Monday, November 11, 2024

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Trump taps fierce UN critic to serve as envoy to it


- 11/11/24

President-elect Trump’s nomination of Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations sets the stage for one of the organization’s most vocal and combative critics to have a powerful seat at its table.

Stefanik, 40, the fourth-ranking House Republican and a devoted Trump loyalist, has little foreign policy experience. But she has built a reputation over the last year as a leading champion of Israel, in part by repeatedly hammering the U.N. for its reproach of the country’s military response to last year’s attacks by Hamas. In September, she accused the organization of being infected by “antisemitic rot.”

Her nomination as America’s top envoy to the U.N. sends an early signal that Trump intends to side squarely with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a conservative Trump ally who has ignored President Biden’s calls for a regional cease-fire, as the Middle Eastern conflict expands and intensifies.

The posting also sends a broader message to the world that Trump’s “America First” approach — which envisions a shrinking role for the United States in world diplomacy and global affairs — is likely to reign supreme in his second term.

That strategy is likely to surface most prominently in Ukraine, where Trump has declined to commit more military support as Kyiv continues the years-long battle against Russia’s invading forces. Stefanik called for “devastating action” to defeat Russian President Vladimir Putin early in the war, but voted against a multibillion-dollar aid package to Ukraine earlier this year.

In accepting the nomination Monday, Stefanik defended Trump’s shift toward isolationism, suggesting it would nudge America’s allies into taking a more active role in the pursuit of global peace.

“America continues to be the beacon of the world,” she said in a statement, “but we expect and must demand that our friends and allies be strong partners in the peace we seek.”

Trump’s Republican allies on Capitol Hill quickly hailed the nomination on Monday, praising Stefanik as a “fantastic choice” for the position.

“She is extremely qualified for this new role in public service, and the House’s loss will be a huge gain for the Trump Administration and the country. There is nobody better to represent President Trump’s foreign policy and America’s values at the United Nations than Elise Stefanik,” House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) said in a statement.

But her promotion to global envoy is sure to ring alarm bells among both traditional conservatives, who still support a muscular defense of NATO and America’s overseas allies, and Democrats, who consider Stefanik to be an unscrupulous political opportunist and a blind sycophant to Trump.

“Trump’s pick of Rep. Stefanik is a gift to Vladamir Putin,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.), a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. “She abandoned Ukrainians in April, and this further signals Donald Trump and MAGA’s retreat from the global stage.”


Stefanik’s imminent jump to the administration immediately sparked the race to replace her in GOP leadership, with a handful of GOP lawmakers already announcing their bids. It could also complicate Trump’s ambitious 100-day legislative agenda by cutting into what is already expected to be a slim majority for the House Republicans.

Although Stefanik serves on the House Armed Services and Intelligence committees, she has made greater waves from her perch as a senior member of the Education and Workforce Committee, where she was in line for the gavel before jumping into House leadership.

But the New York Republican saw her star rise rapidly in December when, during a hearing of the Education committee, she questioned a trio of university presidents about antisemitism on their campuses following Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack on Israel — an episode that went viral and prompted two of the three leaders to resign from their posts.


Since then, the House GOP conference chair has made combating antisemitism a prime part of her portfolio on Capitol Hill, a posture that has included incisive criticism of the United Nations.

In October, for example, the New York Republican appeared to threaten U.S. funding for the U.N. over the Biden administration’s alleged “silence” regarding perceived antisemitism in the organization. The statement was in reaction to the Palestinian Authority eyeing an effort to expel Israel from the United Nations.

“Should the Palestinian Authority succeed in their antisemitic pursuit, it would result in a complete reassessment of U.S. funding of the United Nations. American taxpayers have no interest in continuing to fund an organization that Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have allowed to rot with antisemitism,” Stefanik wrote.


She also took a jab at the United Nations in her May address before the Israeli Knesset, when she became the highest-ranking House member to visit Israel after the Oct. 7 attack.

“When the enemy is inside the gates of the United Nations, America must be the one to call it by its name and destroy it,” Stefanik said. “President Trump understood that, and B’ezrat hashem, we will return to that strategy soon.”

Stefanik is already making clear that Israel will remain a top priority of hers if she is confirmed as ambassador: The congresswoman is scheduled to meet with Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Tuesday, according to The Times of Israel.

