In Ethiopia, Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn said Wednesday he would release all of Ethiopia’s political prisoners and close a notorious prison that human rights groups have labeled a torture chamber. Amnesty International welcomed the surprise announcement, saying that if authorities follow through, it will mark the “end of an era of bloody repression in Ethiopia.” Ethiopia remains a major U.S. ally in Africa despite its long history of human rights abuses and its record of silencing journalists, protesters and opposition political parties.