Church-Run School on Haitian Hillside Collapses, Killing 30

Mexico: Bomb Ruled Out in Plane Crash

By ELISABETH MALKIN

Authorities investigating the cause of a plane crash that killed Mexico’s interior minister this week ruled out a bomb, officials said.

5 Die in Shootout at Mexican Jail

By THE NEW YORK TIMES

There has been a wave of killings in Mexican jails over the past few months, as the battles between rival drug cartels carry over to prisons.

Venezuela: Chávez Sings on New Album

By REUTERS

President Hugo Chávez, who has been known to belt out Venezuelan folk songs during his frequent television appearances, has recorded an album.

Governments on Both Sides of the Atlantic Push to Get Banks to Lend

By STEVEN ERLANGER and KATRIN BENNHOLD

Having been brought low by their dealings in obscure securities, bankers are reluctant to start lending again until the impact of the recession becomes clearer.

Acclaimed Colombian Institution Has 4,800 Books and 10 Legs

By SIMON ROMERO

A whimsical riff on the bookmobile, Luis Soriano’s “Biblioburro” is a small institution: one man and two donkeys.

Drug Killings Haunt Mexican Schoolchildren

By MARC LACEY

Mexico’s explosion of drug-related violence has caught the attention of the country’s children, filling their heads with images that are hard to shake.

Rain Forest Tribe’s Charge of Neglect Is Shrouded by Religion and Politics

By SIMON ROMERO

There is growing concern in Venezuela over indigenous health care after a scandal erupted in August over a tepid official response to a mystery disease.

• Times Topics: Venezuela

Mexico City Journal

Right Thing to Wear at the Wrong End of a Gun

By MARC LACEY

As Mexico grapples with an increase in drug-related violence, sales are steadily on the rise at an exclusive boutique, where all the garments are bulletproof.