United States urges Cuba to free jailed dissident on hunger strike
The United States is “gravely concerned” about the health of a dissident in Cuba reported to have been on hunger strike for more than 50 days to protest against his imprisonment, it said on Thursday.
Endless search for dead a week after Indonesia’s quake
A week after a major earthquake brought devastation to Indonesia’s Sulawesi island, Hasnah has trouble remembering all of the dead relatives she’s trying to find in the tangled expanse of mud and debris that used to be her neighborhood.
Brazil, Paraguay police arrest five people plotting to free drug gang leader
Police arrested five Brazilian drug traffickers on Thursday accused of plotting to free a leader of the Red Command drug gang from jail in Paraguay, Brazil’s federal police said.
Scouts Australia apologize to victims of sexual abuse
Scouts Australia apologized on Friday to victims of sexual abuse in its organization after an official inquiry found widespread abuse in religious and state-run institutions.
Strong quake hits Japan’s northern island, no tsunami danger
A strong earthquake on Friday jolted the same area of Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido that was hit by one of the country’s most powerful tremors last month.
Mexico’s austere president-elect plays down aide’s lavish wedding
Mexico’s famously austere President-elect Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Thursday sought to minimize criticism of a top aide’s extravagant wedding party, saying his enemies are looking for any excuse to attack him.
Senior U.S. lawmaker on foreign relations to visit Venezuela
The chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee will travel to Venezuela “to assess the current situation,” a spokeswoman said, amid tensions between Caracas and Washington.
Poll shows Bolsonaro in lead before Brazil’s Sunday presidential vote
Brazilian far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro took a commanding first-round lead, according to a Datafolha poll released Thursday, though he is still short of votes to win the election outright this weekend and avoid a runoff vote.
Brazil poll shows far-right Bolsonaro extending lead over Haddad
Brazil’s far-right presidential candidate Jair Bolsonaro extended his lead over leftist Workers Party rival Fernando Haddad for Sunday’s first-round vote, a Datafolha poll showed on Thursday.
For women in Greek migrant camps, even showers are unsafe: Amnesty
Women in Greek migrant camps are too scared to leave their tents at night or use communal showers, and many pregnant women have to sleep on the floor in unsanitary conditions, Amnesty International said on Friday.
