Interior Minister Killed in Mexico City Plane Crash

Gay rights battle raging across Latin America

(NEWSER) - The same-sex Mexican wedding will be born tomorrow as a new law puts Mexico City on the front lines of the gay marriage battle raging across Latin America. But even as gay couples line up to tie the knot, the Catholic Church and President Felipe Calderon's conservative party are gearing up to fight the law, the Washington Post reports. More»

(NEWSER) - A single hijacker took control of a jet out of Cancun with more than 100 people aboard before forcing it to land in Mexico City and freeing the passengers, CNN reports. Mexican authorities have detained the Bolivian hijacker, who falsely claimed to have a bomb and demanded to see Mexican President Felipe Calderon. No casualties were reported, and no details were immediately available about his motivation. More»

Tide of kidnappings and murders linked to drug gangs and corrupt cops

(NEWSER) - Thousands of protesters marched in various Mexican cities yesterday, demanding the government crack down on the nation's mounting crime. Mexico has been rocked by kidnappings and murders connected to drug-trafficking gangs and corrupt police, with an estimated 12,000 drug-related deaths so far this year, reports the Los Angeles Times. "We don't want promises—we want security," said a march organizer. More»

City leaders defy bitter opposition from government and church

(NEWSER) - Mexico City has passed a law legalizing first-trimester abortions and offering them virtually free. The move by the city's predominantly leftist leadership was bitterly opposed by the Catholic Church and Mexico's conservative government, CNN reports. More»

Popocatepetl may be ready to blow

(NEWSER) - Officials are so uneasy about the rumblings of the now-glowing Popocatepetl volcano near Mexico City that they've shut down nearby schools, and warned travelers to stay away. Eight low-intensity "exhalations" and a 40-minute tremor from the shuddering volcano have been measured by Mexico's National Center for the Prevention of Disasters, reports CNN . The volcano threat has been raised to level 5 out of a possible 7, meaning there's a high probability of some kind of major activity, according to AP . More»