OBAMA-GUNS

FAIRFAX, Virginia — President Barack Obama tears into the nation's largest gun lobby as he seeks support for his actions on gun control, accusing the powerful National Rifle Association of peddling an "imaginary fiction" that he said has distorted the national debate about gun violence. 

SERIAL KILLER-EXECUTION

STARKE, Florida — Oscar Ray Bolin, a former carnival worker who was convicted of killing 3 Tampa Bay-area women then married a member of his defense team while on death row, has been executed in Florida. 

CUBA-DISSIDENTS

HAVANA — President Barack Obama says he will travel to Cuba this year if his presence will improve human rights on the island, though the fate of 53 political prisoners released a year ago under his detente push shows how difficult that may be. 

UNITED STATES-NKOREA

WASHINGTON — U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged China to end "business as usual" with North Korea after the isolated nation conducted its fourth nuclear test. 

VENEZUELA-CHAVEZ PROTESTS

CARACAS, Venezuela — As if the politically charged streets of Venezuela's capital weren't already under the gaze of Hugo Chavez, supporters of the late socialist leader are vowing to put his image on every street corner now that the opposition-run congress has banned his picture. 

VENEZUELA-POLITICS

CARACAS, Venezuela — President Nicolas Maduro doubles down on existing economic policies by appointing a young leftist hardliner to oversee the country's cratering economy, setting the stage for confrontation between the ruling socialists and the newly powerful opposition. 

HAITI-ELECTIONS

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A spokesman for Haitian presidential contender Jude Celestin says the second-place candidate will participate in an upcoming runoff only if sweeping changes recommended by a special commission are adopted to improve voting.