The world at a glance . . . the Americas

Washington, D.C.

Doubts on Iran incident: The Pentagon last week cast doubt on its initial report of an encounter between Iranian speedboats and U.S. Navy vessels in the Strait of Hormuz near Iran. The Defense Department originally characterized the incident, in which five Iranian speedboats buzzed three Navy warships near the Persian Gulf, as “a serious incident” that included Iranian threats to sink the U.S. ships. Now, though, the Pentagon says that the threatening radio transmissions it recorded during the incident may have come from a foulmouthed ham radio operator known only as “Filipino Monkey,” who for years has transmitted over the radio frequency monitored by ships in the area. Navy Cmdr. Lydia Robertson said that whatever the source of the transmission, the incident was a deliberate provocation.

Camp Lejeune, N.C.

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Marine sought in killing: North Carolina police and the FBI have launched a worldwide search for a Marine suspected of raping and murdering a fellow Marine. Authorities this week dug up the charred corpse of Marine Cpl. Maria Lauterbach in the backyard of a house rented to Cpl. Cesar Laurean, whom Lauterbach accused of raping her last September. Medical examiners said Lauterbach, who was eight months pregnant, died of a blow to the head, and police found her blood in Laurean’s house. Laurean disappeared late last week, leaving a note that said he buried Lauterbach after she killed herself at his home. Lauterbach disappeared in December, leaving behind a note saying that she “could not take this Marine Corps life anymore.”

Bogotá, Colombia

Hostages freed: Leftist rebels in Colombia last week freed two of the hundreds of hostages they have been holding for years, following mediation efforts by Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. The FARC, a rebel group fighting the Colombian government, released former Colombian Congresswoman Consuelo Gonzalez and Clara Rojas, a political activist. Both had been in captivity for six years. Following her release, Rojas was reunited with her 3-year-old son, Emmanuel. The boy was fathered by one of her captors and taken from Rojas soon after he was born. Until the reunion, he had been in foster care. The FARC continues to hold about 750 hostages, and is believed to be responsible for the kidnapping of six tourists in Colombia this week.

Satellite visits Mercury

NASA’s Messenger satellite passed within 125 miles of the surface of Mercury this week, marking the first time since 1975 that a space mission has visited the planet. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, which it orbits once every 88 days. NASA hopes to collect data that will shed light on Mercury’s origin. “In the process of doing so we hope to understand how the terrestrial, Earth-like planets formed,” said NASA scientist Marilyn Lindstrom. The last Earth satellite to visit Mercury was Mariner 10, which swung by the planet in March 1975. NASA said Messenger would remain in orbit around Mercury for 55 hours and collect 700 gigabytes of data.

New York City

Charity watchdogs punished: A nonprofit organization that critiques other charity groups has punished its two founders for using false names to promote the organization over the Internet. GiveWell this week fined co-founder Elie Hassenfeld $5,000, a week after fining and demoting the organization’s other co-founder, Holden Karnofsky, for impersonating a would-be philanthropist online. Posing as a prospective donor in an online forum, Karnofsky asked where to contribute, then replied by recommending GiveWell. Hassenfeld admitted to engaging in a similar ruse. Hassenfeld and Karnofsky, both former hedge-fund analysts, founded GiveWell in 2007. In a November interview, Karnofsky urged charities to interact with potential donors online. People underestimate “how much the truth can bring more donors in,” he said.

Buenos Aires

Airport riot: Angry passengers rioted at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires last week, after Aerolineas Argentinas canceled flights for the second consecutive day due to a baggage handlers strike. The incident started when a frustrated traveler started screaming about the delay. Saying the traveler was being abusive, counter personnel left their posts, prompting other travelers to attack airline personnel and try to tear apart ticket windows and other property. “No one was showing their face or telling us when we’re going to fly,” said one traveler. No arrests were made. Aerolineas Argentinas resumed its regular flight schedule this week.