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WORLD NEWS Friday 26 april 2024
Ariel Henry resigns as prime minister of Haiti, paving the way for a

new government to take power

By DANICA COTO Smith Augustin, a voting
Associated Press member of the council,
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti said that it was unclear if
(AP) — Ariel Henry resigned the council would decide
Thursday as prime minister to keep Boisvert on as inter-
of Haiti, leaving the way im prime minister or choose
clear for a new govern- another. He said it would
ment to be formed in the be discussed in the com-
Caribbean country, which ing days. “The crisis is unsus-
has been wracked by gang tainable,” he said.Regine
violence that killed or in- Abraham, a nonvoting
jured more than 2,500 peo- member of the council, re-
ple from January to March. called the July 2021 assassi-
Henry presented his resig- nation of President Jovenel
nation in a letter signed in Moïse, explaining that “that
Los Angeles, dated April 24, violence had a devastat-
and released on Thursday ing impact.” Abraham said
by his office on the same that gangs now controlled
day that a council tasked most of Port-au-Prince, tens
with choosing a new prime of thousands of Haitians
minister and Cabinet for have been displaced by vi-
Haiti was sworn in. olence and more than 900
Henry’s remaining Cabinet schools in the capital have
meanwhile chose Econo- been forced to close.
my and Finance Minister Michel Patrick Boisvert, who was named interim prime minister by the cabinet of outgoing Prime “The population of Port-
Michel Patrick Boisvert as Minister Ariel Henry, toasts during the swearing-in ceremony of the transitional council tasked with au-Prince has literally been
the interim prime minister. It selecting Haiti’s new prime minister and cabinet, in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Thursday, April 25, 2024. taken hostage,” she said.
was not immediately clear Boisvert was previously the economy and finance minister. Gangs launched coordi-
when the transitional coun- Associated Press nated attacks that began
cil would select its own in- debate ... a solution has in the room as attendees of which seven have voting on Feb. 29 in the capi-
terim prime minister. been found,” Boisvert said. served champagne flutes powers, is also expected tal, Port-au-Prince, and
Addressing a crowded and “Today is an important day toasted with a somber “To to help set the agenda of surrounding areas. They
sweaty room in the prime in the life of our dear repub- Haiti.” a new Cabinet. It will also burned police stations
minister’s office, Boisvert lic.” The council was installed appoint a provisional elec- and hospitals, opened fire
said that Haiti’s crisis had He called the transitional more than a month after toral commission, a require- on the main international
gone on too long and that council a “Haitian solution” Caribbean leaders an- ment before elections can airport that has remained
the country now found it- and directing his remarks nounced its creation fol- take place, and establish a closed since early March
self at a crossroads. The toward them, Boisvert lowing an emergency national security council. and stormed Haiti’s two
members of the transitional wished them success, add- meeting to tackle Haiti’s The council’s non-renew- biggest prisons, releasing
council stood behind him, ing “I believe the determi- spiraling crisis. Henry had able mandate expires Feb. more than 4,000 inmates.
as well as the country’s top nation is there.” pledged to resign once the 7, 2026, at which date a Gangs also have severed
police and military officials. After the speeches, the council is installed. new president is scheduled access to Haiti’s biggest
“After two long months of soft clink of glasses echoed The nine-member council, to be sworn in. port.q

A U.S. citizen facing drug charges in Russia appears

in court. His case was adjourned until mid-May

MOSCOW (AP) — A U.S. of drug sales in the materi- the name of the accused
citizen arrested on drug als on the case,” his lawyer matches that of a U.S.
charges in Moscow amid Stanislav Kshevitskii told re- citizen interviewed by the
soaring Russia-U.S. tensions porters. popular daily Komsomols-
appeared in court on Thurs- The court set his next hear- kaya Pravda in 2020.
day and had his case ad- ing date to May 14. In the interview, the man
journed until mid-May. In January, the U.S. State said that he was born in
Robert Woodland is facing Department said it was the Perm region in the Ural
charges of trafficking large aware of reports of the re- Mountains in 1991 and was
amounts of illegal drugs as cent detention of a U.S. citi- adopted by an American
part of an organized group zen and noted that it “has couple when he was 2.
— a criminal offense pun- no greater priority than the He said that he traveled
ishable by up to 20 years in safety and security of U.S. to Russia to find his Russian
prison. He was remanded citizens overseas,” but re- mother and eventually met
into custody in January, frained from further com- her on a television show in
and the trial began in the ment, citing privacy consid- Moscow. U.S. citizen Robert Woodland Romanov sits in a glass cage
Ostankino District Court in erations. The U.S. Embassy The man told Komsomols- behind his lawyers Stanislav Kshevitskii, left, and Alexei
late March. in Moscow issued a similar kaya Pravda that he liked Miroshnichenko, prior to a court session on drug-related
“Our position is that there statement at the time. living in Russia and decided charges in Moscow, Russia, on Thursday, April 25, 2024
is, I may say, no evidence Russian media noted that to move there. q Associated Press