International Business Times

Peru’s Highway Project Spurs Controversy; Do Economic Advantages Outgrow Environmental Damage?

Patricia Rey Mallén — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:46:14 GMT

Arriving in Purús, a province in the westernmost tip of Peru, is like entering a different world: Throughout the region, exotic-animal singsong bursts from lush, thick vegetation that barely lets the sun shine through. The 11,000- square-mile (28,500-square-kilometer) Purús, in the Amazon and right by the border with Brazil, is one of Peru’s richest provinces when it comes to natural resources.

Guatemala’s Apex Court Overturns Former Military Ruler Rios Montt’s Conviction On Genocide Charges

Gayathri — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:14:51 GMT

Guatemala’s highest court on Monday annulled a conviction against former dictator Efrain Rios Montt, who was found guilty on May 10 of genocide and crimes against humanity for ordering the deaths of 1,771 people of the indigenous Ixil Mayan community during his rule in 1982 and 1983.

Drones: Which Countries Have Them For Surveillance And Military Operations? (MAP)

Lisa Mahapatra — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:20:37 GMT

How long have drones been on your radar? Though it may seem to most people that the controversial "unmanned aerial vehicles" are a relatively recent development in military operations, drones were actually first imagined as far back as World War I, when they were known as “automatic airplanes.” Drones as we know them today -- the buzzing overhead killers with heads like aliens' -- didn’t properly exist until the tail end of the Vietnam era in the early 1970s.

Police Rescue 80 Trafficked Bangladeshis in Brazil; Why Were They Smuggled Into The Country?

Patricia Rey Mallén — Fri, 17 May 2013 22:08:28 GMT

Brazilian police rescued about 80 Bangladeshis who had been smuggled into the country and forced to endure slaveylike conditions. The workers lived in inhumane conditions in Samambaia, on the outskirts of Brasilia, according to Agence France-Presse via the Spanish-language La Tercera, which cited the Agencia Brasil news agency.

Brazil Paves Way For Legalization Of Same-Sex Unions, But Church Groups Vow To Block Any Such Measure

Patricia Rey Mallén — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:14:09 GMT

Brazil flaunted the rainbow flag this week when its judiciary ruled that notary publics can no longer refuse to perform same-sex unions. Although this is not exactly the same as legalizing gay marriage -- there are more steps to follow for it to become a full-fledged right -- it is certainly opening the way for gays in Latin America’s largest country to marry.

Toronto Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday Defends Rob Ford In Alleged Crack Cocaine Video: 'It Seems Outrageous' [EXCLUSIVE]

hkoplowitz — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:19:24 GMT

As Toronto Mayor Rob Ford battles accusations that he was captured on cell phone video smoking what appeared to be crack cocaine, the conservative and controversial mayor can count on at least one ally: Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday.

Weak Global Economy And Fear Of Crime Turning Travelers Off To Mexico; Country No Longer In Top 10 Of Favored Holiday Destinations

Patricia Rey Mallén — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:27:33 GMT

México is no longer one of the 10 most popular countries in the world for holidaymakers, the U.N.'s World Tourism Organization said on Thursday. The nation ranked 13th out of 50 countries, falling from 10th place, according to data published by the Organization. Mexico had held the 10th spot for the past five years.

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford Denies Smoking Crack, Calls Alleged Video 'Ridiculous'

hkoplowitz — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:56:29 GMT

Embattled Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, who was allegedly captured on cell phone video smoking what appeared to be crack cocaine, denied the claims Friday and called the media reports “ridiculous.”

Ford, a conservative, was asked about the video being shopped by two Somali men and viewed by reporters at the Toronto Star and the media gossip website Gawker.

Keystone XL: Canada's Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, Says TransCanada Pipeline 'Absolutely Needs To Go Ahead'

Alexander Kaufman — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:59:55 GMT

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper dismissed environmental concerns as he stumped for the Keystone XL pipeline at a conference in New York on Thursday, urging lawmakers to approve the project. Harper told an audience at the Council on Foreign Relations in Manhattan that an increase in Canada-supplied oil was inevitable in the United States and it was only a matter of how and when the crude was shipped.

