By Alexandra Sharp
Welcome back to World Brief, where we’re looking at a multibillion-dollar U.S. aid request for Israel and Ukraine, the growing diplomatic rift between India and Canada, and Britain’s surprising Labour Party win.
Have tips or feedback? Hit reply with your thoughts.
Promises of Solidarity
U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the nation from the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Oct. 19.Jonathan Ernst/Pool/Getty Images
In a rare national address from the Oval Office, U.S. President Joe Biden appealed to Americans and the U.S. Congress on Thursday to continue supporting Israel and Ukraine. Arguing that ensuring the two countries’ success in their wars is “vital for America’s national security,” Biden called on Congress to pass a $105 billion aid package that would give $61 billion to Ukraine and $14 billion to Israel in weaponry and humanitarian assistance. The rest of the funds would address several other issues: $9 billion would go to unspecified humanitarian efforts, $14 billion to managing the U.S.-Mexico border and fighting fentanyl trafficking, and $7 billion for the Indo-Pacific region, which includes Taiwan.
Biden’s speech, only the second such address in his presidency, comes amid a leadership crisis among U.S. House Republicans that has stymied the White House’s ability to continue to respond to the conflicts in the Middle East and Europe. And it took place just 24 hours after the president visited Tel Aviv, where he delivered a robust declaration of U.S. support: “I come to Israel with a single message: You’re not alone,” Biden said. “As long as the United States stands—and we will stand forever—we will not let you ever be alone.”
The U.S. military has also demonstrated that support in recent days. On Thursday, the USS Carney, a Navy warship based in the Red Sea, shot down three cruise missiles and multiple drones fired by Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Like Hamas, the Houthis are a militant group backed by Iran. According to the U.S. Defense Department, the missiles were “potentially” aimed at Israel, but their exact target remains unclear. Washington’s response was in line with past defense policies, Pentagon spokesperson Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said, and it will continue advocating deterrence to prevent the conflict from spreading throughout the region.
In Thursday’s speech, Biden reiterated that U.S. military deployments to the Middle East will not aid in combat missions. Already, the USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Dwight D. Eisenhower are en route to the Eastern Mediterranean to provide Israeli troops with medical aid.
But the White House isn’t the only global actor involved in trying to shape the course of the conflict. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi will host a peace summit in Cairo on Saturday to discuss next steps for the region. Leaders from Turkey and Qatar as well as European Council President Charles Michel and European Union foreign-policy chief Josep Borrell will attend. Noticeably absent are Israel, the United States, and Iran. Without these three key powers, many regional experts worry the summit will accomplish little.
In one diplomatic win, though, Hamas militants released two U.S. citizens being held hostage on Friday. Qatari officials helped mediate the mother and daughter’s release, but as many as 200 hostages, including an unknown number of U.S. nationals, remain in captivity. In a press conference on Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called for the immediate release of all remaining hostages.
SPONSORED |
 |
2023 Virtual Global Democracy Champions Summit |
Register free for the 2023 virtual Global Democracy Champions Summit, themed “Preparing for the 2024 Mega Election Year.” Hosted by Keseb, the Summit will feature 15+ sessions and speakers from 12+ countries. Sessions will confront the pressing challenges facing democracy as well as highlight innovative solutions from around the globe. |
Today’s Most Read
What We’re Following
Diplomatic escalation. Canada withdrew two-thirds of its diplomats from India after New Delhi warned that it would revoke their diplomatic immunity this Friday. According to Canadian Foreign Minister Mélanie Joly, India had “no good reason” for reversing Ottawa’s diplomatic status, calling it “unreasonable and escalatory” as well as a violation of international law. With 41 diplomats leaving India, Canada will temporarily close three of its consulates there.
The two countries have been locked in a diplomatic showdown for weeks following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau blaming New Delhi for assassinating a Sikh separatist living in Canada. Since then, both sides have recalled their ambassadors and threatened greater diplomatic retaliation. As Justin Ling wrote in Foreign Policy, “India has, for years, expressed its frustrations with the presence of an organized—and, in some cases, radical—Sikh separatist movement in Canada, centered around the idea of an independent ‘Khalistan’ in Punjab, the homeland of Sikhism.” However, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi “appears to be trying to establish the Khalistan movement as the next security crisis through which he can flex his strongman muscles once again,” C. Christine Fair argued in Foreign Policy.
Labour wins. Britain’s Labour Party celebrated a surprising victory on Friday when it won two parliamentary seats previously deemed Conservative strongholds. Both Mid-Bedfordshire and Tamworth flipped in the country’s by-elections, with Mid-Bedfordshire having the largest deficit for the party to overcome since 1945. According to Labour leader Keir Starmer, the electoral wins showed that voters want a change in leadership come general elections in 2025.
Britain’s Conservatives have faced numerous party scandals and leadership turmoil, first under Boris Johnson’s unpopular reign and then with Liz Truss’s 49 days in office. Under Conservative Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, the U.K. continues to battle skyrocketing inflation and a worsening energy crisis that is further souring the party’s reputation.
Behind bars. Haitian authorities arrested a man for his suspected involvement in President Jovenel Moïse’s assassination in July 2021. Joseph Félix Badio was caught while driving in a suburb of Port-au-Prince, the capital, on Thursday. He has been accused of ordering a team of Colombian gunmen to first arrest and then kill the president.
Two months before the assassination, Badio was fired from the country’s justice ministry, where he worked as an anti-corruption official. Despite having an arrest warrant for murder, attempted murder, and robbery, Badio remained one of the few suspected people involved in the assassination to avoid capture.
Odds and Ends
After a three-year pause, Myanmar is welcoming back its most colorful annual festival. Hundreds of people took to the sea for the Phaung Daw Oo pagoda festival this month, where simple barges get stunning makeovers and fishermen compete in leg-rowing competitions. Although the country remains under authoritarian rule, festival-goers hope to find joy amid political turmoil.
No comments:
Post a Comment