The nomination highlights Trump’s penchant for rewarding his most loyal allies with plum assignments. It also marks the culmination of Stefanik’s head-snapping turn from moderate lawmaker with a reputation for reaching across the aisle to fierce partisan who emerged as one of Trump’s most ardent defenders on Capitol Hill. That support first gained prominence during Trump’s first impeachment in 2019, and it only grew louder in the wake of the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

That loyalty to the former president was quickly rewarded in the months following the rampage when House Republicans — infuriated that Rep. Liz Cheney (Wyo.), a member of their own leadership ranks, had voted to impeach Trump for his role in the attack — voted to oust Cheney and promote Stefanik as the conference chair.

As House investigators began examining the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, Stefanik blamed then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for the rampage. It was a familiar argument — one initiated by Trump.

UN officials plan to charm Stefanik

Officials at the international body believe they’re better off working with Trump’s envoy than fighting with her.


Elise Stefanik is a onetime moderate Republican who has transformed herself into a pro-Donald Trump loyalist. | Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

By Nahal Toosi and Robbie Gramer
11/11/2024
POLITICO US

U.N. officials worry that when President-elect Donald Trump takes office, he’ll slash the organization’s funding and trash it over alleged anti-Israel bias.

But when Elise Stefanik — Trump’s pick to be the new ambassador to the institution — arrives, she’ll be greeted with a smile.

That’s because U.N. officials are generally of the mind that embracing the new envoy is the best way to mitigate what is likely to be a damaging four years under Trump, according to eight U.N. diplomats and others who are in touch with officials there.

U.N. officials were more prepared for the possibility of a Trump victory this year than in 2016. They know from experience that there’s no point in picking a fight with the new envoy, who is on a glide-path to confirmation by the Republican-controlled Senate after Trump takes office. Instead, U.N. officials are likely to put on a charm offensive, from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to the lowliest staff assistant.

“It’s in any secretary general’s interest to have the most constructive possible relationship with a U.S. permanent representative,” a senior U.N. diplomat said, noting that Guterres saw himself as getting along well with Trump during the president-elect’s first term. “She seems to have a close relationship with Trump, and that’s what matters.”

Like others interviewed, the diplomat was granted anonymity to speak candidly.

An African diplomat in touch with U.N. officials said the sentiment was widespread in New York’s Turtle Bay neighborhood, where memories are still fresh about Trump’s first term.

“Now they all know they need to work with [the Trump administration], and it’s better to work with them than fight them,” the African diplomat said.

Stefanik, a GOP House member from New York, has publicly berated the U.N. for perceived anti-Israel bias, including by criticizing some of the resolutions passed by the organization. She has said the U.S. should consider funding cuts to punish the U.N. for such actions.

Such statements don’t surprise U.N. officials. Still, many at the U.N. believe Stefanik’s close relationship to Trump means she will speak for him with no caveats — a clarity that can prove useful in diplomacy.

Aides to Stefanik did not respond to requests for comment.

U.N. diplomats had eagerly anticipated Trump’s choice for the role since he won election this month. Stefanik wasn’t on many of their radars until last week. But her history only added to expectations that the incoming administration will prioritize cutting U.N. funding and promoting a pro-Israel vision.

Stefanik is a onetime moderate Republican who has transformed herself into a pro-Trump loyalist. She stood up for Trump relentlessly when he faced impeachment.



Many at the U.N. believe Stefanik’s close relationship to Trump means she will speak for him with no caveats — a clarity that can prove useful in diplomacy. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

She’s also been one of the most pro-Israel voices in Congress. She drew the spotlight by slamming university leaders for their responses to antisemitism on college campuses amid protests against the Israel-Hamas war.

She has voiced support for cutting U.N. funding because of perceived anti-Israel bias at the world body. But Republicans have also long had other reasons for wanting to reduce U.S. support for the U.N., including questions about its effectiveness and allegations of previous corruption.

Several U.N.-based diplomats warned that if Trump reduces U.S. funding, he may not like the trade-offs.

“Whatever the MAGA team may think of the U.N., it’s also true that China will fill whatever vacuum they leave behind,” warned one of them. If confirmed for the job, Stefanik will need to balance Trump’s desire to act tough on China with his distaste for the world body.

Turtle Bay is, however, bracing for an era of austerity. U.N. officials have said for months that, independent of potential U.S. funding cuts, they’ve been looking at liquidity issues and seeking ways to save money.

Several U.N. diplomats said they expected the U.S. to zero-out funding for the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, or UNRWA, which oversees aid to Gaza entirely. “We have to plan as if U.S. funding for UNRWA will never come back,” said a U.N.-based diplomat.

Some diplomats contend U.S. cuts to the U.N. — an issue on which Congress would get a say — can be managed if they aren’t too steep.

