At Saudi Comedy Festival, American Free Speech Becomes the Punchline

American comics used Saudi Arabia’s first global comedy festival to skewer a debate raging at home. Critics said the event was part of Saudi efforts to draw attention away from a political crackdown.

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Israel Pounds Gaza City as Fears Mount for Those Inside

With hundreds of thousands of Palestinians still in the city, the Israeli military said it was opening another temporary evacuation route.

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Iran’s Evin Prison Is Holding Dissidents Again

Israel largely destroyed Evin prison, one of Iran’s most infamous symbols of oppression, in June. Less than two months later, Iran began returning male prisoners.

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Prominent Human Rights Group Flees El Salvador

The group, Cristosal, has investigated prison deaths and torture under President Nayib Bukele. Its employees were threatened and surveilled, its director said.

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El Salvador Police Say Quotas and Rumors Fueled Bukele’s Mass Arrests

Tens of thousands of people were jailed as part of President Nayib Bukele crackdown on gangs. Some police officers now admit they arrested people on flimsy or nonexistent evidence to meet quotas.

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International Force in Haiti Sent to Tackle Gangs Faces Uncertain Future

It’s been one year since an international police force was sent to take on gangs that have terrorized Haiti, but its funding and future are uncertain.

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Prominent Anti-Corruption Lawyer Is Arrested in El Salvador

Ruth López was detained Sunday in what rights groups say represents a ‘dangerous escalation’ in President Nayib Bukele’s crackdown on dissent. The attorney general confirmed the arrest.

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