CIA chief in Cuba... CIA Director John Ratcliffe made a rare visit to Havana yesterday to meet with Cuban officials in a bid to advance “the political dialogue between both nations,” the Cuban government said. Ratcliffe conveyed that Washington would “seriously engage” if Havana makes unspecified “fundamental changes,” an unnamed CIA official told Reuters. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said yesterday Cuba would accept an offer of $100 million in humanitarian aid from the United States.
…and leaks about U.S. judicial action. Unnamed U.S. officials also told multiple news outlets yesterday that the Justice Department was moving to indict former Cuban President Raúl Castro. It echoes the step taken against former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro before the U.S. raid to apprehend him in January. The Justice Department did not immediately comment.
Saudi pitch on regional pact. Riyadh has floated the idea of a regional nonaggression pact that includes Iran to its neighbors once the war is over, unnamed diplomats told the Financial Times. It could be based on the Helsinki process that managed tensions during the Cold War, two unnamed Western diplomats said; multiple European countries reportedly support the idea.
UK retreat from climate fund. The United Kingdom (UK) plans to halve its 2024-2027 contribution to the world’s largest government-backed climate fund, cutting around $1 billion, a spokesperson for the fund said. London cited an overall reduction in its foreign aid budget. The UK became the largest contributor to the fund after Trump withdrew a $4 billion pledge last year.
Pentagon mineral deals squad. A new team inside the Pentagon has been tasked with accelerating deals to supply the United States with rare earths using government funds and financing tools. China currently dominates the global supply chain. Some critics have warned the rush to sign deals could lead to insufficient screening of unproven companies or potential conflicts of interest, Bloomberg reported yesterday, though a Pentagon spokesperson said the team conducts “rigorous vetting.”
Iran-UAE tensions in BRICS. A BRICS foreign ministers meeting in New Delhi ended without a joint statement today after members voiced differing positions over the situation in the Middle East, host India said. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called for fellow BRICS member the United Arab Emirates (UAE) yesterday to reconsider its policy toward Tehran after accusing Abu Dhabi of facilitating military operations against it, according to Iranian state media.
Reported change for Adani case. The U.S. Justice Department is considering dropping corruption charges against Gautam Adani, India’s richest man, filed at the end of the Biden administration, unnamed sources told the New York Times. They added the move was part of a Trump administration retreat from pursuing foreign bribery cases. A spokesperson for Adani did not comment.
Fuel price hikes in India and Kenya. Both countries increased prices at the pump due to the global energy crunch since yesterday. India’s more than 3 percent increase at state-run fuel retailers is the first time New Delhi has passed on the international price hike to consumers. Kenya is raising prices by as much as 23.5 percent, following a 24.2 percent hike last month.