“We’re in a more resilient position for core funding … than we were three, four years ago,” the senior U.N. diplomat said.

But plenty of people at the U.N. are nervous about the money flow, and they speak of it in terms of exhaustion. They question whether the U.S. is still reliable.

“It’s not related to her,” one U.N. diplomat said of Stefanik. “It’s the basic question, what is going to be the stand of the U.S.?”

Trump is putting Stefanik in his Cabinet, but her influence may be hemmed in by the future secretary of State and national security adviser, both key diplomatic players in any administration.

When Nikki Haley served as Trump’s U.N. ambassador during his first term, she did not get along with his first secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, and created her own power center. The former South Carolina governor claimed in a memoir that Tillerson tried to persuade her to work with him to undermine Trump. Tillerson has denied this.

But there also were rumblings that Haley was drawing too much attention in an administration where the president liked the limelight. One senior White House official said Haley “flew too close to the sun.” Haley subsequently ran against Trump for the GOP presidential nomination, and he declared on Saturday that he would not invite her to serve in his second administration.

Based on her history with Trump so far, Stefanik is unlikely to try to outshine or outmaneuver the president-elect.

While Stefanik has little diplomatic background, her time in the GOP House leadership has given her experience that can come in handy at the United Nations, where persuading other countries to vote for your priorities is critical.

“A lot of what you learn in leadership in the House of Representatives carries over to how you put together a coalition in New York — it’s the same skill set,” said Peter Yeo, senior vice president of the U.N. Foundation.

Nick Reisman contributed to this report from Albany, New York.


Top Trump White House pick has strong view on Canada's government. It's not flattering

Trump's reported choice for national security adviser can't wait to see the Liberals lose next election

Man points up while speaking on podium
Mike Waltz, seen speaking during the Republican convention in July, is reportedly Donald Trump's pick for national security advisor. (Scott Applewhite/The Associated Press)

The man reportedly tapped for the top international role inside the Trump White House isn't just predicting the defeat of Canada's Trudeau government: He's celebrating it.

Mike Waltz has a vast digital footprint on international issues in his six years as a congressman, following careers in business, defence policy, and as a decorated special-forces veteran.

He's been selected by Donald Trump for the powerful position of national security adviser in the next White House, a multitude of U.S. media outlets reported Monday evening, though Trump did not publicly comment on any of these reports.

His online commentary emphasizes his view that U.S. allies must pull their weight on security issues, including with regards to China, which he views as a serious national-security threat.

Waltz predicts Liberals will lose next election

His unflattering opinion of the Trudeau government is manifest in a string of social media comments over the years, including one happily predicting its demise in the next election.

Earlier this year, he posted a video from Canada's question period where opposition leader Pierre Poilievre ridiculed Trudeau's housing policies.

"This guy is going to send Trudeau packing in 2025 (finally) and start digging Canada out of the progressive mess it's in," Waltz posted on the X social media platform.

"His trolling of Trudeau's nonsense worth a watch!"

Waltz's criticisms of Trudeau were frequently related to China.

He called Trudeau shameful for abstaining from a vote on Chinese genocide of Muslim Uyghurs. He referred in different social media posts to China interfering in Canada's elections. 

"This is a MASSIVE scandal," he said in one post. 

He lamented Trudeau's government allowing the sale of a lithium mine to a Chinese-state owned entity. This was two years ago, and Canada has since moved to boot those Chinese state owners from certain critical-minerals sites.

Waltz also complained about Chinese donors pledging $1 million to the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and reportedly wanting to erect a statue of the first Chinese communist leader outside a Montreal university.

The Florida congressman has other connections to Canada.

His other Canadian connection: pipeline business

His wife, Julia Nesheiwat, is a vice president for Calgary-based TC Energy Corp.; it's the energy company formerly known as TransCanada, builder of the ill-fated Keystone XL oil pipeline.

Waltz's social media posts are now a window into a substantive reality awaiting Canada on Jan. 20, when the new administration takes office.

The Trump team is expected to press, aggressively, for allies including Canada to take defence spending and security more seriously.

This will unfold amid threats from Trump to punish all countries, including allies, with trade measures including a minimum 10 per cent tariff on imports.

Canada's argument against those tariffs is expected to include the point that it is a contributor to U.S. security — as a supplier of oil, and potentially minerals, that lessen American dependence on overseas countries, including China.

It's an argument Waltz would presumably know well — given his personal connection to TC Energy. 

