International
Haiti ‘formally’ seeks international assistance with security crisis
AFP
Haiti said Friday it had “formally” sought international assistance with a worsening security situation “which our national police cannot deal with.”
Bocchit Edmond, Haiti’s ambassador to the United States, told AFP in Lima that a request for “foreign assistance” was made on Thursday.
“Now we are waiting on the international community and the international partners to decide what kind of form that assistance will be,” he said on the sidelines of the general assembly meeting of the Organization of American States (OAS).
What it will not be, said Edmond, is a “foreign force or foreign occupation” of Haiti.
Rather, “it’s a call to solidarity” in the face of a “human tragedy,” the ambassador added.
Haiti, the poorest country in the Americas, is facing an acute political, economic and security crisis.
Protests and looting have rocked the already unstable country since September 11, when Prime Minister Ariel Henry announced a fuel price hike.
To add to the woes, “you have one of the most notorious armed gangs… still keeping the fuel ports under their grip. It has been more than 20 days,” said Edmond, with hospitals and schools crippled.
“It is a humanitarian issue. There is a necessity (for) the international community to come and assist,” the ambassador said.
On Thursday, the United Nations warned of a possible explosion of cholera cases in Haiti.
And it made an appeal for the creation of a humanitarian corridor to allow for the release of fuel at the Varreux fuel terminal, the country’s largest, under the control of powerful armed gangs.
OAS secretary general Luis Almagro tweeted on Thursday he had advised Haiti to “seek urgent assistance from the international community “to help resolve security crises and determine characteristics of the international security force.”
And US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who also attended the OAS meeting, said on Twitter he had met his Haitian counterpart Jean Victor Geneus and assured him “we remain committed to helping Haiti restore security and democratic order so that all Haitians can have a brighter future.”
Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly said on the same forum Friday that “the solution to this crisis must be Haitian-led.”
“We also called for restoring the supply of fuel from the Varreux terminal and providing robust security assistance to Haiti. We will work together to help restore peace and stability in Haiti,” she tweeted
Haiti, which shares the mountainous Caribbean island of Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, has a population of more than 11 million.
In July, the UN Security Council agreed to ask member states to ban the transfer of small arms to Haiti but stopped short of a full embargo requested by China.
International
U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute
The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.
All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.
The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.
The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.
“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.
International
Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.
“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.
Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.
According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.
International
Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power
Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.
The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.
Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.
Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.
The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.
Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.
Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.
In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.
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