CUBA’S PRESIDENT REJECTS CALLS TO STEP DOWN AMID ESCALATING TENSIONS WITH TRUMP ADMINISTRATION. (PHOTO).

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Cuba’s president rejects calls to step down amid escalating tensions with Trump administration Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said he will not step down from office, rejecting suggestions that he should resign during an interview conducted in Havana in his first appearance with a U.S. broadcast network. When asked whether he would consider leaving office to help stabilize the country, Díaz-Canel pushed back sharply, saying Cuba’s leadership is not chosen by the United States and insisting the nation operates as a sovereign state. He added that stepping down “is not part of our vocabulary,” and defended Cuba’s political system as one based on domestic elections at the local level. The exchange comes amid heightened tensions between Havana and Washington, with the Trump administration increasing pressure on Cuba and openly calling for political change on the island. U.S. officials have described Cuba as facing deep economic challenges and have argued that reforms to its leadership and...

DJIBOUTI HOLDS PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WITH INCUMBENT GUELLEH SET FOR SIXTH TERM. (PHOTO).


 Djibouti holds presidential election with incumbent Guelleh set for sixth term


Voters in the small Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti cast ballots for president on Friday, with longtime leader Ismaïl Omar Guelleh expected to secure a sixth term in office after lawmakers scrapped presidential age limits last year.


Guelleh, 78, has ruled the country of about 1 million for more than two decades. The results of the 2021 election showed him winning nearly 99% of the vote.


He faces a single challenger, Mohamed Farah Samatar, a former ruling party member, in a race analysts say offers weak competition. Opposition groups frequently boycott elections, citing restrictions on political freedoms, while authorities point to stability in a volatile region, AP reported.


Guelleh succeeded his uncle, former President Hassan Gouled Aptidon, in 1999, extending a family-led system that has shaped the country’s politics for decades.


Regional significance


Djibouti hosts multiple foreign military bases, including those of the U.S., China, France and Japan, underscoring its strategic importance along a key global shipping route linking the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. Revenues from these arrangements, along with port services for neighbouring Ethiopia, underpin the economy.


But that model leaves Djibouti exposed to external shocks. It depends heavily on Ethiopia’s use of its ports, while global disruptions — including Red Sea shipping insecurity — pose risks to revenue. Rising geopolitical competition and debt exposure, particularly to China, also add to longer-term uncertainty.


Regional observers from the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development are monitoring the vote.

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