CHILE: Former president Michelle Bachelet has been named as the next UN human rights chief, taking over from Jordan’s Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein who is stepping down after four years in the post.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres chose Ms Bachelet on Wednesday, with the 193-member UN general assembly expected to ratify the appointment today.

Ms Bachelet, a victim of torture under the dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet, was Chile's first female leader.

EGYPT: A military court in Cairo has postponed the trials of 292 defendants accused of plotting to assassinate President Abdel Fatah el-Sissi and former Saudi crown prince Mohammad Bin Nayef.

Their cases were adjourned until August 15 and the defendants have also been charged with the murder of three judges who were supervising the 2015 parliamentary elections.

International human rights organisations have criticised Mr Sissi for using mass trials to convict political opponents and those critical of his regime.

UKRAINE: Film-maker Oleg Sentsov is said to be “close to the end” in a Russian jail after he started a hunger strike on May 14.

Mr Sentov was found guilty of plotting terrorist acts in Crimea and was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a military court in 2015. He began his hunger strike in protest at the jailing of 64 Ukrainians he claimed are political prisoners.

“He can hardly stand up. He wrote that the end is near,” his cousin said.

BOLIVIA: The country’s “crown jewels” were stolen from a car parked in a red light district in the city of El Alto on Wednesday night.

The historic presidential medal and sash — presented to national liberation hero Simon Bolivar in 1825 — were left in a rucksack by a military officer.

President Evo Morales was due to wear the medal and sash at an annual celebration of the armed forces on Wednesday but appeared without them.