Mexico
Was Chapo’s overture to Hollywood fatal?
Chapo Guzmán was apparently tracked down and apprehended after Mexican authorities intercepted his communications with Sean Penn and other show-biz heavies.
Mexico
Mexico: Zapatistas host Ayotzinapa families
The Zapatista rebels in Mexico's southern state of Chiapas marked the anniversary of their 1994 New Years Day uprising by hosting a national activist gathering in their territory.
Greater Middle East
‘Divide and Conquer’ in Israel
Druze elders from the Golan Heights (officially Syrian territory, but "annexed" by Israel). A plan approved by Israel's cabinet to provide half a billion dollars worth of assistance to Israel's Druze and Circassian minorities has been denounced by leaders of Israel's… Read more‘Divide and Conquer’ in Israel
Greater Middle East
Saudi executions for 2015 set 20-year record
Saudi Arabia carried out at least 157 executions in 2015, with beheadings reaching their highest level in the kingdom in 20 years—overwhelmingly for non-lethal offenses.
Palestine
Israel to confiscate vast tract of land in Jericho
Israel is set to declare 1,500 dunams (370 acres) in the West Bank district of Jericho as "state land"—the largest such grab in two years, decried as a step towards annexation.
Afghanistan
Pakistani Taliban in university massacre
Taliban militants attacked a student poetry recital in honor of Pashtun independence hero Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan at a university that bears his name, leaving 20 dead.
Iraq
‘Staggering’ civilian death toll in Iraq: UN report
A UN report details severe impacts on civilians from the ongoing conflict in Iraq, with 19,000 non-combatants killed last year, 3.2 million displaced, and an estimated 3,500 held in slavery.
Greater Middle East
Regional powers exploit Bahrain protests
Shi'ite protesters have repeatedly mobilized in Bahrain to demand the release of imprisoned dissident cleric Sheikh Ali Salman—ignored by the foreign media except in Iran.
Afghanistan
Taliban drive to re-take Afghan opium heartland
The Taliban are pushing deeper into Sangin district of Afghanistan's Helmand province—a strategic stronghold due to its wealth in opium production.
Iran
Iran: new sanctions as nuclear deal implemented
Sanctions related to Iran’s nuclear program were formally lifted as the EU approved its complianceābut Obama imposed new sanctions related to the missile program.
Africa
AQIM claims Burkina Faso attack
Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb issued a statement saying the Ouagadougou attack was carried out by "mujahideen brothers" of its West African franchise, al-Mourabitoun.
The sieges in Syria
At precisely the same time as aid trucks pulled into the besieged Syrian village of Madaya—too late to save those who had already starved to death—convoys also entered the besieged areas of Fua and Kefraya. The timing was no coincidence…. Read moreThe sieges in Syria