The Andes
Rights defenders under threat in Venezuela
Venezuela's National Assembly president Diosdado Cabello publicly shared details of the private travel arrangements of two members of the PROVEA human rights network.
Southern Cone
Labor split on Argentine transit strike
A transport strike to oppose a wage cap in Argentina brought Buenos Aires to a standstill, but pro-government labor unions called the walk-out politically motivated.
Iraq
Iraq: US sends more troops —amid reprisals
A new force of 450 US military advisors in Iraq will be training Sunni and Shi'ite militias to fight ISIS—amid mounting reports of bloody sectarian reprisals.
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."
Europe
British ship embarks on migrant rescue mission
A British warship in the Mediterranean launched a mission to rescue over 500 migrants stranded at sea, but no word was given on what would be their fate after "rescue."
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.