Venezuelan opposition leaders and civil society groups said on Sunday that the government released 13 people jailed in a crackdown by the government of President Nicolás Maduro following last year’s disputed elections. Venezuelan authorities did not immediately confirm the releases, but opposition leaders like Henrique Capriles celebrated on social media, calling it a “step forward for those behind bars.” He said eight people were freed, while five more were released under house arrest. “Today, several families have been reunited with their loved ones. We know that many remain, and we will not forget them; we continue fighting for them all,” he wrote...

 Norway’s multibillion-dollar military and civilian support for Ukraine’s fight to defeat Russia’s invasion will stretch into next year, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store said Monday during a visit to Kyiv, as uncertainty surrounds U.S.-led efforts to secure a peace settlement. Store, whose country borders Russia, told a news conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy that Ukraine is “defending a critical principle on the European level” by refusing to accept Russia’s seizure of territory. A stream of high-ranking visitors to Kyiv in recent days reflects concerns around the U.S.-led peace drive, as President Donald Trump weighs how to proceed with no sign of...

 Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe on Saturday paid tribute to slain presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay at a Bogotá park where he was gunned down, calling for a stronger security crackdown as violence surges nationwide. The 39-year-old politician was shot in the back while delivering a campaign speech in Colombia’s capital in June alongside a small security detail. The two men are not related but belong to the same political party. “May this place symbolize an eternal flame, like Miguel’s eternal love for Colombia,” Uribe said beside a photo of Uribe Turbay. “May those who pass through this place find that Miguel inspires the...

The sole survivor of a deadly lunch laced with toxic mushrooms said on Monday he felt only half alive following the death of his wife and he continued to grieve the loss of his two closest friends. Ian Wilkinson read the first victim impact statement in at a sentencing hearing for Erin Patterson at the Victoria state Supreme Court. The 50-year-old will be sentenced on Sept. 8 on three counts of murder and one of attempted murder. The prosecution argued for a life sentence without possibility of parole, while defense lawyers want her to become eligible for release after serving 30 years....

Principals this week in El Salvador began greeting students individually at school gates, not only to wish them “buenos días,” but also to inspect their haircuts and school uniforms. President Nayib Bukele has expanded his efforts to remake his country to students’ appearance as part of bringing discipline back to schools, once a recruiting ground for the country’s powerful gangs. His newly appointed education minister, Karla Trigueros, is an Army captain and physician who visits the country’s schools wearing fatigues. She sent a memo Monday to all school principals saying not only would they be held to a high standard as role...