A New York court unveiled indictments against four Iranians and one California resident over a conspiracy to kidnap a Brooklyn journalist and human rights activist who criticized the Iranian regime, the Justice Department announced Tuesday.
Why it matters: The DOJ said the conspirators intended to kidnap the victim by luring them out of the U.S. before sending them to Iran for rendition and imprisonment.
A suspect arrested in the assassination of Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was "at times" a confidential source for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, a spokesman for the agency confirmed Tuesday.
What they're saying: The DEA did not identify the suspect, but said that after the attack, the individual reached out to his DEA contacts, who "urged the suspect to surrender to local [Haitian] authorities."
The death toll from rioting in South Africa rose to 72 on Tuesday, amid unrest over the imprisonment of former President Jacob Zuma, AP reports.
Driving the news: Many of the deaths in the provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal occurred from stampedes as people stole food, electric appliances, liquor and clothing from stores, officials told AP. Police are also investigating deaths caused by shootings and explosions from attempts to break into ATM machines.
Dark web sites tied to the Russian-based cyber gang REvil were not operating on Tuesday, just two weeks after the group launched a large-scale ransomware campaign that affected more than 1,500 companies around the world, according to CNBC.
Why it matters: It's unclear whether the sites — which REvil uses to facilitate its ransom negotiations — are down because of a technical problem, a law enforcement operation, or some other explanation. The group's public spokesperson has also been silent on message boards since last week, according to Politico.
The State Department and five other federal agencies issued an updated advisory on Tuesday warning that businesses with supply chains and investments in the Chinese region of Xinjiang run a "high risk" of violating U.S. laws on forced labor.
Why it matters: The Biden administration is moving aggressively to ensure that American businesses, many of which use supply chains deeply intertwined with the Chinese economy, are not complicit in the genocide of Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.
Venezuelan prosecutors charged opposition politician Freddy Guevara, a close ally of National Assembly president Juan Guaidó, with offenses including terrorism and treason following his arrest on a Caracas highway Monday, per Reuters.
Of note: Guaidó, recognized by the U.S. and other countries as Venezuela's interim president, said "armed groups" seeking his arrest had visited his home soon after.
French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday ordered all French health care workers to get fully vaccinated against the coronavirus by Sept.15, amid a rise of new infections, driven largely by the Delta variant, AP reports.
The big picture: Macron also mandated special COVID-19 passes for anyone wanting to go to restaurants, shopping malls or hospitals or intending to travel via trains or planes.
The Department of Justice said Monday it will assist in the Haiti police investigation into the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse and examine whether "there were any violations of U.S. criminal law" concerning the case.
Why it matters: Since Haiti's government requested American assistance in the investigation, three Haitian-born suspects with U.S. ties have been arrested — including the Florida-based Christian Emmanuel Sanon, whom police allege is a key suspect who wanted to become president of Haiti.
White House efforts to avoid dealing with the Cuba issue have blown up amid protests on the island, congressional backlash and political pressure from the South Florida Cuban community.
Why it matters: Joe Biden's performance in South Florida during the 2020 election explains his wariness — he was crushed by Donald Trump. Democrats are worried they'll hurt themselves in Florida — and more broadly in the midterms — if they mishandle the situation.
Under pressure over a deepening vaccine scandaland watching his approval ratings slide to new lows, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro is lashing out at his critics and threatening to reject the results of next year's elections.
Driving the news: Brazil's Senate has been holding televised hearings on the government's handling of the pandemic, during which it emerged that Bolsonaro's government ignored repeated offers to purchase vaccines, including from Pfizer.
