Iran Air 744 is a bimonthly flight that originates in Tehran and flies directly to Caracas with periodic stops in Beirut and Damascus. The maiden flight was Feb. 2, 2007. The mere existence of the flight was a significant concern for U.S. intelligence officials, but now a broader concern is who and what are aboard the flights. "If you [a member of the public] tried to book yourself a seat on this flight and it doesn't matter whether it's a week before, a month before, six months before...

An independent Cuban blogger has launched the island's first digital magazine, with a variety of contributions from well-known authors in and out of the country but free of "any type of -isms." "It's a vehicle for the rainbow of opinions in this critical moment that Cuba is going through," said Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, editor of Voces, or Voices. "We want a more rational Cuba, without any type of -isms," the 38-year-old Pardo said by phone from his home in...

An unprecedented show of support for Israel has come from a group of almost entirely non-Jewish European and American politicians, statesmen and women and theologians. Led by former Spanish prime minister José Maria Aznar, they have formed the Friends of Israel Initiative, to oppose the rising tide of criticism and delegitimisation that has questioned Israel's right to exist and act in self-defence. The FII launched its British branch in the House of Commons on Monday, hosted by the...

Damas de Blanco, Habana, Cuba, May 23th. 2010. © Carlos Serpa Maceira The Cuban authorities must act to end the harassment of the mother of a prisoner of conscience who died following a hunger strike to push for the release of other prisoners, Amnesty International said on Tuesday. Reina Luisa Tamayo, whose son Orlando Zapata Tamayo died in February this year, told Amnesty International she has been repeatedly harassed by the authorities and government supporters during the regular...

Amnesty International has condemned the Mexican authorities’ decision to pursue charges against human rights defender Raúl Hernández for a murder he did not commit, after a state prosecutor today decided to continue the case against him. The State Attorney General’s Office of Guerrero upheld murder charges against Raúl Hernández, despite unreliable and fabricated evidence. The judge presiding over the case is expected to decide on his innocence or...

William Páez, the 12th Trial Judge for Protection of Children and Adolescents in Caracas, changed his mind and repealed a ruling banning all Venezuelan daily and weekly newspapers, as well as magazines, from posting images of violent events over the next 30 days. The Legal Adviser of the Ombudsman Office, Larry Davoe, released the information in an interview with state-run television station Venezolana de Television (VTV). Earlier, Páez had advised daily newspaper El...

As part of the ongoing diplomatic relation and alliance between Iran and Venezuela, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad praised his Venezuelan counterpart Hugo Chavez for his stance regarding the recent UN Security Council sanctions on Tehran. In the letter of gratitude he sent to Chavez, Ahmadinejad said, "Unfortunately, the UN Security Council and on top of it the US and its Western allies do not countenance the success and progress of independent countries and nations, and use...

In a wave of escalating violence against the media, two Televisa television stations in northern Mexico were rocked by grenade attacks over the weekend. Local Televisa stations in the cities of Tamaulipas and Monterrey were hit by explosives about four hours apart on late Saturday and early Sunday, according to media reports. No injuries were reported, however news footage showed damage to vehicles and studio buildings. Sunday's blast at Televisa's Monterrey facility marks the second...

The meeting between the rulers was held in a cordial atmosphere in San Pedro Alejandrino Estate, Santa Marta (Photo: Juan Carlos Solorzano / AFP) The presidents of Venezuela and Colombia, Hugo Chávez and Juan Manuel Santos, respectively, met on August 10 for over four hours in the San Pedro Alejandrino Estate, Santa Marta city, Colombia. After the meeting, the presidents of Venezuela and Colombia agreed to restore relations based on mutual respect. The rulers said they decided...

The Anti-Defamation League on Thursday expressed deep concern about recent anti-Semitic incidents in Chile targeting Jewish community leaders and institutions, and called on the country’s officials to publicly condemn such acts. In recent weeks, vandals have desecrated cemeteries and spray-painted anti-Semitic graffiti on synagogues and Jewish schools in three cities, including the capital, Santiago. In some instances, the graffiti included swastikas and the words “Juden...