PREVIEW: Cuba still under longest trade embargo in history Feb 4, 2012, 6:06 GMT Havana - Half a century has gone by with a near total US embargo on trade with Cuba, but it appears to have done little to change Havana's policies as Washington had intended. ....more

Germany courts Brazil: Westerwelle opens science centre Feb 14, 2012, 21:44 GMT Sao Paulo - German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle opened Tuesday in Sao Paulo the German House of Science and Innovation (DWIH), an initiative to promote the European power's status as a strategic partner for rapidly-growing Brazil.

Gay Colombian priests allegedly planned own murders Feb 14, 2012, 20:47 GMT Bogota - The case of two Colombian Roman Catholic priests who were murdered last year took a twist Tuesday, when it became known that investigators believe they planned their own deaths and hired hitmen to kill them.

Mob kills 3 men in Mexico over forbidden love Feb 14, 2012, 19:07 GMT Mexico City - Three young men were burned alive in a rural area close to Mexico City after one of them got involved in a relationship with a girl despite being married to another woman, the Mexican daily Reforma reported Tuesday.

Two Colombian priests allegedly planned own murders, hired killers Feb 14, 2012, 18:54 GMT Bogota - The case of two Colombian Roman Catholic priests who were murdered last year took a twist Tuesday, when it became known that investigators believe they planned their own deaths and hired hitmen to kill them.

Brazil overcomes police strikes ahead of world-famous Carnival Feb 14, 2012, 16:10 GMT Rio de Janeiro - Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, two sites of Brazil's world-famous Carnival, were all set for this week's upcoming parties after overcoming police strikes that had put celebrations at risk.

UN Security Council visits Haiti, reviews post-quake reconstruction Feb 13, 2012, 21:22 GMT New York - A delegation of the UN Security Council began Monday a visit to Haiti for talks with government officials and to assess UN work in helping the nation recover from the devastating earthquake in 2010.

Sun, fun, crime: Mexico's tourism battles violent image Feb 8, 2012, 10:41 GMT Cancun, Mexico - Ask foreigners on Cancun's glistening white beaches what comes to mind when they think of Mexico, and the answers aren't exactly fun in the sun.

INTERVIEW: Mexico's drug war 'can't be won by military force alone' Feb 8, 2012, 10:41 GMT Berlin - The drug war in Mexico takes thousands of lives every year, as cartels fight each other and Mexico's military for multi-billion dollar profits. The conflict cannot be won by military force alone, says Friedemann Schirrmeister, a political scientist at Heidelberg's Institute for International Conflict Research. That's because Mexico's main problem isn't drugs, he says - it's corruption.

Trouble in paradise - but no impact on the tourists Feb 8, 2012, 10:41 GMT New Delhi - Paradise presents itself to holidaymakers as they jet into the Maldives: islands are scattered across a sea of blue, the beaches fringed with palms, and spectacular coral reefs can be discerned below the surface.

Rio cleans up its act: Police stand up to the drug gangs Jan 18, 2012, 9:48 GMT Rio de Janeiro - The fight against the drug gangs in Rio de Janeiro resembles trench warfare: it is about territory, gaining ground and tactics.