QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is finding himself in open conflict with his Ecuadorean protectors as the group’s latest dump targeting Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign runs afoul of the South American government’s goal of warming up to Washington. Ecuador’s move to cut off his internet access at its embassy in London was … Continue reading
HAVANA (AP) — Like so much else in Cuba, shopping for clothes isn’t easy. Buying a simple pair of socks or a T-shirt means choosing between the wildly overpriced, shoddy offerings of state-run stores and the bales of low-priced clothing illegally imported by “mules” traveling from the United States, Ecuador or Panama. This year, a … Continue reading
HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP) — Doors and windows began to rattle across Bermuda early Thursday, October 13, as Hurricane Nicole approached the British territory as an extremely dangerous Category 3 hurricane. The storm was located about 55 miles (85 kilometers) south-southwest of Bermuda Thursday morning. It had maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph) and … Continue reading
LES CAYES, Haiti (AP) — Food, water and building supplies began to reach remote corners of Haiti on Wednesday, Oct. 12, as tens of thousands of people slowly rebuilt their lives after a devastating Category 4 storm hit last week. In the southern seaside community of Les Cayes, a U.N. truck delivered water to the … Continue reading
OSLO, Norway (AP) — Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, Oct. 7, for his efforts to end a five-decade civil war that has killed more than 200,000 people — and said he received the award in the name of the Colombian people. The award came just days after Colombian … Continue reading
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Powerful Hurricane Matthew was passing through the sparsely populated islands of the southern Bahamas early Wednesday,Oct. 4, after inflicting heavy damage on southwest Haiti. Forecasters said the storm was on track to roll directly over the Bahamian capital of Nassau before nearing the Florida coast. At least 11 deaths had been … Continue reading
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Vulnerable Haiti braced for flash floods and violent winds from the extremely dangerous Hurricane Matthew as the powerful storm approached the hemisphere’s poorest country Monday, Oct.3. The eye of the Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 130 mph (215 kph), was expected to pass east of Jamaica and then … Continue reading
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A stunning referendum defeat for a peace deal with leftist rebels leaves Colombians with no Plan B to save an accord that sought to bring an end to a half century of hostilities. Instead of winning by an almost two-to-one margin on Sunday, Oct.2, as pre-election polls had predicted, those favoring … Continue reading
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Organizers of a cultural festival in Haiti celebrating the Afro-Caribbean LGBTQ community said Tuesday, Sept. 27, that it has been called off due to numerous threats of violence and a subsequent prohibition by a government commissioner. The four-day Massimadi film, art and performance event was supposed to start Tuesday in the … Continue reading
CARTAGENA, Colombia (AP) — Colombia will take a big step toward emerging from its long nightmare of bloody violence Monday, Sept. 26, when the government and the country’s largest rebel movement sign a peace accord that emerged from four hard years of negotiations. The significance of the deal can’t be overstated: Colombia’s five-decade conflict, partly … Continue reading
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A fire on a tanker carrying gasoline and diesel off Mexico’s Gulf coast was put out Sunday,Sept. 25, a day after the blaze began, the country’s state oil company said. Firefighting boats had battled the blaze since Saturday aboard the Burgos, which is owned by the company, Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex. … Continue reading
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP) — Cheers erupted as lights slowly began to flicker on across Puerto Rico overnight as the U.S. territory struggled to emerge from an island-wide blackout following a fire at a power plant that caused the aging utility grid to fail. More than 390,000 of 1.5 million homes and businesses served … Continue reading
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva must stand trial on charges of money laundering and corruption, a Brazilian judge ruled Tuesday, Sept. 20. Judge Sergio Moro said there is enough evidence to start a judicial process against Silva, his wife and six others in a widening corruption probe centered … Continue reading
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — An Iranian cyclist died after crashing in a road race at the Rio de Janeiro Paralympics on Saturday,Sept. 17 . He was Bahman Golbarnezhad, aged 48, the International Paralympics Committee said. It said he received emergency treatment on the course and was transported to a Rio hospital where officials said … Continue reading
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Federal police on Tuesday,Sept. 13, announced the detention of jailed drug lord Hector Beltran Leyva’s wife and said their criminal gang was behind a recent wave of killings in the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco. Clara Laborin Archuleta was arrested in the northern state of Sonora on Monday along with another … Continue reading
Spartan Echo 