The Taliban chose twenty negotiators to represent the militant group in intra-Afghan peace talks. The team will have wide-ranging authority, including the ability to sign agreements with the Afghan government (Associated Press).
The U.S. State Department condemned assassinations of anti-government activists and attacks on protesters in Iraq. In a meeting with Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi in Washington yesterday, President Donald J. Trump pledged to withdraw U.S. troops from Iraq but gave no timeline (Deutsche Welle).
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo delivered letters to UN leaders accusing Iran of violating the 2015 nuclear agreement, in an effort to reimpose UN sanctions on Tehran (NPR). Other parties to the nuclear deal, including U.S. allies France, Germany, and the United Kingdom, criticized the U.S. move, saying it was incompatible with their support for the agreement, while China called it a “political show” (CNN). As bilateral tensions remain high, Iran also unveiled two new missiles, including one named for commander Qasem Soleimani (Al-Monitor).
President Nicolas Maduro pardoned 110 opposition figures. Some recipients rebuffed the pardons as an attempt to boost the legitimacy of the country’s December legislative elections, which have attracted widespread criticism in Venezuela and abroad and divided the opposition (Washington Post).
The Palestinian militant group Hamas announced it reached a Qatar-brokered deal with Israel to end a monthlong spike in hostilities. Hamas had for weeks launched incendiary balloons and rockets into Israel, while Israel struck Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip (New York Times). Israel said it would reopen Gaza’s fishing zone and border crossings (Times of Israel).
Abdullah Abdullah, chairman of the council that will lead the Afghan government’s peace talks with the Taliban, opposed President Ashraf Ghani’s appointment of members to the body, arguing that a political agreement gives the chairman that responsibility (TOLO).
Lebanon’s parliament named Mustapha Adib, its ambassador to Germany, as its new prime minister–designate today. Adib earned the support of four former prime ministers. If he successfully forms a government, he will assume control of a country racked by a political and economic crisis as well as a devastating explosion (Al Jazeera).
President Ashraf Ghani announced the members of the High Council for National Reconciliation, which will lead peace talks with the Taliban (Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty). The announcement drew a mixed response, and some members rebuffed their inclusion, most notably former President Hamid Karzai (TOLO).