Haiti Reaches Deal to Form Transition Government Amid Security Crisis |
Haitian civil society organizations and political groups have reached an agreement (Miami Herald) on the framework of a twenty-two-month transition government in the country. The deal positions Haiti to move out of a leadership limbo that has snarled efforts to address a worsening security crisis. Outgoing Prime Minister Ariel Henry and his council of ministers would be required to sign off on the deal for it to pass its final stage and take effect. The deal names nine people (AFP), including two non-voting members, to a ruling council that represents political parties, the private sector, and civil society. The transition framework paves the way for Haiti to hold elections in 2026.
Henry announced last month that he planned to resign amid low popularity levels in Haiti and as preparations continued for the deployment of a UN-backed, Kenya-led multinational security mission to the country to help curb surging violence. Among the first tasks of the transition government would be selecting a prime minister and liaising with planners for the security mission. |
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“The United States should take a more forceful and prominent role to support Haitian leaders on the presidential council and ensure that the prime minister and cabinet ministers who take charge in the new government are people of integrity, capacity, and skill who have no ties to armed gangs,” the National Human Rights Defense Network’s Pierre Espérance writes for Foreign Affairs.
“[The security mission to Haiti] should prepare for urban combat, and develop community-level sources of intelligence, to help minimize civilian harm. A political settlement and major reforms will be required for gains to endure,” the International Crisis Group writes.
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Australia, UK, U.S. Consider Adding Japan to ‘Pillar II’ of AUKUS |
Pillar II of the AUKUS security partnership comprising Australia, the United Kingdom (UK), and United States is focused (FT) on advanced technology, its three members said in a statement yesterday. Japan’s prime minister is visiting Washington this week and is expected to discuss defense plans.
China/North Korea: China will send (AP) its highest-level delegation to North Korea in five years this week, both countries announced today. Few further details were announced about the visit, which will span from Thursday to Saturday and include the third-highest-ranking official in China’s ruling Communist Party.
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CPJ Calls on Afghan Authorities to Preserve Access to Facebook |
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) issued the public call yesterday after a top Taliban communications official said the group planned to partially or fully block access to social media platform Facebook in Afghanistan. A CPJ official said that social media has helped fill a vacuum left by the decline of traditional media in the country following the Taliban’s 2021 takeover and subsequent crackdown on press freedom.
India: A Delhi court rejected an appeal (Reuters) yesterday against the imprisonment of opposition politician and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on corruption charges last month that his party called fabricated. The ruling comes ten days before the country’s general election.
This Expert Brief by CFR Senior Fellow Manjari Chatterjee Miller unpacks what to know about India’s election.
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Middle East and North Africa |
Netanyahu Says Date Has Been Set for Rafah Offensive as Hostage Talks Continue |
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said yesterday that a military offensive in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah has been scheduled (FT) but did not divulge the date. His announcement comes as negotiations over a potential cease-fire and hostage deal continue in Egypt. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid, in Washington yesterday, said (AFP) a hostage deal was difficult but “doable and therefore needs to be made.”
On this episode of The President’s Inbox, CFR expert Steven A. Cook gives an update on the Israel-Hamas war at six months.
Iraq: The government aims to reopen (Reuters) an oil pipeline to Turkey by the end of the month, Iraq’s deputy oil minister said yesterday, ending a decade of the pipeline being closed. An alternative pipeline from the Kurdistan region has also been shut down for a year as Iraq’s government and the Kurdistan regional government have failed to reach a deal on resuming exports.
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Zimbabwe’s New Gold-Backed Currency Starts Trading |
The new currency is named ZiG, short for Zimbabwe Gold, and it marks the sixth latest attempt (Bloomberg) to revive a national currency after its predecessor was abandoned on April 5 following a slide in value. ZiG’s value strengthened by 0.2 percent on its second day today.
Brussels/South Africa: Pretoria has stalled for more than a year on responding to a European Union (EU) proposal to host an EU-South Africa summit, Bloomberg reported. Spokespeople for both parties said discussions on holding a summit later this year were underway. The delay has fueled concerns that South Africa is faltering in its relationship with Western nations.
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European Rights Court Faults Switzerland in Climate Case |
The government of Switzerland violated the human rights (NYT) of its citizens by failing to take sufficient action to stop climate change, the European Court of Human Rights ruled today. The closely watched petition was brought forth by a group of older Swiss women and could spur more climate litigation in national courts, analysts said. The court also threw out two other high-profile climate cases involving Portuguese youth and a former French mayor as inadmissible.
Spain: Madrid plans to scrap (WaPo) visas for people who invest roughly $540,000 or more in cash in real estate, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said yesterday. He cited concerns about housing availability in the country. Spain will follow Australia, Ireland, and Portugal in reevaluating the so-called “golden visa.”
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Canada to Raise Defense Spending to 1.76 Percent of GDP by End of Decade |
The pledge is part of (CBC) a new defense policy announced yesterday that entails boosting Canada’s surveillance and fighting abilities in the Arctic. Canada currently spends the equivalent of 1.33 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, but its new goal still falls short of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) target commitment of 2 percent.
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White House Announces New Plan to Address Student Debt |
The plans announced yesterday would reduce payments (NYT) for twenty-five million borrowers and erase debt for more than four million borrowers. The plan would need to withstand legal challenges, which quashed a previous White House attempt at debt relief last year.
This Backgrounder looks at whether rising student debt is harming the U.S. economy. |
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