Afghanistan is building a 285-kilometer canal on a river that supplies four countries, and no agreement governs how the water is shared. Uzbekistan’s president asked in October for permanent talks. The Taliban government announced in early 2022 that it would build the Qosh Tepa Canal across Balkh, Jowzjan and Faryab provinces in northern Afghanistan. The… Continue reading Taliban Canal on the Amu Darya Is Due in 2028. No Treaty Governs How the River Is Shared.

Unregulated mines extracting the minerals used in electric vehicles and wind turbines now sit along rivers that feed the Mekong. Thailand’s government says it has little leverage to stop the runoff. The Stimson Center, a Washington think tank, used satellite imagery to identify more than 2,400 unregulated or illegal mining operations in Myanmar, Laos and… Continue reading Rare Earth Mining Spreads Across the Mekong Basin as China Pushes Its Mining Industry Abroad

A month after the earthquake, Panama counts more than 55,000 people affected, three dead and a plan to build 2,700 homes. The president is asking for patience; his goal is to hand over the first houses before the year ends. The October 9 earthquake left more than 55,000 people affected, three dead and 27 injured,… Continue reading Panama Asks More Than 55,000 Quake Victims for Patience a Month On: 2,700 Homes Planned, First Ones Promised by Year’s End

Iran executed at least 2,003 people in the year ending Oct. 8, a 29 percent jump, according to a U.S.-based monitor. In July, Tehran announced eight of the 67 hangings that Hengaw documented. Human Rights Activists in Iran, the monitoring group behind the HRANA news agency, documented at least 2,003 executions between Oct. 10, 2025,… Continue reading Iran Executed at Least 2,003 People in 12 Months. Tehran Announced a Fraction of Them.

The World Food Programme pulled resources from Yemen’s November food distributions to feed families fleeing new fighting. Its monitoring found that 74 percent of households in accessible areas cannot meet basic food needs, a record for 2026. The World Food Programme said Oct. 2 that renewed fighting in Yemen has displaced more than 149,000 people,… Continue reading WFP Diverts Yemen’s November Food Aid to Feed Families Fleeing New Fighting

In four days, Paraguay went from a bank intervention to a president removed and jailed. The Senate voted with all 44 senators present, and a judge ordered pretrial detention the next day. Paraguay’s Senate removed President Santiago Peña on Friday, November 6, through impeachment for poor performance of duties. All 44 senators present voted in… Continue reading Paraguay Removes President Santiago Peña Over Ueno Bank Collapse; Judge Orders Him Held in Pretrial Detention

Abelardo de la Espriella’s government hired the trust company that will manage earthquake reconstruction money without open competition. It will pay 248.6 million pesos a month, with no end date. Colombia’s Finance Ministry picked Fiducoldex, the Colombian Foreign Trade Trust Company, through direct contracting to set up and run the Fondo Milagro, or Miracle Fund.… Continue reading Colombia Hands Fiducoldex a No-Bid Contract Worth 248.6 Million Pesos a Month to Run the Miracle Fund

Flávio Bolsonaro, son of a former president convicted of attempting a coup, finished first at the ballot box. Lula, who expected to win outright, has three weeks to recover 2.2 million votes. Flávio Bolsonaro, a 45-year-old senator from the Liberal Party, won 47.03% of the vote in Brazil’s first round on Sunday, October 4. Luiz… Continue reading Flávio Bolsonaro Edges Lula in Brazil’s First Round With 47.03%, Forcing an October 25 Runoff

Venezuela’s interim government released 131 people detained on political grounds. Marco Rubio called it a crucial step toward reconciliation. Human rights groups answer with a different number: more than 300 are still locked up. Venezuela’s interim government announced Friday, August 14, the granting of “alternative measures to deprivation of liberty” for 131 people detained for… Continue reading Venezuela Releases 131 Political Prisoners, but Rights Groups Say Over 300 Remain Behind Bars

Ricardo Verduzco Bernal was coordinating elite sports for the Sinaloa state government until July 31. Twelve days later, the FBI found him in a Salt Lake City hotel room with 11 kilograms of fentanyl, enough for 111,000 pills. FBI agents arrested Ricardo Verduzco Bernal, 54, on August 12 in a hotel room in Salt Lake… Continue reading FBI Arrests Former Sinaloa Sports Official in Utah With 111,000 Fentanyl Pills