International

Haiti’s new Prime Minister, Garry Conille, promises to face the serious crisis

The new Prime Minister of Haiti, Garry Conille, pledged to work with the Presidential Transitional Council to solve the problems facing the country, plunged into an unprecedented socio-political crisis, as he said in a 9-minute message posted on his YouTube account.

“I am now committed to working closely with all the counselors to solve the urgent problems facing the country,” he said.

Conille assured that he is also committed to working for the success of the transition, before stressing that he has “accepted the position with great humility,” thanking the counselors and organizations that placed their trust in him.

He called his appointment a “great step forward” for Haiti, despite the crisis it is currently going through. Conille stated that, since his election by the Council, he has dialogued with the actors of the national and international community.

“The Presidential Council is already actively working to identify the profiles that will form the Government. We are going to work so that the Transitional Government reflects the courage, generosity, resilience and diversity of the Haitian people,” he said.

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“The average age of the Haitian population is 23 years old. So young people must be well represented. Half of the population are women. Women must find their place in the Government,” he said.

He promised that, together with the Presidential Transitional Council, he will do everything possible to find competent people with honest practices, who love his country and are willing to sacrifice themselves to fight for it.

Conille drew a critical picture of the situation in Haiti, which is going through a difficult period. “And despite the many sacrifices of the police, armed groups occupy a large part of the metropolitan region. They kill and rape without punishment,” he lamented.

“Several hundred thousand compatriots have been forced to leave their homes, almost half of the population does not have enough food to eat every day, and it is in difficult conditions that four million students go to school,” he recalled.

“Medicines, dispensaries and hospitals are becoming luxuries. Small merchants close their doors and the cost of living increases,” he said.

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“If we join, I can guarantee that we will get out of the situation we are in. I have always believed that there is no Haitian fatality,” Conille said, stating that he is sure that the country will get the final victory.

In his message he also said: “We will do everything possible to make this transition a success. And to make sure that our institutions are in place on time,” remembering that Haiti cannot lose and that the country will not lose.

The Presidential Transitional Council of Haiti, composed of seven members with voice and vote and two others with voice only, published on Thursday the decree appointing Garry Conille as prime minister in the official newspaper Le Moniteur, two days after electing him at the National Palace.

International

Trump Pushes for Regime Change in Cuba as Havana Confirms Talks With Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump has made no secret of his desire for political change in Cuba, located just 150 kilometers from the United States. Washington considers the island an “exceptional threat,” citing its close ties with Russia, Chinaand Iran, longtime allies of Havana.

Trump has urged Cuba to “reach a deal” with Washington or face consequences, as the island struggles with a severe energy crisis that has nearly paralyzed its economy after the United States cut oil shipments from Venezuela, its main fuel supplier. The U.S. has also warned other countries against selling fuel to Havana.

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel confirmed that Cuban officials have recently held talks with representatives of the U.S. government. The statement came during a meeting with senior members of the ruling Communist Party of Cuba and the executive committee of the Council of Ministers, according to footage broadcast on Cuban television.

“These conversations have been aimed at seeking solutions through dialogue to the bilateral differences that exist between our two nations,” Díaz-Canel said.

Reports of intermediaries and possible negotiations

According to television images, among those attending the meeting was Raúl Guillermo Rodríguez Castro, grandson of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro. Although he holds no official government position, U.S. media have identified him as a possible interlocutor with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in what have been described as secret discussions between Washington and Havana.

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For some Cubans, any potential agreement with Washington is viewed pragmatically. “As long as it benefits us, we can reach an agreement — but on our terms,” said Sergio Guerra, a 55-year-old agricultural vendor, speaking to AFP.

Díaz-Canel’s remarks confirm earlier statements by Trump, who indicated in January that his administration had already begun contacts with senior Cuban officials.

Mexico calls for diplomacy

Meanwhile, Mexico welcomed the possibility of dialogue after recently sending more than 2,000 tons of humanitarian aid to Cuba to help mitigate the crisis.

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her country would always promote peace and diplomatic dialogue, particularly in response to what she described as the long-standing injustice of the U.S. embargo on the Cuban people.

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International

U.S. Confirms Death of Six Crew Members in KC-135 Crash in Western Iraq

The United States confirmed on Friday that all six service members aboard a KC-135 refueling aircraft that crashed in western Iraq on Thursday have died, revising an earlier report that initially confirmed four fatalities.

The United States Central Command (CENTCOM), based in Florida, said the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation, but stressed that the loss of the aircraft was not caused by enemy or friendly fire.

With the deaths of the six crew members — whose identities have not yet been released — the total number of U.S. military personnel killed since the start of the conflict with Iran on February 28 has risen to 14.

According to U.S. officials, seven soldiers were killed in direct Iranian attacks, one died due to a medical emergency in Kuwait, and the remaining casualties occurred in the aircraft crash in Iraq.

Conflicting claims about the crash

A pro-Iranian militia known as Islamic Resistance in Iraq claimed responsibility for shooting down the aircraft, saying its fighters targeted the tanker using air defense systems, causing it to crash.

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The group later stated that it also attacked a second U.S. aircraft in western Iraq, which allegedly made an emergency landing at “one of the enemy’s airports,” while its crew escaped safely.

However, CENTCOM has rejected those claims and said it has no information confirming an attack on a second aircraft.

Iranian officials have also suggested that the tanker was struck by a missile fired by Iraqi armed groups, but the United States has not supported that assertion.

Second incident since conflict began

According to U.S. military reports, this is the second accident involving U.S. forces since the war began.

On Thursday, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford — the largest in the U.S. fleet — experienced a fire on board, leaving two Marines injured. CENTCOM said the incident was not related to enemy action.

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International

FBI Warns of Possible Iranian Drone Attack on U.S. West Coast

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned police departments in California about a possible Iranian plan to carry out a drone attack against the west coast of the United States, according to a report published Wednesday by ABC News.

The warning was issued through a memorandum sent to agencies participating in a Joint Terrorism Task Force, outlining the possibility of a surprise attack involving unmanned aerial vehicles launched from a vessel off the U.S. coastline.

According to the document, intelligence suggested that in early February 2026 Iran may have considered an attack against unspecified targets in California if the United States carried out airstrikes on Iranian territory.

However, the memo also noted that authorities lack additional details about the timing, method, specific targets, or individuals responsible for the alleged plan.

Reports cited by U.S. media indicate that the alert coincided with the start of a military offensive by the administration of Donald Trump against the Iran, a development that has heightened tensions across the Middle East.

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Law enforcement sources with counterterrorism experience told the Los Angeles Times that the warning is part of a routine precautionary advisory based on information from the U.S. Coast Guard.

The sources emphasized that there is no credible indication of an imminent attack and no evidence that Iran currently has the capability to successfully carry out such an operation.

California is home to the largest Iranian community in the United States. According to the Migration Policy Institute, more than half of Iranian immigrants in the country lived in the state in 2019, including around 140,000 people in Los Angeles County alone.

The city also hosts a neighborhood widely known as “Tehrangeles,” where a large Iranian community began settling in the 1960s and continued to grow following the Iranian Revolution.