Video Of Toronto Mayor Smoking Crack Cocaine For Sale: Report

mvulta — Fri, 17 May 2013 06:07:47 GMT

A video of Toronto Mayor Rob Ford allegedly smoking crack cocaine is up for sale, various news sites are reporting. The men who are responsible for recording the mayor have reached out to several news organizations, including Gawker, but they're reportedly looking for six figures before agreeing to sell the tape.

Should Eric Holder Be Fired? [POLL]

Lisa Mahapatra — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:15:17 GMT

Between the Benghazi scandal, the IRS' targeting of conservative groups, and reports that the Department of Justice was indulging in "massive and unprecedented intrusion ... into the newsgathering activities of the Associated Press," if the Obama administration hopes to maintain any appearance of accountability, heads may have to roll.

Attorney General Eric Holder is among those under fire, and he has been embroiled in controversy for a while now.

An ‘Old-Fashioned’ Gangland Killing In Sicily Uncovers Canadian Mafia’s Deep Involvement In Drug Trafficking

gooch7 — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:23:37 GMT

The Mafia may be in serious decline in the U.S., but its counterpart in Canada is doing brisk business – in drugs and murder.

Police in Palermo, Sicily, have arrested two people in connection with the gangland killings of two Canadian mobsters in what appears to be the spillover of a dangerous turf war across the Atlantic.

The incinerated bodies of Juan Ramon Paz Fernandez and Fernando Pimentel – two Canadian gangsters -- were found near a trash dump in the countryside outside Palermo last week, in response to an anonymous tip-off.

Sex Change Convict Caught: Colombian Gang Member Giovanni Rebolledo Captured

j.heller — Thu, 09 May 2013 16:14:32 GMT

A wanted member of the Colombian gang Los Topos was caught by police on Friday after undergoing a sex change and numerous plastic surgery operations while on the lam.

According to the Daily News, Rebolledo, who was sentenced to 60 years in jail in 2012 for a slew of charges before he went on the run, was working as a prostitute in the coastal city of Barranquilla and going by the name Rosalinda when he was nabbed by law enforcement.

The Worst Industrial Accidents In History [TIMELINE]

Lisa Mahapatra — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:54:06 GMT

Two recent high-profile tragedies -- the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh, which killed more than 800 people, and the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas, which resulted in 14 deaths -- have put workplace safety in the headlines.

But those are just the most dramatic and recent examples of workplace hazards and unsafe work conditions. More than 100 people in the United States die every day as a result of their work, according to the AFL-CIO. In 2011, about 4,693 workers were killed on the job, and 50,000 workers die every year from work-related diseases such as cancer.

Doctor In The House? Brazil To Import 6,000 Cuban Physicians, But Medical Council Warns They’re Not Qualified

gooch7 — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:23:29 GMT

Brazil’s principal medical body has condemned a plan by the government to import 6,000 Cuban doctors for the country’s remote northeastern and jungle regions, where Brazilian physicians are typically reluctant to serve and health care services are deficient.

Antonio Patriota, Brazil’s foreign minister, said in Havana that talks are under way with the Pan-American Health Organization to permit Cuban physicians to practice in Brazil.

Fake Nuns Found With 4 Pounds Of Cocaine On Colombian Island: Police

hkoplowitz — Tue, 07 May 2013 22:08:45 GMT

Colombian airport police thought something wasn't right when three nuns appeared to be nervous and their habits didn’t seem quite right when they arrived on the Columbian island of San Andres in the Caribbean.

The cops' hunch proved correct. The women were fake nuns, and each of them allegedly had more than 4 pounds (almost 2 kilos) of cocaine strapped to their legs, according to police.

Obama In Mexico To Strengthen Trade Ties

m.shwayder — Fri, 03 May 2013 02:14:17 GMT

U.S. President Barack Obama is in Mexico City on Thursday on the third of his three-day trip there. Pop quiz: Who’s the president of Mexico?

