Venezuela jails German right-wing journalist for espionage

South Africa's top court has found ex-president Jacob Zuma "guilty of the crime of contempt of court" over his refusal to answer corruption charges. He has been sentenced to 15 months in prison.

A Minsk court has found Belarusian opposition figure Viktor Babariko guilty of bribery and tax evasion and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.

The opposition leader's wife reported the presence of armed officers at their residence live on Twitter. Authorities have meanwhile arrested Guaido's close ally Freddy Guevara on charges of terrorism and treason.

Michael Taylor and his son were the first to receive sentences in Japan over the case after pleading guilty to helping former Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn flee.

Sun Dawu, a farming magnate and a vocal government critic, was embroiled in a land dispute with a state-run competitor. His legal team argued the trial was unfair owing to the length of the hearing and its secrecy.

Key Venezuelan opposition figure Freddy Guevara, arrested for "treason" and "terrorism" last month, was released Sunday -- days after the start of new talks between the opposition and government.

Human rights activists have called for a comprehensive investigation into alleged abuses in Iranian jails. They say it's not just a case of a few corrupt guards.

Venezuela's government and opposition agreed on some key points during the negotiations in Mexico. But there is still "a long way to go," according to the leader of President Nicolas Maduro's team.

Nine veteran activists have been sentenced to jail for taking part in a vigil for the victims of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The case has involved a total of 26 activists who took part.

Mexico is presenting itself as the new champion of Latin American integration. To do that, it appears willing to embrace the continent's isolated autocratic leftist leaders. But it's a risky move.

For the third time in 13 years, Venezuela has slashed zeroes off its inflation-battered currency, the bolivar. This time, it will shed six zeroes, for a total of 14 since 2008. With that, a million bolivars have overnight become one -- still the equivalent of about 25 US dollar cents. Venezuela's central bank announced the move last month to simplify transactions, with consumers scrambling to make payment for even the most basic goods or services. According to private sector estimates around two thirds of transactions in the country now happen in US dollars. Old banknotes now worth almost nothing have become children’s toys or lie discarded in streets around the country. The once-rich oil producer is battling its eighth year of recession and hyperinflation that reached nearly 3,000 percent in 2020 and more than 9,500 percent the year before, according to central bank figures.

Congo Mirador was once an idyllic spot: a community of homes on stilts that seemed to float on the calm waters of a lagoon in western Venezuela. Now, the community is inundated with mud, a victim of silt generated by the Catatumbo river.