Waltz also delivered a shoutout to former prime minister Stephen Harper at an international gathering of conservatives in 2022.

His comments about the next Canadian election point to another dynamic looming over the coming months: The question of whether Canada-U.S. talks on sensitive issues, like tariffs and defence spending, will happen mostly before or after Canada's election. 

Waltz: NATO allies need to 'step up' defence spending

Waltz holds standard Republican views on some international issues.

He was passionately supportive of helping Ukraine, certainly in the aftermath of Russia's invasion, but, as his party grew more skeptical, he echoed that sentiment.

He's mocked NATO allies for doing the bare minimum in meeting defence spending commitments.

Waltz joked in one post about European countries meeting the two per cent spending target, saying it was like "congratulating the F student on getting a D. We need our allies to step up, instead of letting them off and making American taxpayers foot the bill!"

His track record of commenting on Canada dwarfs that of the rumoured next secretary of state, Sen. Marco Rubio.

In the past, Rubio has frequently mentioned working with Canada in a failed attempt to isolate Venezuela's Maduro government.

That said, he did express his disgust with how warmly Trudeau eulogized Fidel Castro after the Cuban dictator's death in 2016.

"Is this a real statement or a parody?" Rubio, a son of Cuban immigrants, tweeted at the time. "Because if this is a real statement from the PM of Canada it is shameful & embarrassing."

Another nominee for a senior role is even better versed on Canadian issues.

Lawmaker Elise Stefanik, tapped to be Trump's UN ambassador, serves in a border district in New York, is knowledgeable on cross-border files, and used to co-lead a congressional group focused on Canadian affairs before rising to national prominence as an aggressive Trump defender.

Countries promised to ditch fossil fuels. Instead they’re booming.


The U.N. Climate Change Conference, or COP29, starts as the world’s nations have failed to deliver on the central pledge of last year’s negotiations.

By Chico Harlan
November 10, 2024 

When nations at last year’s global climate conference historically agreed to transition away from coal, oil and gas, Australia’s climate minister predicted that the “age of fossil fuels will end.” Norway’s foreign minister lauded countries for at last tackling the climate crisis “head-on.” President Joe Biden said the deal put the world “one significant step closer” to its climate goals.

But one year later, these same wealthy countries are undercutting it, by scaling up exports and launching new fossil fuel projects that could last for decades. At the same time, major oil companies have weakened their climate pledges.

As world leaders gather Monday in Azerbaijan to open COP29, the moves are fueling a sense among scientists and policy professionals that the world has squandered a crucial year and raising questions about how effectively the annual U.N. climate conference can address this core part of planetary warming.

One think tank analysis chronicles how countries are on course for an “oil and gas exploration spree” in the wake of the pledge. Using industry data, it listed the United States, Norway and Australia, as well as China, among the 10 largest issuers of drilling permits in the past 12 months — and said huge blocks will come up for bidding over the next months. The United States is producing more oil than any country, ever — a trajectory that is set to accelerate with the election of Donald Trump, who referred to oil and gas as “liquid gold” in a victory speech.

“This is not some mid-century goal. We have no time. And that is the piece that countries did not take seriously when they went home” from last year’s conference in Dubai, said Rachel Cleetus, the policy director with the climate and energy program at the Union of Concerned Scientists.

The world has only about five years left at current emissions levels before it exceeds the carbon budget projected to keep temperature increases below 1.5 Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit), a key goal of the Paris agreement, a treaty brokered in 2015 to reduce emissions signed by 194 countries and the European Union. Based on carbon budget figures in a recent U.N. emissions report, humanity could generate greenhouse gases at current levels for roughly another 22 years before breaking the budget for keeping temperatures below 2 Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

Heading into COP29, the two-week conference in Baku, the Azerbaijani capital, global electricity demand is soaring faster than renewables come online, prolonging the opportunity for fossil fuels. Earlier this year, the CEO of Saudi Aramco said the world should “abandon the fantasy” of an oil and gas phaseout. If Trump again pulls the United States from the Paris agreement, and the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change altogether, it will set an example that countries that heavily contributed to driving up the Earth’s temperature can’t be depended upon to help solve it.

The agreement in Dubai marked the first time nations had ever specifically mentioned the use of fossil fuels, which account for about 90 percent of the planet-warming emissions pumped into the atmosphere. The deal called for “accelerating action in this critical decade,” a nod to science showing the world must curb emissions — right away — to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius compared with preindustrial levels.

But under current policies, the world is on track to blow past this threshold — all as deadly and costly disasters, amplified by emissions, strike in one continent after the next.

