Hurricane Jova has strengthened to a major Category 3 hurricane as it marches toward Mexico’s Pacific coast, threatening the idyllic beach resort of Barra de Navidad and one of the nation’s biggest cargo ports.

A US priest who put an international spotlight on human rights abuses in Brazil in the 1970s has been killed by robbers in northern Guatemala.

Hurricane Ike roared south of Cuba's densely populated capital of fragile ageing buildings after tearing across the island nation, ravaging homes, killing at least four people and forcing 1.2 million to evacuate.