Argentina’s WHO exit. President Javier Milei ordered the country’s withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO). Argentina’s presidential spokesperson cited “deep differences” with the WHO over its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and said that Argentina is also “analyzing leaving the Paris Agreement.” Both moves echo Trump, with whom Milei has sought close ties.
Philippine VP impeached. The country’s House of Representatives impeached Vice President Sara Duterte on charges including corruption and plotting to assassinate President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Last year she said she would have Marcos taken out if she were killed. The Senate will now determine whether to remove Duterte from office; she denies wrongdoing.
Emissions targets delayed. Most G20 countries are not expected to meet next week’s deadline for presenting updated emissions targets as part of the Paris Agreement. The anticipated stragglers include major polluters like Australia, the European Union, India, and South Africa. The director of a major climate group attributed this failure to factors including the “shock of the U.S. presidency” and noted that there “is not a lot of leader attention” on emissions targets at the moment.
Murmurs of Ukraine talks. U.S. and Russian officials have been in touch about the war in Ukraine, and those contacts “have intensified recently,” according to a Kremlin spokesperson. It was the first official Russian acknowledgement of such conversations occurring. U.S. allies expect the Trump administration to present them a proposal for ending the war at next week’s Munich Security Conference, Bloomberg reported citing unnamed sources.
Honda-Nissan merger teeters. Nissan’s board voted yesterday to reject a proposal to merge with Honda. It would have made the Japanese firms into the world’s third-largest automaking alliance and was floated in part as a response to competition from Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers. But in recent days, Honda had proposed making Nissan into a subsidiary rather than standing on equal footing. The companies said they would continue conversations.
Rubio’s G20 snub. Rubio said he will skip a G20 foreign ministers meeting in South Africa this month, citing the country’s land expropriation policies and climate efforts. South Africa’s new land law aims to address racial inequality; the country’s foreign ministry said it is similar to eminent domain laws in other countries. Rubio criticized South Africa for “DEI and climate change” work in a social media post.
DRC rebel reactivation. Rwanda-backed M23 rebels took control of a mining town in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) despite having declared a unilateral ceasefire earlier in the week, eight unnamed sources told Reuters. Malawi, meanwhile, said yesterday it would withdraw its troops from a multinational security force in the DRC due to the truce.
Optimism for BJP in Delhi. Exit polls following yesterday’s legislative elections in the Indian territory of Delhi projected a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party for the first time in twenty-seven years. The BJP lost an outright majority in a national vote last year, but has worked to win back voters through steps like tax cuts. Delhi’s incumbent Aam Aadmi party said exit polls had never judged its strength correctly. Official results are due Saturday.