Industry players say that they are playing a responsible role and have committed to significantly limiting emissions of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. They also note that they are providing a measure of geopolitical stability in meeting the high energy demand.

In Baku, the issue of fossil fuels will have a secondary place on the agenda. That is partly because of the cyclical nature of the talks and because only a few issues — this year, finance for vulnerable countries — can be prioritized in the consensus-based system. Host Azerbaijan, whose economy relies on oil and gas income, didn’t mention the fossil fuel transition in its opening letter for delegations.

But it also reflects a reality: Many of the obstacles to the energy transition cannot be resolved in international talks.

Politicians in most countries are reluctant to take on the influential fossil fuel lobby. Oil and gas remain highly profitable businesses — and even if the market dwindles, companies make competing claims to stay on as the last providers. Regulations and incentives can boost renewables, but for now, most major fossil fuel companies are investing just a sliver of their revenue into cleaner fuels and technologies.

“We’re dealing with companies that want to go on with oil and gas as long as possible,” said Mark van Baal, a Dutch activist investor who has pushed for greener policies in fossil fuel companies. “This is their comfort zone. This is how they got to the top of the pyramid.”

Van Baal cited Shell, the world’s fourth-largest oil and gas company, as one example. In 2021, the company had announced a series of groundbreaking emissions-reduction targets. But this year, the company, under a new CEO, watered down an emissions-reduction target for 2030 and eliminated the target for 2035 — which had originally called for a 45 percent reduction in the carbon intensity of its productions.

The company says it plans to expand its production of liquefied natural gas, the least emissions-intensive fossil fuel, and keep oil production flat for the rest of the decade.

A Shell spokeswoman said that Shell is making “good progress on our climate targets” and supports the goals of the Paris agreement. Shell CEO Wael Sawan said that “while the world still relies on oil, we will supply it — but with lower emissions.”

Van Baal said that the policies of companies such as Shell amount to a bet “on the failure of Paris.”

Clean power did make some gains last year. In September, Britain — the birthplace of coal-fired power — shuttered its last coal plant. The country’s new prime minister, Keir Starmer, ruled out issuing new licenses for oil and gas drilling off the Scottish coast. And globally, according to the energy think tank Ember, strong uptake of solar and wind power drove the share of renewables in the global electricity mix above the 30 percent mark. Globally, investment in clean energy is twice the amount going to fossil fuels.

But the International Energy Agency says the boom in renewables won’t by itself squeeze space for oil, gas and coal quickly enough. In a 2023 report on how the world might reach carbon neutrality by 2050, the agency said that fossil fuels would have to flip from providing four-fifths of the global energy supply to less than one-fifth. The decline would be significant enough that, as of 2023, the world would no longer need new large-scale oil and gas projects.

But these projects are taking off nonetheless.

The International Institute for Sustainable Development, which tracks oil and gas data, says that countries this year have issued permits that could emit more than 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide, if fully tapped. That figure — equal to about 3.5 percent of the world’s annual output — is part of a downward trend over the past decade.

But the institute says that there is a “massive surge” forthcoming, with countries planning over the next six months to issue licenses that could account — if fully tapped — for 15 billion tons of emissions. That’s roughly one-quarter of the global emissions output in a year.

“It’s a bid of a Damocles sword hanging over our head,” said Olivier Bois von Kursk, an IISD policy adviser. He noted that Australia and the United States will be among the biggest issuers in the next bidding rounds. They are countries that have the wealth to transition away more quickly; leaders from poorer, more vulnerable nations have called on them to take on the leading role.

“These are net exporters that are claiming to be climate leaders while expanding their emissions,” he said. “I think it is absolutely indefensible at this point.”

António Guterres, the U.N. secretary general, said earlier this year that the largest emitters must lead in the phaseout and stop their expansion “immediately.”

“When governments sign new oil and gas licenses, they are signing away our future,” he said.



















COP29 held in the shadow of a re-elected Trump and a problematic host

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Delegates at COP29, the annual UN climate conference, will have to navigate the scrutiny of another petro-state host in Azerbaijan and the expected retreat of U.S. climate policy under a re-elected Donald Trump. CBC’s international climate correspondent Susan Ormiston breaks down the hurdles standing between COP and meaningful climate action.





Mattel says it 'deeply' regrets misprint on 'Wicked' dolls packaging that links to porn site

November 11, 2024 
Cynthia Erivo, left, and Ariana Grande arrive at the premiere of "Wicked" on Nov. 9, 2024, at Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.
 (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP, File)

NEW YORK (AP) — Toy giant Mattel says it “deeply” regrets an error on the packaging of its “Wicked” movie-themed dolls, which mistakenly links toy buyers to a pornographic website.

