Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Offers Resignation |
Palestinian Authority (PA) Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh offered to resign (FT) today, opening the door to a potential leadership overhaul at the organization. He said he hoped to allow for new political arrangements following the current war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas. Officials from the United States and other countries have long called for such a step, as the PA faces financial challenges and remains unpopular with the public. Shtayyeh’s government will rule in a caretaker capacity until PA President Mahmoud Abbas accepts his resignation.
Shtayyeh’s announcement comes as negotiators continue to meet (WaPo) to consider a deal for a cease-fire and hostage release in the Israel-Hamas war. Outside of the Gaza Strip, Israeli strikes hit eastern Lebanon for the first time during the war and killed two members of the Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah, unnamed Lebanese security sources told AFP. Hezbollah had reportedly downed an Israeli drone in southern Lebanon earlier today.
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“[The PA] needs a new prime minister, a new set of competent technocrats who are not corrupt, a trained security force for Gaza, and reformed institutions that no longer incite against Israel or reward prisoners and ‘martyrs’ for terrorist acts against the Israelis,” CFR expert Martin Indyk writes for Foreign Affairs. “Once the revitalization process got underway, it would probably take around a year to train and deploy PA security and civilian cadres in Gaza.”
“[The strike in Lebanon is] upping the ante before the expected cease-fire deal in Gaza. Still being negotiated, nothing certain,” the Columbia Institute of Global Politics’ Kim Ghattas posts. This Backgrounder by CFR’s Kali Robinson looks at who governs the Palestinians. Read the full suite of Foreign Affairs and CFR.org resources on Israel and the current conflict. |
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U.S. Nears China in Global Number of Diplomatic Posts |
The United States has (Bloomberg) 271 diplomatic posts around the world compared to China’s 274, according to a new report published yesterday by the Lowy Institute. Beijing has a greater presence in Africa, East Asia, Central Asia, and Pacific Island countries, while Washington leads in the Americas, Europe, and South Asia.
Cambodia: Former Prime Minister Hun Sen will be sworn in (Nikkei) as Senate President after his ruling party won an election yesterday, cementing his family’s hold on federal power. Hun Sen stepped down from the prime minister seat some six months ago to pass the role to his son, Hun Manet. An opposition group alleged intimidation ahead of the Senate vote and was barred from the vote.
For the Asia Unbound blog, CFR expert Joshua Kurlantzick reflects on six months of rule under Hun Manet.
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India Warns Google, Saying Chatbot Response Was Biased |
Google said it has worked quickly (Times of India) to address the issue in its Gemini chatbot after a senior Indian technology official accused the artificial intelligence (AI) tool of bias. The chatbot had responded (The Guardian) to a question by saying that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “accused of implementing policies some experts have characterized as fascist.” A Google spokesperson said the company is constantly improving Gemini and it may not always be reliable on political topics.
Pakistan: Maryam Nawaz became (Nikkei) the first woman elected chief minister of Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province. She was nominated by her father, former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who stepped back after the country’s election earlier this month and positioned his brother to take on the prime minister role under a coalition government.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Qatar Announces Plans to Nearly Double LNG Production by 2030 |
Qatar plans to increase (FT) its production capacity for liquefied natural gas (LNG) by nearly 85 percent by the end of the decade due to the discovery of vast new gas fields, the country’s energy minister said yesterday. Qatar aims to fill in some of the rising LNG demand from China and other Asian countries. |
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West African Bloc Lifts Sanctions on Guinea, Mali, Niger |
The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) said it was lifting (AFP) some administrative and economic sanctions on the three countries after having imposed them following their respective military takeovers in recent years. At an emergency ECOWAS summit on Saturday, Nigerian President Bola Tinubu called for (AP) a reexamination of the bloc’s position on “the quest for constitutional order” in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger, which announced their withdrawal earlier this year.
In this In Brief, CFR’s Ebenezer Obadare and Reina Patel explain why the ECOWAS split spells trouble for West Africa.
Kenya: Environment ministers from around the world are in Nairobi (AP) for the UN Environment Assembly that begins today. The last such assembly in 2022 produced a resolution to create a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. This year’s talks are expected to discuss restoring degraded land, combating dust storms, and reducing the environmental effects of mining.
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Zelenskyy Says Thirty-One Thousand Ukrainian Troops Killed in War |
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced the first official death count for Ukraine yesterday in the two years since Russia invaded. Unnamed U.S. officials told the New York Times last August that Ukraine’s death toll was likely close to seventy thousand, while Russia’s was around twice as high. European leaders are gathering (NYT) in Paris today to shore up support for Ukraine’s war effort, while U.S. President Joe Biden is due to discuss the matter with congressional leaders tomorrow.
Belarus: President Aleksandr Lukashenko announced (AP) he will seek another five-year term in the presidential election next year after local and parliamentary elections yesterday that a U.S. State Department spokesperson denounced as a “sham.” Only allies of Lukashenko were allowed to run.
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Caribbean, U.S. Officials Meet to Discuss Haiti Crisis |
Senior U.S. officials are in Guyana (AP) today attending a four-day summit of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) that is focusing on the prospect of a UN-backed, Kenya-led multinational police deployment to Haiti to quell surging gang violence. Acting Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry is due to travel to Nairobi, Kenya, following the summit to discuss the deployment, which has been stalled by a Kenyan court.
This Backgrounder by Rocio Cara Labrador and CFR’s Diana Roy unpacks Haiti’s multiple crises.
Brazil: Thousands of supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro protested (Reuters) in his favor in São Paulo yesterday after he called for the demonstration. Bolsonaro has denounced ongoing legal investigations that claim he had a role in a plot to carry out a coup following the country’s 2022 presidential election.
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Trump Defeats Haley in South Carolina Republican Primary |
Former President Donald Trump won (NPR) by a twenty-point margin against former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley in Saturday’s primary in her home state. She vowed to stay in the presidential primary race. |
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