Good morning, everyone!
Be sure to check out my latest Note on the life of former Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey.
Today, we will look at U.S. politics, developments in Iran, and other news spanning the globe.
Let’s get to it.
Africa
-The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) marked its 50th anniversary as leaders gathered in Lagos, Nigeria. The 12-member bloc was established in 1975 to promote regional economic integration, foster security cooperation, and enhance democratic governance.
ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray said the bloc faces mounting challenges, including militant insurgencies, climate change, poverty, and a wave of military coups.
In recent years, junta-led Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger have exited the group in protest of its sanctions following military takeovers.
-Amnesty International accused the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group of war crimes in its offensive in eastern Congo.
-The Trump administration on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court to halt an order that allows migrants to challenge their deportations to South Sudan.
Other Links:
Namibia holds its first genocide remembrance day to mark mass killings by colonial ruler Germany - AP
Kenyan president apologises to Tanzania over deportation row - BBC
Kenya backs Morocco's autonomy plan for Western Sahara, joint statement says - Reuters
IMF says Egypt making progress, still needs to widen tax base - Reuters
Nigeria’s Tinubu slows policy overhaul as he eyes reelection - Semafor
Americas and the Caribbean
-Mexico’s electoral authority said it was probing allegations that political groups, including the ruling Morena party, have been acting to sway votes ahead of the country’s first-ever judicial elections on Sunday.
Around 5,000 candidates are vying for more than 840 judge and magistrate positions—including nine supreme court seats.
Last year, then-President Andrés Manuel López Obrador pushed through the controversial judicial overhaul. Critics argued that the change would cede more power to Morena and give criminal organizations greater influence over the judiciary.
-Dominica Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit suggested in a news conference on Monday that talks with criminal gangs in neighboring Haiti may be necessary to end the endemic violence that has rocked the Caribbean nation.
-Panama’s government declared a state of emergency in Bocas del Toro after U.S.-owned banana giant Chiquita Brands fired some 5,000 workers following a labor strike.
-The Argentine government said that nearly 48,000 public employees have been terminated since President Javier Milei assumed office in 2023.
Other Links:
Brazil sues China carmaker BYD over 'slave-like' conditions - BBC
Brazil in last-ditch lobbying push to avert US sanctions on top judge - Financial Times
Argentina Claims Return to Global Markets With Peso Bond Sale - Bloomberg
Argentina’s President Javier Milei to receive $1M Genesis Prize in Israel - AP
Venezuela ruling party keeps control of legislature amid opposition division - Reuters
17 bodies found in house during missing persons investigation in Mexican state plagued by cartel violence - CBS
Asia/Indo-Pacific
-South Korea’s Democratic Party presidential candidate, Lee Jae-myung, leads his conservative opponent, People Power Party candidate Kim Moon-soo, by 49.2% to 36.8%, according to a new poll.
The snap vote was called after President Yoon Suk Yeol was removed from office last month following a brief martial law declaration in December.
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