The error gained attention on social media over the weekend, where numerous users shared photos of the URL printed on the back of the boxes for the special edition dolls, which feature characters from the movie adaptation of “Wicked” set to hit theaters later this month. Instead of linking to Universal Pictures' official WickedMovie.com page, the website listed leads to an adult film site that requires consumers to be over 18 to enter.

In a statement sent to The Associated Press, Mattel said it was “made aware of a misprint on the packaging of the Mattel Wicked collection dolls," which it said are primarily sold in the U.S. “We deeply regret this unfortunate error and are taking immediate action to remedy this,” the company added.


Mattel did not confirm whether this action included removing unsold products with the incorrect link from stores. But as of Monday morning, at least some of these “Wicked” dolls appeared to be no longer available or not in stock on sites like Amazon, Target and Mattel's.

In the meantime, the company is advising consumers who already have the dolls to discard their packaging or obscure the link — and contact Mattel's customer service for more information.

Mattel unveiled its special “Wicked” collection earlier this year. Back in July, a promotion shared on Instagram showed Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who star as Elphaba and Glinda in Universal Pictures' upcoming film, seeing the line's singing dolls for the first time.

The beloved Broadway musical has been split into two parts for its movie adaptation. The first chapter of “Wicked” will hit theaters on Nov. 22, with part two set for a fall 2025 release.


The Associated Press

 

Spirit Airlines flight hit by gunfire as gang violence shuts down Haiti's main airport

Violence comes on same day that a new interim prime minister was sworn in

A police officer looks on during an exchange of gunfire between gangs and police in Haiti
A police officer looks on during an exchange of gunfire between gangs and police in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Monday. Firefights between gangs and police broke out in parts of Haiti's capital, the same day a new interim prime minister was expected to take over. (Odelyn Joseph/The Associated Press)

Haiti's international airport shut down on Monday after gangs opened fire at a commercial flight landing in Port-au-Prince, prompting some airlines to temporarily suspend operations as the country swore in a new interim prime minister who promised to restore peace.

The Spirit Airlines flight headed from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Port-Au-Prince was close to landing in Haiti's capital when gangs shot at the plane, striking a flight attendant, who suffered minor injuries, according to the airline, the U.S. Embassy and flight tracking data. The flight was diverted and landed in the Dominican Republic.

Photos and videos obtained by The Associated Press show bullet holes dotting the interior of a plane.

The shooting appeared to be part of what the U.S. Embassy called "gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince, which may include armed violence and disruptions to roads, ports and airports."

Spirit, JetBlue and American Airlines said Monday they were cancelling flights to and from Haiti. Air Transat also said in a statement it has cancelled its Nov. 13 flights between Montreal and Port-au-Prince.

A man lays on the sidewalk while another man crouches above him with a gun as they hide behind a car avoiding gunfire.
Journalists take cover from the exchange of gunfire between gangs and police in Port-au-Prince on Monday. (Odelyn Joseph/The Associated Press)

JetBlue Airways said late on Monday it will extend a halt to all flights to and from Haiti through Dec. 2 after damage from a bullet to a plane returning from Port-au-Prince was discovered.

Earlier, the U.S. Embassy in Haiti issued a travel warning saying that the city's airport was shut down due to "gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince, which may include armed violence and disruptions to roads, ports and airports."

"The U.S. Embassy is aware of a temporary pause in operations at [Toussiant Louverture International Airport] as of Nov. 11," the embassy's statement said. "The security situation in Haiti is unpredictable and dangerous."

In other parts of Haiti's capital, firefights between gangs and police broke out. Rounds of gunfire echoed through the streets as heavily armed officers ducked behind walls and civilians ran in terror. In other upper-class areas, gangs set fire to homes. Schools closed as panic spread in a number of areas.

New PM sworn in Monday

The turmoil comes a day after a council meant to re-establish democratic order in the Caribbean country fired the interim prime minister, Garry Conille, replacing him with businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé. The council has been marked by infighting and three members were recently accused of corruption.

As he was sworn in, Fils-Aimé said his top priorities were to restore peace to the crisis-stricken country and hold elections, which haven't been held in Haiti since 2016.

