What's happening: Ukraine clashes, Syria civil war, Venezuela leader
Ukraine clashes
Clashes in Kiev between protestors and Ukrainian riot police have left at least 25 people dead and 241 hospitalized, in the worst violence in nearly three months of anti-government protests.
Washington has urged the Ukraine government to resume peaceful dialogue with the opposition. European leaders have started discussing the prospect of sanctions.
MORE: Renewed Ukraine clashes as EU weighs sanctions
Venezuelan protest leader surrenders
Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez urged Venezuelans to fight government repression before he turned himself in to police. Lopez has accused President Nicolas Maduro of bankrupting the country with failed state policies and repressing the rights of citizens.
MORE: Protest leader surrenders in Caracas
Syria's civil war
As peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition falter, U.S. officials say al-Qaida-linked militants are squeezing moderates out of the insurgency and carving out havens for potential terrorist plots against the United States, the Associated Press reports.
The administration is looking at newer, more far-reaching options, including drone strikes on extremists and more forceful action against Syrian President Bashar Assad, who President Obama told to leave power 30 months ago.
Nearly 2.5 million Syrian refugees have fled their home, according to the United Nations.