Zambians want their slice of the copper pie
Polls closed in Zambia’s presidential election on Thursday as voters in one of Africa’s most stable democracies weighed whether the country’s economic turnaround has actually affected their wallets. President Hakainde Hichilema, who is seeking a second term, has overseen a successful debt restructuring, lower inflation, and nearly $10 billion in mining investment, fueled by booming global demand for copper, which is essential for electric vehicles and AI infrastructure. But those gains haven’t trickled down evenly: more than 70% of Zambians live on less than $3 a day, and concern over jobs and living costs remains high. These conditions have allowed main challenger Brian Mundubile to argue that ordinary Zambians deserve a bigger share of the copper windfall. The election was not without controversy: authorities suspended vote counting on Friday after reports of violence and intimidation against election officials as well as stolen ballots.
US will allow private companies to go on the cyber offensive
The US announced this week that it will allow American companies to conduct cyberattacks against foreign cybercriminals — a dramatic expansion of the private sector’s role in cybersecurity that could blur the line between national security and commercial interests. The US appears to be taking a page from China and Russia, which have used contracted hackers for state-sponsored espionage. Under the plan, vetted companies would work with the Justice Department and Homeland Security to hack criminal groups, gather intel, and disrupt their operations. The goal: help the US stay ahead of ransomware attacks on US businesses and critical infrastructure, which have become more sophisticated and cost the US billions of dollars each year. However, the plan has already raised concerns among experts who warn that the policy creates thorny questions about liability and exposes private companies to retaliation by foreign adversaries.
Chile ramps up anti-crime push with prison transfer
Chile transferred nearly 300 inmates to a new high-security prison on Thursday, advancing right-wing President José Antonio Kast’s campaign pledge to crack down on rising organized crime. The government says that the move to La Laguna, one of Chile’s largest prisons, will make it harder for gang leaders to direct criminal networks from behind bars. Kast has embraced the megaprison model used by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to combat crime. The approach is gaining traction among other right-wing leaders in Latin America, including in Costa Rica and, more recently, Colombia. For Kast, the law-and-order push also offers a chance to refocus attention on the issues that drove his victory in December. His first months in office have been rocky: he fired his security minister, has struggled to fulfill his pledge to quickly expel 300,000 undocumented migrants, and has seen his approval rating fall as fuel prices rise.