A man gives the thumbs-up during a ceremony.
Haiti's new interim prime minister, Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, centre, reacts after his inauguration ceremony in Port-au-Prince on Monday. (Odelyn Joseph/The Associated Press)

"There is a lot to be done to bring back hope," he said before a room of suit-clad diplomats and security officials. "I'm deeply sorry for the people ... that have been victimized, forced to leave everything they own."

The country has seen weeks of political chaos, which observers warned could result in even more violence in a place where bloodshed has become the new normal. The country's slate of gangs have long capitalized on political turmoil to make power grabs, shutting down airports, shipping ports and stirring chaos.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Haiti Prime Minister Garry Conille shake hands. Both men are wearing suits and are shown standing in front of two arm chairs.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, right, meets with Garry Conille, then the Haitian prime minister, at United Nations headquarters in New York on Sept. 23. (Sean Kilpatrick/The Canadian Press)

The United Nations estimates that gangs control 85 per of the capital of Port-au-Prince, while a UN-backed mission led by Kenyan police to quell gang violence struggles with a lack of funding and personnel, prompting calls for a UN peacekeeping mission.

Louis-Henri Mars, executive director of Lakou Lape, an organization working on peace building in violent areas of Haiti, said the political fighting has "allowed the gangs to have more freedom to attack more neighbourhoods in the city and expand their control of Port-au-Prince. Civilians, he fears, will suffer the consequences.

"There will be more lives lost, more internal displacement and more hunger in a country where half the population is on the brink of starvation," he said.

The transitional council was established in April, tasked with choosing Haiti's next prime minister and cabinet, with the hope that it would help quell violence, which exploded after Haitian President Jovenel Moise was assassinated in 2021.

Transitional council plagued by infighting

The council was meant to pave the way to democratic elections. Gangs have capitalized on that power vacuum to make their own power grabs.

Conille railed against the council's decision to fire him, calling it an illegal overreach of its powers.

"This resolution, taken outside of any legal and constitutional framework, raises serious concerns about its legitimacy and its repercussions on the future of our country," he wrote in a letter.

WATCH | Flight attendant was grazed by bullet: 
Haiti’s international airport closed Monday after a passenger plane was hit by gunfire, reportedly injuring a Spirit Airlines crew member.

Organizations, including the Organization of American States, tried and failed last week to mediate disagreements in an attempt to save the fragile transition.

On Monday, UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric urged all involved in Haiti's democratic transition "to work constructively together," although he stopped short of offering an opinion on the move to oust Conille.

"Overcoming their differences and putting the country first remains critical," he said. "What is important is that Haitian political leaders put the interests of Haiti first and foremost."

With files from CBC News and Reuters


Flight from Florida to Haiti diverted after gunfire hits plane over Port-au-Prince


Travellers walk in front of the Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince in May 2024. (Orlando Barria/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/File via CNN Newsource)

Caitlin Stephen Hu, Michael Rios and Ivana Kottasová
CNN
Digital
Updated Nov. 11, 2024 


Haiti swore in a new prime minister on Monday after a Spirit Airlines plane was hit by gunfire over the country’s capital Port-au-Prince, according to a diplomatic source in the country. The incident resulted in what the airline described as “minor injuries” to one of its crew members.

Spirit said Monday that its flight 951 from Fort Lauderdale in Florida to Port-au-Prince was diverted and landed in Santiago in the Dominican Republic, where “an inspection revealed evidence of damage to the aircraft consistent with gunfire.”The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App

The airline said one of its flight attendants reported minor injuries and was being evaluated by medical personnel and that no other injuries were reported. It added that the aircraft has been taken out of service, and Spirit services to Port-au-Prince and Cap-Haitien have been suspended.

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Data reviewed by CNN from FlightRadar24 showed the plane descending to an altitude of 550 feet over Port-au-Prince’s Tabarre neighborhood, just east of the airport, before pulling up quickly and bypassing the runway.

Toussaint Louverture International Airport in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s main international airport, has since paused operations following the incident, the diplomatic source told CNN.

The Haitian-based commercial airline Sunrise Airways told CNN that it has suspended flights until further notice. US-based carriers JetBlue and American Airlines have also cancelled flights to and from Haiti until Thursday.

Haiti has been ridden with widespread gang activity and political chaos for nearly a year, with international actors also impacted by direct violence in recent weeks. Last month, a United Nations helicopter was also hit by bullets while flying over Port-au-Prince. And in a separate incident in October, gangs targeted US embassy vehicles with gunfire, later prompting the evacuation of 20 embassy staffers.

