Omar Torrijos (1929-1981) was not only Panama's most famous leader in that country's history but also one of Latin America's best-known figures of the 20th century. He achieved this distinction for one reason--Torrijos, a military man in a small...

Panama blasted away part of a hillside next to the canal on Monday, marking the start of the waterway's biggest expansion since it opened 93 years ago.In the presence of former President Carter, who signed the 1977 treaty that gave Panama control of the waterway,...

Daniel Ortega, who led a Marxist government that spent the 1980s fighting U.S.-backed insurgents, returns to power Wednesday promising to respect free trade and private business and maintain relations with Washington.Yet he will be sworn in as Nicaraguan president in a ceremony attended by some...

Former revolutionary Daniel Ortega takes office Wednesday in a ceremony attended by more than a dozen world leaders, many Latin American leftists celebrating their latest ally in the region.Ortega has promised a delicate balance between taking a moderate economic and social stance while cultivating close...

Today is Friday, Sept. 7, the 250th day of 2007. There are 115 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:One hundred years ago, on Sept. 7, 1907, the British liner RMS Lusitania set out on its maiden voyage, from Liverpool, England, to New York,...