Haiti Prime Minister Resigns
The Prime Minister of Haiti, Ariel Henry, resigned Thursday. A nine-member transitional council was appointed to take over, with Minister for Economy and Finance Michel Patrick Boisvert being appointed as the interim Prime Minister. The Council was set up by Haitian leaders, The intergovernmental organization Caribbean Community, and the U.S. It includes representatives of several political parties, the private sector, civil society, and the faith community. It will be in charge of appointing a provisional electoral commission in anticipation of the planned 2026 elections, as well as appointing a national security council. Henry was Haiti’s leader since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021, after which the office of the Presidency was vacant. Since then, he has been unable to quell the epidemic of gang violence across the nation. Gangs in Haiti control about 80 percent of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and have attacked several prisons, a key seaport, police stations, and medical centers and have also shut down the Capital’s International Airport. According to The Washington Post, the appointment of the new council clears the way for a UN-backed security force to restore order to the island country.
Scottish Government Coalition Breaks Down
Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s first minister, announced Thursday that he would be ending the coalition between his Scottish Nationalist Party and the Scottish Green Party. The SNP currently has 63 of the 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament, which is two short of a majority. By aligning with the Greens, who have seven seats, they were able to form a majority coalition government. The breakdown of the coalition came to a head when the SNP announced that it would be scrapping Scotland’s ambitious pledge of cutting emissions of greenhouse gasses by 75 percent by 2030, compared with 1990 levels. The announcement came after an independent report found that the goal was “no longer credible.” The coalition partners also came into dispute on policy regarding transgender issues, with the Greens displeased with the Scottish National Health Services’ decision to pause the prescription of puberty blockers and other hormone treatments for minors. Since the end of the coalition, the Scottish Conservative Party has called for a vote of no confidence in the SNP government. The Greens have joined the Conservatives and the Labor party in saying that they would vote against the Government. While the vote is non-binding, Yousaf would face incredible pressure to resign if he loses.
Pro-Palestinian Encampments Spread, Leading to Hundreds of Arrests
On April 17, Columbia University President Nemet Shafik called the police on Columbia students occupying a campus lawn in protest against Israel’s war on Gaza and with the demand that the university divest from Israel. Since then, encampments have spread to colleges and universities across the country, leading to more than 400 arrests so far. Protests have erupted at Columbia, Yale University, New York University, The Ohio State University, University of California, Berkeley, and many other campuses. Columbia University’s classes have gone online amid the protests, and the University of Southern California has said that it will cancel its main commencement ceremony.
Iranian, Pakistani Leaders Meet to Improve Relations Amidst Diplomatic Tension
On Monday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi met Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad. The meeting came amidst strained diplomatic tensions that have arisen since both nations conducted military strikes against militants in the other’s territory. Improving trade relations was also a major focus of the meeting. Before the meeting, Raisi promised to improve trade with Pakistan and called for setting up border markets. According to a statement, the leaders discussed coordinating attacks on terrorist groups and improving relations on the Iranian-Pakistani border. They also jointly condemned the violence by the Israeli military in Gaza. According to Sharif’s office, eight bilateral agreements were signed.
U.S. Troops Withdraw from Chad and Niger
Most U.S. troops currently in Niger and Chad will soon be leaving. Both West African nations have been the base of U.S. counterterrorism operations across the Sahel Region. Last month, Niger ended an agreement allowing U.S. troops to operate in the country following a coup last July. More recently, Chad has also expressed interest in leaving a similar agreement. Most of the 100 U.S. troops currently in Chad will soon leave, though the Pentagon stated that this is only a temporary move that may be reversed after Chad’s May 6 presidential election.
