Greater Middle East

White House criticizes Egypt, supports military aid

The Obama administration sent a report to Congress criticizing Egypt for human rights abuses and lack of progress toward democracy but still supporting $1.3 billion in mostly military aid.

Greater Middle East

Drone strike survivors file suit against US

The families of two Yemeni men who were killed by drone strikes filed a lawsuit against the US, claiming the men were "innocent bystanders" who were wrongfully killed.

Palestine

Israel frees Palestinian parliament speaker

Israeli authorities released Palestinian parliament speaker Aziz Duweik following a year in “administrative detention”—held without trial in contravention of international law.

Palestine

SCOTUS rules in Jerusalem passport case

The US Supreme Court ruled in Zivotofsky v. Kerry, a case with implications for the quesiton of whether Israel has legal sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem.

Greater Middle East

Saudi Court upholds lashing for blogger

A Saudi court upheld the sentence of 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes for pro-secular blogger Raif Badawi for "insulting Islam through electronic channels."

North Africa

Libya: ISIS abducts Eritrean Christians

As Libyan peace talks open in Morocco, ISIS militants abduced 86 Eritrean Christian migrants—including 12 women and several children—at a roadblock outisde Tripoli.

Greater Middle East

Gains for Kurds, Armenians in Turkish elections

The pro-Kurdish opposition enters parliament for the first time in an upset for Turkey's ruling AK Party—despite a wave of terror attacks on Kurdish party rallies and offices.

Southern Cone

Argentina: indigenous summit in Buenos Aires

Indigenous leaders from across Argentina's 17 provinces met in Buenos Aires to coordinate resistance to dispossession from their ancestral lands by development interests.