Houthis Draw Blood, Polish Farmers Scream Bloody Murder
MIDDLE EAST
For the first time, Houthi strikes kill sailors on a cargo ship — Two crew members were killed and six others injured, the first fatalities from Houthi attacks on commercial vessels. The container ship was registered in Barbados. The United States and India responded to assist survivors. Shortly thereafter, two US-led air strikes hit the international airport in the Houthi-controlled Red Sea port city of Hodeidah. (Politico, BBC)
Israel doubles down on West Bank settlement building — The Israeli government approved plans for nearly 3,500 new homes in West Bank settlements beyond the Green Line, in Maale Adumim, Efrat and Kedar. The move drew broad condemnation from both the U.S. and the EU. Hardliners in Israel framed the expansion approval as a response to attacks last month by Palestinian gunmen at one of the settlements. (BBC, Times of Israel)
Momentum builds for sea route for food aid to Gaza — Europeans and the UAE are working on establishing a maritime humanitarian corridor through Cyprus to deliver aid directly to people in Gaza. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will travel to Cyprus this week to inspect infrastructure related to the plan. Israeli officials are said to favor this approach. (Reuters, AP, Haaretz)
Will Egypt remain stable amid the turmoil? — Egypt secured a $8 billion IMF bailout deal after hiking interest rates and removing currency controls, causing the Egyptian pound to drop to a record low against the dollar. Floating the currency was a precondition for accessing extra IMF funds, but Egyptian authorities were unwilling to do so until a $35 billion investment from Abu Dhabi came through. Egypt's economy is on the ropes. Its tourism industry has been wrecked by the Gaza war, and revenues from transit fees through the Suez have also cratered. (FT, NYT, Al Jazeera)
AFRICA
The world's biggest famine is in Sudan — The UN World Food Programme warned that the international humanitarian response in the country is overwhelmed and is breaking down. With a civil war raging, over 18 million people are facing emergency levels of hunger. Britain has circulated a draft U.N. resolution calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities in conflict-wracked Sudan ahead of Ramadan. But beyond such strongly worded decrees, no concrete plan exists to address the situation. (AP, CNN, Al Jazeera)
A rogues' alliance is born — The anti-Western juntas that seized power in Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger have agreed to form a joint task force to tackle security threats across their territories. The new force will aim to address rising violence from Islamist insurgent groups linked to al-Qaeda and ISIS. No details were provided about the size or scope of the task force, but it is intended to become operational soon. (Reuters)
EUROPE
EU pays unsavory autocrats to keep migrants away — The EU is expected to sign a €210 million agreement with Mauritania on Thursday to curb irregular migration to Europe. €60 million will fund border control efforts like patrols to stop migrant boats from departing Mauritania for the Canary Islands. Critics argue this may bolster Mauritania's autocratic regime which still tolerates slavery. The number of arrivals in the Canaries has risen sharply in 2024. (FT)
Germany's unwillingness to arm Ukraine is a domestic winner — Nearly 60 percent of Germans oppose supplying Ukraine with Taurus missiles, according to a poll released Wednesday, up from 49 percent in February. Around 20 percent of Germans think their country should be doing more to support Ukraine militarily, according to another set of polls. While 40 percent think Berlin has sent enough weapons, another 40 percent think it’s gone too far. (Politico)
Polish farmers promise revenge after clashes with police — Thousands of farmers massed outside the prime minister's office in Warsaw calling for an end to cheap Ukrainian imports and demanding Poland withdraw from environmental treaties that hurt their livelihood. When the crowd started marching on parliament, police violently dispersed it. In retaliation, the leader of the farmers' union vowed to bring Poland to a standstill in the coming days. (Reuters)
AMERICAS
Haitian gang leader issues threats, United States complies — Jimmy "Barbecue" Cherizier, the most powerful gang leader in Haiti, threatened civil war and "genocide" if Prime Minister Ariel Henry does not step down. Henry is still stranded in Puerto Rico, his return blocked by coordinated gang attacks launched in his absence on what remains of Haiti's security forces. As a result, the United States urged Henry to consider calling early elections. (NYT)
