South African protesters loot to protest Zuma arrest

More than 1200 people have been arrested in the lawlessness that has raged in poor areas of two provinces, where a community radio station was ransacked and forced off the air Tuesday and some COVID-19 vaccination centres were closed, disrupting urgently needed inoculations. Many of the deaths in Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal provinces occurred in chaotic …

The republic of chaos

Haiti (AP) — Gangs in Haiti have long been financed by powerful politicians and their allies — and many Haitians fear those backers may be losing control of the increasingly powerful armed groups who have driven thousands of people from their homes as they battle over territory, kill civilians and raid warehouses of food.

Covid brings out protesters in Cuba

Thousands of Cubans took part in rare protests Sunday against the communist government, marching through a town chanting “Down with the dictatorship” and “We want liberty.” The protest in San Antonio de los Banos, a town of some 50,000 people southwest of Havana, came as Cuba is experiencing its toughest phase yet of the coronavirus …

Suspected mercenary got job by applying to job ad on the Internet

From the NYT On the streets, vigilantes prowled for suspects, and the police killed at least three people in gunfights. The vast majority of those arrested have turned out to be from Colombia — former military men said to have turned mercenaries — as questions arose about why it had been so easy for attackers …

Elite Haitian assassin suspect once worked with Sean Penn

MIAMI — An American arrested in connection to the assassination of Haiti’s president worked alongside Sean Penn to rebuild the country from a devastating earthquake in 2010, according to three people familiar with the Hollywood actor’s decade-old relief drive… The two people said James Solages worked as a driver and in a security capacity for …

International court order ignored by China

Five years after a landmark international arbitration court ruling repudiated China’s claims to the waters where Megu fishes, the 48-year-old complains that his encounters with Chinese boats are more frequent than ever. … “I was so scared,” said Megu, describing how a Chinese vessel had tracked his wooden outrigger boat for three hours some 140 …

Colombians: most popular mercenaries

For those want to hire mercenaries, Colombia is a popular choice. The South American country’s nearly 60 years of internal conflict have provided a prolific training ground for soldiers … “There are a significant number of Colombian soldiers in Dubai, for example.” The United Arab Emirates has been an important client of Colombian ex-soldiers, dispatching …

Who were the ‘mercenaries’ working for?

James Solages, 35, and Joseph Vincent, both US citizens of Haitian descent, were arrested along with 15 Colombian nationals over Wednesday’s brazen raid on Moïse’s mansion in the hills above Port-au-Prince, according to Haitian police… Not everyone was buying the government’s description of the attack… Many wondered how the sophisticated attackers described by police could …