News Portal, latest news from around the world.

Mexico City (CNN) -- Five gang members have confessed to involvement in last week's torching of a casino in Monterrey in which 52 people were killed, Nuevo Leon Gov. Rodrigo Medina de la Cruz told reporters Monday.

The five are members of Los Zetas and carried out the attack because the owners of the casino had not complied with their extortion demands, Medina de la Cruz said, according to the state-run Notimex News Agency.

The State Agency of Investigations identified the suspects as Luis Carlos Carrazco Espinosa, 25; Javier Alonso Martinez Morales, alias "el Javo," 37, from Monterrey; Jonathan Jahir Reyna Gutierrez, 18; Juan Angel Leal Flores, 20; and Julio Tadeo Berrones, 28, alias "El Julio Rayas."

The five have been arrested and "have confessed, and we have scientific proof that these people participated," Medina de la Cruz said.

The attorney general's office said evidence points to involvement by all five men, "some as intellectual authors, others as accomplices and lookouts, others as material authors, others as drivers."

"Presumably, there was a disagreement and this crime was perpetrated as a reprisal," Medina de la Cruz said.

At least two other people were being sought for alleged participation in the killings, he said, adding that he would not reveal details that might jeopardize the investigation.

The attack appears to have been directed at the casino and not at city residents, "and the situation got out of the criminals' control."

"They may not have counted on killing 52 human beings," he said.

Medina de la Cruz, who was accompanied at the news conference by Nuevo Leon Attorney General Leon Adrian de la Garza, and the state's security spokesman, Jorge Domene, underscored that the investigation into the casino properties is continuing.

(CNN) -- Uruguay star Diego Forlan said Monday that he is leaving Atletico Madrid and is set to join Serie A Inter Milan.

Forlan, who scored two goals in the final as his country lifted the Copa America this summer, has been with Atletico since 2007, but a posting on the club's official website confirmed his departure.

Forlan, who appeared at a news conference with Atletico president Enrique Cerezo, said the La Liga club would always be in his heart.

But added: "At the age of 33, going to a club like Inter is not an opportunity that comes up often.

"I am happy with the decision that I have taken, it is normal that some players come and others go," Forlan added.

(CNN) -- Controversy struck the world athletics championships in Daegu for the second straight day as Cuba's Dayron Robles was disqualified Monday after winning the men's 110m hurdles final.

Robles, defending the title he won in Berlin two years ago, crossed the line first in 13.14 seconds, ahead of American Jason Richardson (13.16) and 2004 Olympic champion Liu Xiang of China (13.24).

But the Cuban was judged to have made contact with Liu to impede him as they came off the final hurdle.

"Robles has been disqualified by the track referee under rule 163.2 for obstruction on the track," said an statement from world governing body, the IAAF.

Cuba launched an appeal against the decision, but it was dismissed, leaving Richardson to take a surprise gold, former world record holder Liu was elevated to silver with Britain's Andy Turner up to bronze. Liu, making a strong comeback after injury ruined his gold medal bid at the Beijing Olympics, had led until the final hurdle, which he clipped, leaving Robles and Richardson to go past him.

The disqualification of Robles came just 24 hours after Jamaica's defending 100m champion Usain Bolt was thrown out for a false start in the final won by compatriot Yohan Blake.

Guatemala City, Guatemala (CNN) -- Former Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo can be extradited to the United States to face money laundering charges, judges in Guatemala ruled unanimously.

Portillo, who was president from 2000 to 2004, is accused of laundering $70 million through U.S. banks. He has repeatedly denied the accusations.

"We have maintained since the beginning that this is political persecution and it is easy to show it," said Telesforo Guerra, Portillo's attorney.

The Constitutional Court judges upheld Friday a previous court ruling authorizing the extradition of the former president and denied an appeal presented by his defense.

Current President Alvaro Colom will have the final say. He can either approve the court's ruling or pardon Portillo.

Washington (CNN) -- A controversial proposal to build a giant oil pipeline between Alberta, Canada, and Texas cleared a key hurdle Friday as the State Department said the project could be built without significant damage to the environment.

Known as Keystone XL, the 1,700-mile pipeline has drawn fierce criticism from environmentalists, who are staging a two-week demonstration at the White House. So far, some 370 people have been arrested for protesting the project.

