Good morning, everyone!
Today, we will look at U.S. politics, developments in Africa, and other news spanning the globe.
Let’s get to it.
Africa
-The Democratic Republic of Congo has asked Chad for military support to repel an advancing insurgency by the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group in its eastern region.
-Prominent Ugandan opposition figure Kizza Besigye appeared in court on Wednesday as his attorneys attempted to secure his freedom.
Besigye is a longtime opponent of authoritarian President Yoweri Museveni and has been imprisoned since November.
Museveni has ruled the East African country since 1986.
-U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will skip a gathering of finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of 20 (G-20) in South Africa next week, according to officials.
Other Links:
Rebel advance causes panic in Congolese border town Uvira - Reuters
Congolese church leaders push for peace talks between government, rebels - Reuters
Kenya reaffirms commitment to peace after Sudan’s accusations of ‘hostility’ - AP
Attacks by Sudanese RSF paramilitaries leave hundreds dead in White Nile State - AP
South Africa’s budget postponed amid coalition dispute - Africa News
Americas and the Caribbean
-Bermuda’s center-left Progressive Labor Party (PLP) placed first in Tuesday’s general election, losing four seats but maintaining a majority in the country’s parliament. The election victory for the party is its third in a row.
-Colombian President Gustavo Petro said drug traffickers had acquired two missiles in an effort to assassinate him.
-A Panamanian official said on Tuesday that more than half of the 299 migrants deported from the United States in recent days had agreed to voluntary repatriations to their home countries.
Other Links:
Trump administration labels 8 Latin American cartels as ‘foreign terrorist organizations’ - AP
Mexican army seizes tonnes of crystal meth in Sinaloa - BBC
China promises Latin America 'trustworthy' ties as Trump lays out demands - Reuters
Charged with coup plot, Bolsonaro seeks lifeline from Brazil lawmakers - Reuters
Argentine judge accepts charges alleging ex-president committed violence against former first lady - AP
Asia/Indo-Pacific
-New Zealand’s foreign minister said on Wednesday that his government would reset its relations with the Cook Islands. The announcement comes after Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown made a trip to China earlier this month without consulting with Wellington.
New Zealand and the South Pacific island nation have a special political relationship. The Cook Islands operates as an independent state but receives budget support and a security guarantee from Wellington.
New Zealand’s government said it was not made aware of Brown’s trip.
-Afghanistan accused neighboring Pakistan of carrying out a mass expulsion campaign against Afghan refugees in the country.
Other Links:
U.S. condemns Chinese maneuvers after brush with Philippine plane - NBC
Trump Eyes a Bigger, Better Trade Deal With China - The New York Times
Taiwan lists Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar, Cambodia and Laos as high-risk destinations - Asia News Network
Japan approves new climate, energy and industry policies through 2040 - Reuters
Australian spy boss says 3 foreign governments plotted to harm people in Australia - AP
Europe
-President Donald Trump on Wednesday criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, calling him a “dictator without elections.”
The escalating war of words comes as Trump has pushed for a settlement to end the three-year-long war in Ukraine. On Tuesday, delegations from the U.S. and Russia met in Saudi Arabia for their first exchange since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Zelenskyy was elected in 2019 in a vote election observers deemed free.
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