NATION & WORLD WATCH

Border agency fires 4 workers, suspends 38 for social media posts

WASHINGTON – The Border Patrol’s parent agency said Friday that it fired four employees and suspended 38 without pay for inappropriate social media on a secret Facebook group that mocked members of Congress and migrants. The investigation began in July 2019 after posts surfaced in a secret Facebook group called “I’m 10-15.” Customs and Border Protection said another 33 employees were disciplined with reprimands or counseling. Of 138 cases investigated, 63 were found unsubstantiated. Six cases remained open.

Fighting between armed groups in eastern Congo kills dozens

KINSHASA, Congo – Days of fighting between gunmen in Congo’s South Kivu province killed at least 43 people, many of them women and children, residents said Saturday. At least 40 others disappeared after members of the Ngumino group attacked the village of Kipupu on Thursday while they were being pursued by the Mai Mai rebel group. Houses were set on fire in other villages along the way. A local army spokesman, Capt. Dieudonne Kasereka, confirmed attacks in several villages that began Thursday and continued into Friday.

Mass protests rock Russian Far East city, challenge Kremlin

KHABAROVSK, Russia – Mass rallies challenging the Kremlin rocked Russia’s Far East city of Khabarovsk again on Saturday, with crowds protesting the arrest of the region’s governor on charges of involvement in multiple murders. The crowds gathered despite official attempts to discourage them. The governor, Sergei Furgal, was arrested July 9 and flown to Moscow, suspected of involvement in several murders of businessmen in 2004 and 2005. Furgal has denied the charges, which relate to his time as a businessman.

Mexico video shows dozens of uniformed gunmen, armored cars

MEXICO CITY – Mexico’s top security official said Saturday that authorities are investigating a video showing dozens of uniformed gunmen posing with military-grade weapons and armored pickup trucks, some painted with the initials of the Jalisco drug cartel. Many of the trucks in a column of about 20 vehicles parked on a dirt road have improvised gun turrets or plate-steel armor welded onto them. Mexico’s top security official wrote Saturday that the video is being analyzed to confirm whether it is authentic and when it was made.