That would be Enrique Peña Nieto, who is also a member of the Institutional Revolutionary Party and the first president in 12 years to not hail from the conservative side of Mexican politics.

Bolivian President Morales Shuns USAID: Why He May Not Need The Money

JaceyFortin — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:12:38 GMT

Bolivian President Evo Morales sparked controversy on Wednesday when he called for the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, to leave his country.

The statement came during a May Day rally in La Paz, the Bolivian seat of government. Morales, who leads the Movimiento al Socialismo, or MAS, has long accused the U.S. government of conspiring against his leftist administration.

Venezuelan Lawmakers Brawl: Fight Breaks Out In Venezuela Parliament [VIDEO]

Luke Villapaz — Wed, 01 May 2013 18:15:01 GMT

A brawl broke out on Tuesday night between Venezuelan lawmakers amid a tense atmosphere. The tense situation was fueled by the opposition party’s ongoing dispute regarding the result of the recent presidential election in Venezuela.

Venezuelan Opposition Leader Capriles Faces Government Probe As He Alleges ‘Stolen’ Election

Gayathri — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:14:13 GMT

Venezuelan parliament set up an inquiry on Wednesday into post-election violence that authorities claim was spawned by the opposition, while opposition leader Henrique Capriles accused Nicolas Maduro's government of stealing the country’s recent presidential elections and demanded details of an audit of the vote.

Clashes between police and opposition members in several provincial Venezuelan cities, after Maduro’s narrow election victory on April 14, left nine people dead and scores injured.

Mexican Cartel Queen Sandra Avila Beltran Pleads Guilty In Cocaine Trafficking Case [PHOTO]

hkoplowitz — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:13:53 GMT

She’s been called a “Mexican cartel queen” and a “queenpin.” Now she can also be called a criminal after Sandra Avila Beltran pleaded guilty in a cocaine trafficking case in Miami.

Avila, 52, admitted in Miami federal court to providing money to her then-boyfriend, Juan Diego Espinosa Ramirez, for travel and lodging to help him elude authorities from 2002 to 2004, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. She pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact.

Ladies In White: Cuban Opposition Group Receives Human Rights Award After Waiting 8 Years

ryanvillarreal — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 19:44:34 GMT

A Cuban opposition group will finally be able to collect an award for its activism from the European Parliament eight years after receiving it.

The Ladies in White, a protest movement made up of the wives and other female relatives and friends of jailed Cuban dissidents, was awarded the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought by the European Parliament in 2005, but the group was barred by the Cuban government from leaving the country to accept it until recently.

No Left Turn: Paraguay Joins South America's Political Right Minority

ryanvillarreal — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:36:28 GMT

Paraguay has elected a conservative millionaire businessman as its next president in stark contrast to South America’s majority of leftist and left-leaning leaders.

President-elect Horacio Cartes, who owns some two dozen businesses, including the country’s largest tobacco company and a bank, returned the conservative Colorado Party to power, defeating the centrist Liberal Party candidate Efrain Alegre by a nine-point margin at the polls.

Cartes is a political newcomer, having never even voted in any previous elections and only joining the Colorado Party in 2009.

Eric Justin Toth Captured By FBI After Year On 10 Most Wanted Fugitives List [PHOTO]

hkoplowitz — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 16:33:28 GMT

Eric Justin Toth, a former private school teacher who was on the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted Fugitives list for allegedly producing and possessing child pornography, has been arrested in Nicaragua.

Toth, 31, is in U.S. custody following a tip that led law enforcement to Nicaragua, where the ex-Washington, D.C., private school teacher was living under an alias, according to the FBI.

EPA Criticizes State Department's Keystone XL Pipeline Environmental Impact Review

ebrown — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 05:15:15 GMT

The Environmental Protection Agency has issued a strong objection to the State Department’s environmental impact review for the $7 billion Keystone XL pipeline, which is fiercely opposed by environmentalists.

In a letter to the State Department filed on Monday, the EPA raised serious objections with the current status of the Keystone XL pipeline, citing multiple concerns about safety, greenhouse gas emissions and possible alternative routes.