South American nations agree on development bank with startup capital of $20 billion

PORLAMAR, Venezuela — Seven South American nations on Saturday signed an agreement to create a Bank of the South with startup capital of $20 billion.

Ecuador Indian group blocks road to protest water, oil and mining laws, then suspends action

QUITO, Ecuador — Hundreds of Indians blocked Ecuador’s Pan American highway in several provinces Monday with rocks, tree trunks and burning tires to protest new water, mining and oil laws.

Deposed Honduran president addresses UN via cell phone; says country ruled by ‘dictatorship’

UNITED NATIONS — Honduras’ ousted president addressed the United Nations General Assembly by cellular phone late Monday from the Brazilian embassy in his country where he is holed up, calling on the world body to guarantee his personal safety and turn back the “dictatorship” that has taken power.

Airline baggage fees on international flights

The big U.S. airlines are charging baggage fees on some international flights, generally coach tickets between Europe and the U.S. or Canada. What you should know:

13 US-bound Cuban migrants detained on Mexico’s Caribbean coast after boat engine fails

CANCUN, Mexico — Mexican authorities have detained 13 U.S.-bound Cuban migrants whose makeshift boat reached the country’s Caribbean coast after an engine failed.

Con man in style of ‘Catch Me If You Can’ in custody after arrest at US-Canadian border

MONTPELIER, Vt. — Authorities say a con man who has made a living stealing from wealthy hotel guests around the world has been arrested in Vermont.

Honduras government reversal on measures reflects nervousness on Zelaya’s return

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras’ interim president promised to restore civil liberties and allow into the country an Organization of American States mediation team, quickly backpedalling from tough measures amid criticism from his own allies that he had gone too far in his fight to stay in power.

Honduras gives Brazil 10 days to resolve standoff at embassy, where Zelaya seeking refuge

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras is giving Brazil 10 days to decide what to do with ousted President Manuel Zelaya, who has been inside the Brazilian Embassy since sneaking back into the country last week.

Venezuela releases jailed student activist as more join hunger strike over prosecutions

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela released a student activist Monday whose imprisonment was cited as an example of politically motivated prosecutions by President Hugo Chavez’s government.

Top UN official says any attack on Brazilian embassy in Honduras would be ‘disaster’

UNITED NATIONS — An attack by police and soldiers on the Brazilian embassy in Honduras, where that country’s deposed president is holed up, “would be a disaster,” a senior U.N. official said Monday.

Rio’s case for games: Not only are we best site, picking Brazil is the right thing to do

Brazilians are confident that if the International Olympic Committee practices what it preaches, then Rio de Janeiro will host the 2016 Summer Games.

Increasingly desperate Honduran leaders vow to restore freedoms; standoff at pro-Zelaya march

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — The coup-installed president of Honduras backed down Monday from an escalating standoff with protesters and suggested he would restore civil liberties and reopen dissident television and radio stations by the end of the week.

Honduran protesters, police in standoff as authorities silence media, suspend civil liberties

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — The coup-installed government in Honduras took increasingly desperate measures to hold onto power Monday, suspending civil liberties, silencing dissident broadcasters and facing off with hundreds of protesters in the street.

Peru’s jailed ex-president pleads guilty to illegal wiretaps, bribes to congressmen, media

LIMA, Peru — Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori has pleaded guilty to authorizing wiretaps and bribes to journalists, politicians and businessmen.

Texas financier Stanford to be moved from lockup where he got into fight

HOUSTON — Texas financier R. Allen Stanford will be moved from the lockup where he got into a jail fight that resulted in him being hospitalized for a concussion.

Honduras’ interim government raids media outlets after suspending civil liberties

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras’ coup-installed government has silenced two key dissident broadcasters hours after it suspended civil liberties to prevent an uprising by backers of ousted President Manuel Zelaya.

AP NewsBreak: US official held unannounced talks with Cubans, raising hopes for warming ties

NEW YORK — Three State Department officials say a senior American diplomat has held unannounced, high-level talks in Havana with the Cuban government.

At UN, Cuba moderately conciliatory toward US; wants to hold talks on drugs, people smuggling

UNITED NATIONS — Cuba is adopting a moderately conciliatory tone toward the U.S. at the United Nations General Assembly.

Peru’s jailed ex-president on trial for alleged illegal wiretaps, bribes to congressmen, media

LIMA, Peru — Former President Alberto Fujimori, who already faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life in prison, went on trial again Monday, charged with authorizing wiretaps and bribes of politicians, journalists and businessmen.

Chavez, Gadhafi build alliances at Africa-South America summit in Venezuela

PORLAMAR, Venezuela — Hugo Chavez made diplomatic inroads in Africa on Sunday at a summit of South American and African leaders where he offered Venezuela’s help in oil projects, mining and financial assistance.

Venezuela’s Chavez praises Gadhafi, both leaders sign declaration condemning terrorism

PORLAMAR, Venezuela — Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi signed a declaration Monday night decrying what they call attempts by powerful Western countries to equate struggles against colonialism with terrorism.

Chilean air force invites Peru to witness military air maneuvers that has caused friction

SANTIAGO, Chile — The Chilean air force said Tuesday it has invited its Peruvian counterpart to send observers to military maneuvers that Peru has interpreted as threatening and wants canceled.

Honduras expels OAS advance team members, gives Brazil ultimatum on Embassy standoff

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Honduras’ interim government on Sunday expelled personnel from the Organization of American States looking to set up a mediation effort and gave Brazil a 10-day ultimatum to decide what to do with ousted President Manuel Zelaya, who is holed up in the Brazilian Embassy.

Military list shows US task force has cleared about 75 Guantanamo prisoners for release

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — At least 75 Guantanamo detainees have been cleared for release by a task force sorting through the remaining prisoners as part of the Obama administration’s effort to shutter the jail, according to a list released Monday by the U.S. military.

Honduras restricts civil liberties, issues ultimatum to Brazil; Zelaya calls for mass marches

TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras — Interim government leaders have suspended constitutionally guaranteed civil liberties in a pre-emptive strike against widespread rebellion Monday, three months to the day since they ousted President Manuel Zelaya in a military-backed coup.

Federal officials: Con man in style of ‘Catch Me If You Can’ arrested at US-Canadian border

MONTPELIER, Vt. — A smooth-talking, globe-trotting serial swindler who is wanted in Nevada on a burglary charge has been arrested after crossing illegally from Canada to Vermont, federal authorities said.

Libya’s Gadhafi goes window shopping in Venezuelan resort following summit hosted by Chavez

PORLAMAR, Venezuela — Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi took a break from railing against colonialism at a summit in Venezuela to go window shopping, buy jewelry and mingle with stunned tourists at a Caribbean resort.

Rio de Janeiro puts President Lula at heart of 2016 Olympic bid, rivals Chicago’s Obama effect

COPENHAGEN — Rio de Janeiro’s bid to host the 2016 Olympics put Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva at the center of its campaign Tuesday.

US agents raid housing projects in southern Puerto Rico with warrants for 73 drug suspects

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Hundreds of U.S. and local agents swept into a town in southern Puerto Rico on Tuesday to break up violent drug rings accused of operating out of several public housing projects.

Venezuelan official says nation exploring uranium deposits with Russia

PORLAMAR, Venezuela — Venezuela’s science and technology minister said his country is working with Russia to detect deposits of uranium but withdrew an earlier denial that the country was also working with Iran.