Russia’s Putin cracking down on variety of advocacy groups

Governments and rights organizations are decrying raids by Russian authorities on more than 2,000 international and domestic advocacy groups, what observers say is an unprecedented campaign to silence critics of the Kremlin.

North Korean regime says rockets on ‘highest alert’

North Korea said Tuesday that it had put its rocket and long-range artillery units on “highest alert,” ready to strike South Korea and U.S. military bases in Hawaii and Guam.

Libyan ambassador to U.S. resigns 

Libya’s ambassador to the U.S., Ali Aujali, has resigned.

A high-level source in Tripoli confirmed Mr. Aujali’s resignation to The Washington Times on Monday evening, but did not give a reason for his departure.

Secretary of State John Kerry meets with Pakistani army chief to discuss Taliban

Secretary of State John F. Kerry met with Pakistan’s army chief in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Sunday night to discuss the floundering peace process with the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Kerry urges Iraq to stop Iran’s suspected military aid to Assad

Secretary of State John F. Kerry on Sunday urged Iraq not to let Iran use its airspace to supply weapons and fighters to Syrian President Bashar Assad’s regime.

Libya rights-panel chief flees country, citing death threats

The chairman of Libya’s parliamentary human-rights committee has resigned and fled to London, saying militias threatened to kill him after he criticized their unchecked power and flagrant violations of the law.

U.N. panel urges Sri Lanka to probe mass murders

The U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva on Thursday passed a U.S.-backed resolution that urges the Sri Lankan government to properly investigate accusations that its army was involved in the mass murder of civilians in the final days of its war against Tamil separatists in 2009.

U.N. expected to approve resolution on Sri Lanka war crimes

The U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva will vote Thursday on a resolution to press the Sri Lankan government for a more thorough probe of accusations of mass murder of civilians by the army in the last days of its war against Tamil separatists in 2009.

U.S.: Less than 25 percent of aid promised by nations has reached Syrian refugees

Less than 25 percent of the $1.5 billion pledged by the international community for Syrian refugees has been delivered, jeopardizing the humanitarian aid project, U.S. officials say.

Casey, Rubio back bill for nonlethal aid to Syrian rebels

A bipartisan Senate bill seeks to authorize nonlethal equipment and training for vetted Syrian rebels and increase U.S. assistance to victims of Syria’s 2-year-old civil war.