bolivia's Challenge: Making Coca Palatable
  Bolivian President Evo Morales has been trying to persuade the world that he has no tolerance for cocaine. He says his country's thousands of acres of coca plants are dedicated to uses such as fighting off fatigue and even in whipping up wholesome treats such as coca puff snacks.

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