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In the Caribbean, Prime Minister Pierre secures re-election as the St Lucia Labour Party retains its majority, while Haiti sets a 2026 election date. In the Middle East, Egypt and Israel clash over Rafah crossing terms, and the ICC announces the transfer of Libyan war crimes suspect Khaled El Hishri into custody.

Today’s lead story turns to Cyprus, where prospects for reunification may finally be emerging.

Read more below ⤵️

Top 5 Stories

1️⃣ 🇫🇷 🇨🇳 France recalibrates China policy as Macron arrives in China: Emmanuel Macron is attempting to project a firm European stance while avoiding a rupture with Beijing. Analysts argue he must signal that Europe will push back against coercive trade practices and security risks without triggering a full-scale confrontation, a delicate message he will carry into meetings with Xi Jinping in Beijing and Chengdu. 

2️⃣ 🇭🇹 🇺🇳 Haiti sets 2026 election date: Haiti’s transitional authorities have announced plans for the country’s first elections in nearly ten years, scheduling the opening round for August 2026 but insisting that a nationwide return to security remains the essential precondition. With the council’s mandate expiring in early 2026, officials warn that stabilisation efforts must accelerate if Haiti is to regain democratic legitimacy after years of crisis.

3️⃣ 🇾🇪 🇦🇪 STC forces seize Seiyun as tensions spike in Yemen’s east: The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) has announced its capture of Seiyun in eastern Hadhramaut, escalating fears of a direct clash with Saudi-backed tribal groups as both sides mobilise forces across the oil-rich region. STC-aligned Hadrami Elite Forces accuse the Hadramout Tribes Alliance of serving “foreign agendas,” while tribal leaders warn that any non-local military presence will be met with armed resistance.

4️⃣ 🇷🇺 🇺🇦 🇺🇸 Kremlin highlights NATO dispute in stalled US–Russia talks: The Kremlin says Ukraine’s NATO ambitions were a central point of contention in President Vladimir Putin’s meeting with US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, talks that again failed to produce movement on a peace deal. Moscow claims Washington is willing to consider some of its demands, yet insists no compromise exists on the territory Russia has seized. European ministers argue Putin’s battlefield posture shows he has no intention of ending the war. 

5️⃣ 🇺🇸 🇻🇪 US lawmakers press Hegseth over second Caribbean strike: Republican and Democratic lawmakers are intensifying scrutiny of the Trump administration after reports that a second US strike targeted survivors aboard an alleged Venezuelan drug-running boat, an order the Pentagon disputes. Analysts also highlight the illegal nature of the strikes, which took place in foreign waters.

Major Story

🇨🇾 🇹🇷 🇺🇳 A POLITICAL SHIFT IN NORTHERN CYPRUS REVIVES HOPES FOR STALLED REUNIFICATION TALKS

The election of moderate opposition leader Tufan Erhürman as president of Northern Cyprus has injected new momentum into efforts to restart U.N.-sponsored reunification talks on the long-divided island. His landslide victory over the Ankara-backed incumbent, Ersin Tatar, marks a dramatic reversal from 2020 and signals growing public frustration with hardline policies and deepening Turkish influence. Erhürman’s campaign—centred on dialogue, secularism and inclusive outreach to both long-established Turkish Cypriots and Turkish-born citizens—stood in sharp contrast to Tatar’s uncompromising two-state agenda. 

Tensions with Turkey and domestic unease

Northern Cyprus’ political trajectory in recent years has been shaped heavily by Ankara. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan threw his weight behind Tatar in both elections, funnelling investments and political support while promoting conservative social policies at odds with the north’s traditionally secular character. Yet these ties came at a steep price. The collapse of the Turkish lira, chronic inflation and perceptions of clientelism deepened resentment among many Turkish Cypriots, who feared cultural erosion and felt economically trapped by over-dependence on Turkey. Erhürman’s victory reflects a growing desire to rebalance this relationship and reclaim a more distinct Cypriot political identity.

Diplomatic possibilities, enduring obstacles

Erhürman’s win has raised cautious optimism that reunification talks, frozen since 2017, may resume. Greek Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides quickly welcomed the result, and both sides have agreed to meet the U.N. special envoy in December. Yet decades of mistrust and sharply divergent visions remain. Turkey continues to advocate a two-state model, while Greek Cypriot political dynamics, shaped by rising far-right sentiment ahead of 2026 parliamentary elections, limit Christodoulides’ flexibility. Erhürman argues that any new negotiation framework must avoid repeating past failures, where collapse left Turkish Cypriots empty-handed. He proposes pre-agreed confidence-building steps that would survive even if talks falter—a shift from the long-standing principle that “nothing is agreed until everything is agreed.” This approach could impose political costs on actors seen as obstructing progress, something likely to make Nicosia cautious.

A society waiting for clarity

Across the island’s buffer zone, Turkish and Greek Cypriots alike are watching for signs that this moment may break the stalemate that has defined their lives for half a century. The north’s electorate has again demonstrated support for a political horizon linked to reconciliation and Europe. The question now is whether domestic politics in the Republic of Cyprus, Ankara’s strategic calculations, and the U.N.’s limited leverage will allow this opening to turn into meaningful negotiations.

Other News

1️⃣ 🇱🇨 Pierre secures re-election as St Lucia Labour Party maintains majority: St Lucia’s ruling Labour Party has retained its legislative majority, putting Prime Minister Philip Pierre on track for re-election after a campaign dominated by economic stewardship, violent crime, and the politics of passport sales. 

2️⃣ 🇱🇾 🇺🇳 ICC announces custody of Libya war crimes suspect Khaled El Hishri: The International Criminal Court has taken custody of Khaled Mohamed Ali El Hishri, a former senior official accused of overseeing war crimes in Libya between 2015 and 2020, after his arrest and transfer by German authorities. His handover comes as ICC prosecutors tell the UN Security Council that momentum for accountability in Libya is growing, even as investigations face intimidation and political pressure.

3️⃣ 🇪🇬 🇮🇱 🇵🇸 Egypt and Israel dispute Rafah crossing terms: A fresh dispute has erupted after Israel claimed the Rafah crossing would soon reopen for Gazans to exit to Egypt—an assertion Cairo rejected, insisting any agreement must allow movement in both directions. The crossing, a central lifeline for a besieged population under blockade since 2007, remains closed amid competing narratives over the terms of the US-brokered peace plan.

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