Jamaican soldiers and police arrive in Haiti to help fight gangs

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Jamaican soldiers and police arrive in Haiti to help fight gangs

2024-09-13 04:55 Last Updated At：05:01

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Two dozen soldiers and police officers from Jamaica arrived in Haiti on Thursday to join a U.N.-backed mission led by Kenya to fight powerful gangs.

Jamaica is the second country to join the mission, which was approved by the U.N. Security Council in October 2023 and began when the first contingent of Kenyan police arrived in Haiti in late June. Joining the Jamaicans were two senior military officers from the Central American country of Belize, according to its government.

The U.S. Coast Guard told The Associated Press that one of its planes transported the Jamaicans and Belizeans to Haiti.

Earlier this week, authorities in Jamaica announced the imminent deployment and said the 20 soldiers and four police officers would be responsible for providing command, planning and logistics support.

They will work alongside Haiti’s military and police to fight gangs that control 80% of the capital of Port-au-Prince.

Jamaica had pledged a total of 170 soldiers and 30 police officers, but Prime Minister Andrew Holness said it wasn’t possible to deploy them all at once.

The Jamaicans were deployed as the U.S. warns that the Kenyan-led mission lacks resources, and says that it is considering a U.N. peacekeeping mission as one way to secure more money and personnel.

The U.S. and Ecuador recently circulated a draft resolution asking the U.N. to start planning for a U.N. peacekeeping operation to replace the current mission. But experts have said it’s unlikely the U.N. Security Council would approve it.

The current mission is expected to have a total of 2,500 personnel, with the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Benin and Chad also pledging to send police and soldiers, although it wasn’t clear when that would happen.

Mbappé starts new Champions League campaign with a goal in Real Madrid victory

2024-09-18 06:52 Last Updated At：07:01

MADRID (AP) — Kylian Mbappé renewed his quest to win a European title by scoring for Real Madrid in his first Champions League match with the club.

Mbappé found the open net after a cross by Rodrygo just seconds into the second half of Madrid's 3-1 win over Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium.

“It was a great night,” Mbappé said. “It was a tough match, as they always are in the Champions League, but it was important to start with the win at home.”

Mbappé celebrated with a gesture in which he appeared to blow candles and sending a kiss. Spanish media said it was to honor his mother's 50th birthday.

The goal gave defending champion Madrid a 1-0 lead before Stuttgart equalized with Deniz Undav in the 68th. Antonio Rüdiger put Madrid back in front in the 83rd and substitute Endrick closed the scoring deep into stoppage time to seal the victory for the defending champions.

It was Mbappé's 49th Champions League goal, putting him in the top 10 of top scorers all time in the competition.

He has scored in three consecutive matches and has five goals in seven games with Madrid so far in all competitions.

“I can do more,” Mbappé said. “I'm feeling better match after match.”

Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois was named the man of the match as he was key to keep Stuttgart from capitalizing on its many scoring opportunities.

Mbappé had been mostly quiet until scoring, with one of his clearest chances coming in the 25th minute after he entered the area and had his low shot was saved. He was free inside the area a couple of minutes later, but Federico Valverde’s low cross to the France star was intercepted by a defender.

Madrid struggled to created many significant scoring opportunities early on at the Bernabeu. It was Stuttgart that threatened the most, including with a couple on one-on-one situations and an attempt that hit the crossbar.

Vinícius Júnior also hit the crossbar for Madrid.

Mbappé won the 2018 World Cup with France but failed to win the Champions League in the seven seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, which was also on a quest for its first title in Europe’s top club competition.

The playmaker left PSG as a free agent at the end of last season to join Madrid following a decade-long pursuit by the Spanish powerhouse — a move could boost his chances of lifting the European trophy with the team that has won the Champions League six times in the last 11 years.

Mbappé reached the semifinals of the club competition in 2017 with Monaco, and was a beaten finalist in 2020 with PSG. He was also in the semifinals with PSG in 2021 and last season.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer