By Will Grant, Central America correspondent & James Gregory
BBC News
Haiti's Prime Minister Ariel Henry has agreed to resign following weeks of mounting pressure and increasing violence in the impoverished country.
It comes after regional leaders met in Jamaica on Monday to discuss a political transition in Haiti.
Mr Henry is currently stranded in Puerto Rico after being prevented by armed gangs from returning home.
In a video address announcing his resignation, Mr Henry urged Haitians to remain calm.
"The government that I am leading will resign immediately after the installation of [a transition] council," Mr Henry said.
"I want to thank the Haitian people for the opportunity I had been granted. I'm asking all Haitians to remain calm and do everything they can for peace and stability to come back as fast as possible."
Mr Henry, who had led the country supposedly on an interim basis since July 2021 following former President Jovenel Moïse's assassination, had repeatedly postponed elections, saying security must be restored first.
Many Haitians had questioned him governing the country for this long without an elected president.
Heavily armed gangs have tightened their grip on the streets of the capital Port-au-Prince, and attacked the main prison to help thousands of inmates escape.
They also demanded the resignation of the unelected prime minister.
The capital Port-au-Prince and the surrounding region is under a month-long state of emergency, while a curfew has been extended.
He described the current situation in the country as "very precarious".
"The police force is weak, and more than 40 police stations [are] destroyed. The army is very limited and not equipped; gang members occupy most of the [Port-au-Prince] downtown and some government headquarters.
"Very soon people will be out of food, medication and... medical support."
Mr Pierre said the gangs were now pushing to be part of any new power-sharing deal, adding that such a political settlement was impossible without the "support" of an international armed force.
Mr Henry had been in Kenya to sign a deal on the deployment of an international security force to help tackle violence when a coalition of gangs attacked police stations and stormed two of Haiti's largest prisons.
A plane carrying Mr Henry was stopped from landing following sustained attacks at Haiti's international airport.
His resignation has been expected for several days. The Caricom group of Caribbean nations had made its position clear that he was seen as an impediment to Haiti's stability and that he would have to stand down so the move to a transitional council could begin.
The White House had initially wanted to see Mr Henry return to Haiti to oversee the transitional process, but the ferocity of fighting in the country changed minds in Washington in recent days.
Without the support of either the US state department or his neighbours, it was clear that Mr Henry had no alternative but to stand down.
Mr Henry has expressed a wish to return to Haiti but the security situation has to improve before he is able to do so, according to the US which was at the talks in Kingston on Monday.
A senior US official said Mr Henry had first made the decision to step down on Friday but he had waited for an official announcement so talks could take place.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken committed a further $100m (£78m) to the 1,000-strong UN-backed security force Kenya is expected to lead in Haiti.
The proposed US contribution to the security force now stands at $300m following Mr Blinken's announcement, with a further $33m allocated for humanitarian aid.
Speaking following the meeting, chairman of the Caricom group and Guyana President Irfaan Ali said: "We acknowledge his resignation upon the establishment of a transitional presidential council and naming of an interim prime minister."
President Ali said the transitional presidential council would have two observers and seven voting members, including representatives from several coalitions, the private sector and civil society, and one religious leader.
The council has been mandated to "swiftly" appoint an interim prime minister, he said, adding that anyone intending to run in Haiti's next elections will not be able to participate.
It is hoped the council will pave the way for the first elections in Haiti since 2016.
Haiti: The basics
The Caribbean country shares a border with the Dominican Republic and has an estimated population of 11.5 million
It has a land area of 27,800 sq km, which is slightly smaller than Belgium and about the same size as the US state of Maryland
Chronic instability, dictatorships and natural disasters in recent decades have left Haiti the poorest nation in the Americas
An earthquake in 2010 killed more than 200,000 people and caused extensive damage to infrastructure and the economy
A UN peacekeeping force was put in place in 2004 to help stabilise the country and only withdrew in 2017
In July 2021, President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated by unidentified gunmen in Port-au-Prince. Amid political stalemate, the country continues to be wracked by unrest and gang violence
The crash happened at Flamingo beach in Lanzarote (Picture: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A baby has been killed and several people have been injured after a car mounted a pavement and mowed down pedestrians in a popular tourist resort.
The vehicle mounted the pavement near the Hotel Flamingo in the resort of Playa Blanca on Lanzarote in the Canary Islands at around 6.30pm local time on Sunday.
Two female victims were seriously injured while another three people were also hurt.
Police, paramedics and an air ambulance were sent to the scene, and it’s understood that the driver of the car told police she’d suffered a steering problem.
A full police investigation is now underway – and there is nothing at this stage pointing to it being investigated as a terror incident.
Local reports suggest some of the victims are British tourists, but local police have not yet confirmed their nationalities.
A spokesman for a local emergency response centre said: ‘The incident occurred at 6.22pm local time. A baby aged five months died and six people suffered diverse injuries.
During assistance at the scene two women were found to have suffered serious multiple injuries in an initial evaluation and were transferred to Doctor Jose Molina Orosa Hospital in the island capital Arrecife.
‘Two other women with several moderate-level multiple injuries were also taken to the same hospital along with two men who had injuries to their lower limbs.
‘Seven land ambulances were sent to the scene and an air ambulance was also mobilised because of the seriousness of the incident along with a doctor and nurse from Playa Blanca Health Centre.
‘The other emergency responders included firefighters, Civil Protection workers, local police and the Civil Guard.
‘The first 999 calls that came in were about an incident in which a car had run over several people in Archipielago Avenue on the corner of Lanzarote Street.
‘The medicalised air ambulance was sent to Lanzarote Airport because it was anticipated one of the most seriously-injured women was going to be transferred to a hospital in Gran Canaria.
‘Local police will be tasked with producing a report on the incident.’
A statement from Yaiza Town Hall, which is responsible for Playa Blanca, said: ‘Yaiza Town Hall expresses its solidarity with the victims and their families after a number of people were run over in Playa Blanca.
‘Our total respect for the ongoing investigation by the authorities and our gratitude to the security forces and emergency responders involving in dealing with this tragic incident.’
Playa Blanca is the southernmost town in Lanzarote, about a 40-minute drive from the island’s airport.
"It is obvious that Ukraine cannot stand on its own feet," Mr Orban told Hungary's M1 TV channel late on Sunday.
"If the Americans don't give money and weapons, along with the Europeans, then the war is over. And if the Americans don't give money, the Europeans alone are unable to finance this war. And then the war is over."
He added that Mr Trump had "pretty detailed plans" on how to end the Russia-Ukraine war - but did not elaborate. The BBC has asked the Trump campaign for comment.
As president Mr Trump would have to sign off spending bills that come from Congress. He has in the past expressed scepticism that the US should go on funding Ukraine's defence.
At their Friday meeting in Mr Trump's Mar-a-Lago mansion, the former US president praised his guest. "There's nobody that's better, smarter, or a better leader than Viktor Orban. He's fantastic," he said.
During his US visit, Mr Orban did not meet current US President Joe Biden, who is expected to be Mr Trump's main rival in the presidential elections in November.
It is highly unusual for a visiting foreign leader to schedule talks with former counterparts without calling on the current leadership.
Reuters
The Hungarian prime minister has repeatedly drawn strong criticism from fellow EU leaders for maintaining close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, ever since he launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022.
Unlike many other Western nations, Mr Orban refuses to send weapons to its neighbour Ukraine, stating repeatedly that Kyiv is unable to win against a nuclear-armed Russia.
EU leaders are increasingly concerned that a second Trump presidency would see a significant reduction in US military and financial aid to Ukraine and also the Nato military alliance.
A $95bn (£75bn) foreign aid bill - including $60bn in military assistance to Ukraine - has been stalled in US Congress because of Republican opposition.
The Republicans - openly encouraged by Mr Trump - say they will not allow the bill to clear the final hurdle in the House of Representatives without first agreeing additional funding for US border security.
At a rally last month he told supporters the cash should be loaned rather than given without strings.
"They want to give them $60 billion more. Do it this way. Loan them the money. If they can make it, they pay us back."
Russian forces have recently made gains in eastern Ukraine, as Kyiv experiences acute shortages in ammunition.
Ukraine is critically dependent on weapons from the US, the main supplier, and other Western allies to keep fighting Russia - a much bigger military force with an abundance of artillery ammunition.
The Ukrainian film 20 Days in Mariupol, which was shot inside the besieged port city during the assault by Russian forces, has won the best documentary Oscar at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles.
Odesa came under a barrage of Russian drone attacks over Monday night and Tuesday morning, Ukraine’s military said on Telegram. It reported 10 Shahed-type drones were shot down. “Unfortunately, it was not possible to avoid the hits. In the Odesa district, an infrastructure facility was damaged, administrative buildings were damaged, and the fire was quickly extinguished.” Private houses had their windows smashed by the shock wave and debris damaged commercial buildings, the southern operational command said. No deaths or injuries were reported.
Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed as “virtual mediation” from a distance Pope Francis’s call for talks under a “white flag” with Russia. Ukraine’s president made no direct reference to Francis or his comments but mentioned religious figures helping inside Ukraine. “They support us with prayer, with their discussion and with deeds. This is indeed what a church with the people is,” Zelenskiy said. “Not 2,500km away, somewhere, virtual mediation between someone who wants to live and someone who wants to destroy you.”
Franciswas criticised after saying Ukraine should have the courage of the “white flag” and negotiate an end to the war with Russia. Some politicians and commentators in Europe reacted with anger after the pontiff appeared to stay silent on Russia’s crimes as aggressor in the invasion, which has killed tens of thousands, and placed the onus on Ukraine to make peace. Ukraine’s minister for foreign affairs, Dmytro Kuleba, wrote: “Our flag is a yellow and blue one. This is the flag by which we live, die and prevail. We shall never raise any other flags.”
Ukraine has “almost certainly” accelerated the construction of defensive positions on several areas of the frontline, according to a UK defence intelligence update. This includes anti-tank dragon’s teeth and ditches, infantry trenches, minefields and fortified defensive positions. The update adds this is indicative of the “attritional character” of the conflict, and attempts to breach “will highly likely be accompanied with high losses”.
UK vehicles that fall foul of London’s ultra-low emission zone (Ulez) rules can from next week be donated to Ukraine rather than being scrapped. Applicants will be able to donate vehicles in return for the same grant payment available to drivers who scrap or retrofit their vehicles – up to £2,000 ($2,600) – the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has announced.
Weapons imports to Europe doubled over the past five years, partly due to the Ukraine war, while exports from Russia halved, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri) has said. Ukraine has become the world’s fourth-largest arms importer, while France has replaced Russia as the world’s second-largest exporter behind the US.
Sipri noted that at least 30 countries had supplied major weapons as military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded in February 2022. Other European nations also increased imports, with a larger share coming from the world’s number one armourer, the US. China was traditionally one of the biggest recipients of Russian arms but has been pushing to develop its domestic production. China still accounted for 21% of Russian exports, while India was the biggest recipient with 34%.
Emmanuel Macron, the French president, should be able to visit Ukraine in the coming weeks, according to officials. Macron was supposed to go in February to sign a bilateral security accord with Zelenskiy but signed it in Paris instead. Two diplomatic sources said the French presidency was considering whether to include other western heads of state in the eventual trip, to show unity among allies and solidarity with Ukraine.
A fire broke out at an oil depot in Russia’s Kursk oblast after a Ukrainian drone was shot down over its grounds, Roman Starovoit, the region’s governor, said on Sunday, according to a report in the Kyiv Independent. The report said it could not verify the information, and Starovoit did not include any information on any casualties or damage to the oil depot.
Russian shelling of towns in eastern Ukraine killed three people on Sunday while a Russian strike on a residential building in the town of Myrnograd wounded a dozen, Kyiv said.
Ukraine also said Russian forces launched missile attacks on the north-eastern Kharkiv region and sent attack drones across the centre and south of the country. Russia, meanwhile, said one woman was killed in Ukrainian shelling of a border village.
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Officials saw the crescent moon Sunday night in Saudi Arabia, home to the holiest sites in Islam, marking the start of the holy fasting month of Ramadan for many of the world's 1.8 billion Muslims.
The sacred month, which sees those observing abstain from food and water from sunrise to sunset, marks a period of religious reflection, family get-togethers and giving across the Muslim world. Seeing the moon Sunday night means Monday is the first day of the fast.
Saudi state television reported authorities there saw the crescent moon.
This year's Ramadan comes as the Middle East remains inflamed by Israel's ongoing war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. That's raised fears that the conflict may spark unrest far beyond the current borders of the war. Meanwhile, inflation and high prices of food around the world since the pandemic continue to pinch
A woman shops for decorations for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan at a shop in Beirut, Lebanon
(Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
In Saudi Arabia, the kingdom had been urging the public to watch the skies from Sunday night in preparation for the sighting of the crescent moon. Ramadan works on a lunar calendar and moon-sighting methodologies often vary between countries, meaning some nations declare the start of the month earlier or later.
However, many Sunni-dominated nations in the Middle East follow the lead of Saudi Arabia, home to Mecca and its cube-shaped Kaaba that Muslims pray toward five times a day.
In Iran, which views itself as the worldwide leader of Islam's minority branch Shiites, authorities typically begin Ramadan a day after Sunnis start.
During Ramadan, those observing typically break their fast with a date and water, following the tradition set by the Prophet Muhammad. Then they'll enjoy an “iftar,” or a large meal. They'll have a pre-dawn meal, or “suhoor,” to sustain themselves during the daylight hours.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar; the month cycles through the seasons and the months in the Gregorian calendar.
Muslims try to avoid conflict and focus on acts of charity during the holy month. However, the war in the Gaza Strip is looming large over this year's Ramadan for many Muslims.
The war began Oct. 7 with Hamas' attack on Israel that killed some 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. Israel responded with a grinding war targeting the Gaza Strip that so far has seen over 30,000 Palestinians killed and an intense siege of the seaside enclave cutting off electricity, food and water.
Scenes of Palestinians praying before bombed-out mosques and chasing after food airdropped by foreign nations continue to anger those across the Middle East and the wider world. The U.S. has been pressuring Israel, which relies on American military hardware and support, to allow more food in as Ramadan begins. It also plans a sea corridor with other partners.
The war, as well as Israeli restrictions on Muslims praying at Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third-holiest site, may further inflame militant anger. The site is also known as the Temple Mount, which Jews consider their most sacred site.
The Islamic State group, which once held a self-described caliphate across territory in Iraq and Syria, has launched attacks around Ramadan as well. Though now splintered, the group has tried to capitalize on the Israel-Hamas war to raise its profile.
War also continues to rage across Sudan despite efforts to try and reach a Ramadan cease-fire.
By Paul Kirby in London & Alison Roberts in Lisbon
BBC News
Portugal's centre right has claimed a narrow election victory, but has little chance of forming a majority government.
Democratic Alliance leader Luís Montenegro told supporters that the Portuguese had voted for change, although the margin of victory was less than convincing.
Both main parties polled about 29% of the vote.
Only the far-right Chega could claim a clear-cut success.
Five years after it broke into Portuguese politics, the party led by former football pundit André Ventura has secured 18% of the vote and 48 seats in the 230-seat parliament.
Political commentators say Portugal is facing its most fragmented parliament since the end of its dictatorship half a century ago.
Ten million Portuguese had the chance to cast their vote in Sunday's snap election, four months after Socialist Prime Minister António Costa stood down amid corruption allegations, even though he was never named as a suspect.
It was Mr Costa who warned Portuguese TV viewers late on Sunday night that they could be heading for a "possible tie" between the Socialists (PS) and the centre-right Democratic Alliance, with only four seats outside Portugal yet to declare.
But not long afterwards, the man who replaced him as Socialist leader, Pedro Nuno Santos, conceded victory, announcing: "We are going to lead the opposition, we will renew the party and attempt to retrieve those Portuguese who are unhappy with the PS."
Luís Montenegro told supporters that he was now convinced that the president of the republic would hand the centre right the task of forming the next government.
"I always said winning the elections would mean having one vote more than any other candidate, and only in those circumstances would I accept to be prime minister."
With all the votes counted, other than the four external seats, his Democratic Alliance was on 79 seats, two more than his Socialist rivals.
He said the voters had made clear they wanted a new government, a change of policies and greater priority given to dialogue between political leaders.
Former centre-right leader Luís Marques Mendes said there had never been an election night like this before: "I think we'll have fresh elections early next year."
It had all looked so much clearer when exit polls gave the centre right a clearer margin of victory. Supporters chanted "Portugal, Portugal" as their leader's face appeared on TV screens.
Turnout was the highest for years, at 66%, even though the last elections were only two years ago.
What was soon evident was that the far-right Chega (Enough) party had cemented its bid to be the third force in Portuguese politics.
Reuters
André Ventura's party secured 18% of the vote, after a campaign focused on corruption and immigration.
A former centre-right councillor, he and his party have set their hopes on becoming a kingmaker, and they hailed an "absolutely historic" night.
"This is the night that two-party rule ended in Portugal," he told cheering supporters. "Chega has historically surpassed one million votes in Portugal."
Luís Montenegro has already condemned Mr Ventura, a former party colleague, as xenophobic and racist and in his victory speech he made clear he would not make any deals with him.
The populists made dramatic gains, especially in the south including the Algarve, but fared less well in the northern coastal city of Porto.
The centre right has not been without its own problems. The Social Democratic Party, which dominates the Democratic Alliance, has been implicated in a regional scandal in Madeira.
The Chega leader said his party was ready to help build the next government. But even though he has watered down some of his policies, abandoning demands for chemical castration for rapists, there seems little chance of him having any role at this stage.
It is also clear that the two big parties will not find enough common ground between themselves to form a government.
That leaves the centre right looking at months of minority government, with the difficult task of securing support for next year's budget in October.
Socialist Finance Minister Fernando Medina warned of a political picture of "great fragility and instability".
After years of economic gloom, the Socialists can claim to have returned Portugal to growth of 2.3% last year, even though forecasts for 2024 are less rosy.
However, salaries are low and rents are soaring, which have led to increased dissatisfaction with the centre left.
Former presidential candidate Ana Gomes suggested that many voters in the Algarve may have backed Chega because the government had failed to respond to people's problems such as price rises and cuts in water supplies.