In late February and early March, coordinated gang attacks forced the closure of both the airport and main seaport in the Haitian capital, choking off vital supplies of food and humanitarian aid to the Caribbean nation.

Police officers patrol the area during an exchange of gunfire between gangs and police in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
New prime minister

The latest incident comes amid escalating political turmoil, following a vote by Haiti’s Transitional Presidential Council to replace Prime Minister Garry Conille after less than half a year in office.

Businessman Alix Didier Fils-Aimé was formally sworn in as Haiti’s new prime minister on Monday at a ceremony attended by various government officials in Port-au-Prince.

He pledged to restore democracy and security across the country, which has been plagued by deadly gang violence for years. “We are in a transition, an immense project. Of course, the essential first project — and one necessary to the success of the transition — is the reestablishment of security!” he declared, drawing applause from those in attendance.


Haiti's new Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé, right, shakes hands with Transition Council President Leslie Voltaire during his swearing-in ceremony in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)

The transitional council tapped Didier Fils-Aimé for the job after eight of its nine voting members signed a declaration on November 8 to replace Conille, who had been in office for less than a year.Read more of the latest international headlines(opens in a new tab)

Copies of the signed declaration were leaked over the weekend and published on the country’s official gazette early Monday.

In a statement shared with CNN on Sunday, council member Fritz Jean said the council reached its decision after considering several issues with Conille’s tenure as prime minister. Among them, Jean said Conille had made decisions without informing the council and took on the duties of the president, such as engaging in diplomatic affairs.

Conille has not yet publicly commented on the resolution. CNN has reached out to the prime minister’s office for comment.

Conille’s predecessor Ariel Henry stepped down earlier this year amid spiraling gang violence.

Journalists take cover from the exchange of gunfire between gangs and police in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Monday, Nov. 11, 2024. (AP Photo/Odelyn Joseph)
Maryland

FIRST BLACK WOMAN GENERAL USA

Harriet Tubman awarded posthumous rank of general on Veterans Day


Tubman helped free several Black people from slavery and led soldiers on a gunboat raid during US civil war



Associated Press
Mon 11 Nov 2024 

The revered abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who was the first woman to oversee an American military action during a time of war, was posthumously awarded the rank of general on Monday.

Dozens gathered on Veterans Day at the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad state park in Maryland’s Dorcester county for a formal ceremony making Tubman a one-star brigadier general in the state’s national guard.

View image in fullscreenHarriet Tubman in a photograph dating from 1860-75, provided by the Library of Congress. Photograph: Harvey B Lindsley/AP

Wes Moore, the governor, called the occasion not just a great day for Tubman’s home state but for all of the US.

“Today, we celebrate a soldier and a person who earned the title of veteran,” Moore said. “Today we celebrate one of the greatest authors of the American story.”

Tubman escaped slavery herself in 1849 and settled in Philadelphia. Intent on helping others achieve freedom, she established the Underground Railroad network and led other enslaved Black women and men to freedom. She then channeled those experiences as a scout, spy and nurse for the Union amy during the civil war, helping guide 150 Black soldiers on a gunboat raid in South Carolina.

Nobody would have judged Tubman had she chosen to remain in Philadelphia and coordinate abolitionist efforts from there, Moore said.

“She knew that in order to do the work, that meant that she had to go into the lion’s den,” Moore siad. “She knew that leadership means you have to be willing to do what you are asking others to do.”

The reading of the official order was followed by a symbolic pinning ceremony with Tubman’s great-great-great-grandniece, Tina Wyatt.

Wyatt hailed her aunt’s legacy of tenacity, generosity and faith, and agreed Veterans Day applied to her as much as any other service member.

“Aunt Harriet was one of those veterans informally, she gave up any rights that she had obtained for herself to be able to fight for others,” Wyatt said. “She is a selfless person.”

Tubman’s status as an icon of history has only been further elevated within the last few years. The city of Philadelphia chose a Black artist to make a 14-ft (4.3m) bronze statue to go on display next year. In 2022, a Chicago elementary school was renamed for Tubman, replacing the previous namesake, who had racist views. However, plans to put Tubman on the $20 bill have continued to stall.

Feb 14, 2019 ... While some moved on to other parts of Canada West, many of those Tubman aided, including members of her family, remained in St. Catharines. They ...

Half bust portrait of Harriet Tubman situated in a meditation garden next to British Methodist Episcopal Church of Canada-Salem Chapel, St. Catharines, Ontario.

Feb 5, 2014 ... According to the act, all refugee slaves in free Northern states could be returned to enslavement in the South once captured. Tubman therefore ...