Plus: vote rigging feared in upcoming Maldives elections; US slashes number of refugees it resettles; millions of children in Yemen risk starvation; Eritrea should release political prisoners; and Uganda's Bobi Wine returns home.

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Venezuela’s humanitarian and human rights crisis has driven millions of people into neighboring countries. But their hardships don’t stop at the border. In some towns in northern Brazil, people are living in makeshift camps where they face violent attacks and a shortage of food and medicine.

In the United States, the opioid crisis rages on. More than 72,000 people died of drug overdose in 2017, and in Florida, experts estimate that 20 Floridians are dying from overdose every day. There are solutions at the ready that could help save lives, but officials have been slow to act.

Recent reports allege abuse of older people in some care facilities in Australia. One report claims that 80 percent of people with dementia in nursing facilities in Australia are being given antipsychotic drugs without their informed consent. Now, the Australian government is taking steps to investigate.

From earlier today: Turkey should investigate apparent military operations it has carried out in northern Iraq in which civilians were killed, HRW said today. The airstrikes, against the armed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), killed at least seven non-combatants and may be possible violations of the laws of war. 

Elections set to take place in the Maldives this weekend have been marred with allegations of irregularities. Ahead of this Sunday's polls authorities have detained critics, muzzled the media, interfered with the voter register, and attempted to lock out the opposition. 

The US is abdicating its role as a world leader by rejecting the most vulnerable refugees at their time of need. The fact that the US will cap the annual number of refugees admitted at 30,000 – the lowest ceiling in four decades – demonstrates an "utter lack of compassion" for the victims of armed violence and persecution. 

Renewed attacks on the key port of Hodeida in Yemen could leave millions of children at risk of starvation

Eritrea should release all political prisoners who have been held incommunicado for 17 years now.

Almost anything could land you in jail for terrorism in Kyrgyzstan. 

And finally, the pop star turned opposition politician Bobi Wine is returning to Uganda from the US this week after receiving medical treatment following beatings he received during detention in Uganda in August.