"There would be no significant impacts to most resources along the proposed pipeline corridor," Bureau of Oceans and International Environmental and Scientific Affairs (OES) Assistant Secretary Kerri-Ann Jones told reporters on the release of the State Department's final environmental impact statement.

She stressed that the report is not the last word on the pipeline, which now must pass through a 90-day review period that will include public hearings. A final decision is expected before year-end.

Supporters say the pipeline would create jobs and let the United States replace Venezuelan or Middle Eastern imports with well-regulated, dependable Canadian crude.

Opponents say the project would bind the country to an unnecessary and dirty form of oil for decades to come and expose surrounding areas to dangerous spills and leaks.

Guatemala City, Guatemala (CNN) -- Three leading candidates for Guatemala's presidency sparred over policy proposals, but unanimously slammed the country's security situation in a debate co-hosted by CNN en Español Thursday night.

The Central American nation faces high levels of violence coupled with widespread corruption, the candidates said.

A complicated combination of factors fuel the problems, candidates told audience members at the debate, which was co-hosted by CNN affiliate Canal 3.

"There are no job opportunities," said candidate Eduardo Suger. "There is an absence of an effective justice system, an effective penitentiary system. There are external components, the flow of drug trafficking plus the internal factors of unemployment and the absence of opportunities."

But candidates differed sharply on the best ways to confront rising drug violence and the growing grasp of organized crime.

Candidate Manuel Baldizon of the Leader Party proposed creating a new national guard to take the lead on fighting drug syndicates that he said were increasingly coming across Guatemala's border with Mexico.

Suger -- whose CREO Party acronym stands for commitment, renewal and order -- disputed that approach, arguing that existing forces must develop more sophisticated operations.

"The population cannot wait ... years would go by before anything happened," he said.

Candidate Otto Perez Molina of the Patriotic Party called for a "firm-handed" approach. The former military general called for "elite units of the army" to play a larger role.

"We are proposing the change that is necessary in Guatemala and we are ready to propel it forward," Perez Molina said when asked to summarize his candidacy in a few words.

Suger, an academic who is running for the second time, described himself as a "different kind of candidate." Baldizon, a businessman, introduced himself as a married Christian with two children. Polls have placed the two candidates tied for a second place spot behind Perez Molina.

Nassau, Bahamas (CNN) -- The Bahamas worked to return to normal Thursday evening after the worst of Hurricane Irene hammered the Caribbean island chain.

By 4:45 p.m., the U.S. National Hurricane Center noted, the Bahamian government had discontinued the hurricane warning that had been in effect for the central part of the island nation.

But notably, a short time later, Bahamas' National Emergency Management Agency "strongly" urged those on the island of New Providence -- home to the national capital, Nassau -- to stay off the streets until authorities give an "all clear."

The storm wreaked significant havoc on the Bahamas, though there were no immediate reports of deaths or injuries, according to Bahamian government agencies. Previously, officials blamed Irene for two deaths in the Dominican Republic and one in Puerto Rico.

Irene began bearing down on the Bahamas on Wednesday night, bringing 115 mph winds that ripped through trees and power lines and whipped up waters offshore.

"Last night, it felt like there were several jet airplanes landing on the house," said Ric von Maur, an American who has lived in Nassau for the past six years. "But once daylight came, we knew things were going to be OK."

While early reports Thursday indicated few major problems in the main tourist hubs, authorities were still trying to gauge the severity of damage across all the Bahamas' 700 islands, which the nation's tourism website notes are spread over 100,000 square miles of ocean.

London (CNN) -- There's a good party atmosphere on Notting Hill's streets for day one of the annual Carnival.

It's Kids' day, more of a family occasion before Monday, when around a million visitors are expected to attend.

There are 5,500 police watching over the carnival this Sunday, and another 1,000 will be brought in for the Monday.

Police say there have been no incidents so far and although their presence is obvious it is in no way oppressive.

The pavements throb from the huge sound systems passing through streets with steel bands, fabulous feathered costumes and a huge variety of food stalls selling everything from Caribbean street food to burgers.

London's Metropolitan Police have made 40 pre-carnival arrests, all part of Operation Razorback, launched at the beginning of August to thwart potential trouble-makers from disrupting the Carnival.

After the riots across London and other parts of the UK in early August there were calls from some quarters to stop this year's Carnival from going ahead.