Globe Trot: Haiti orders audit of Clinton-led recovery commission

HAITI: Haiti’s Superior Court is demanding an audit of former President Bill Clinton’s management of the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission—reflecting long-standing frustration with millions in U.S. funds wasted during earthquake recovery efforts, most at the behest of Clinton and his boss at the State Department, then-Secretary Hillary Clinton.

COLOMBIA: FARC rebels and Colombian government officials reached an agreement on Friday to work together to curb drug trafficking as part of a landmark peace process that’s been underway since 2012 and could end a half century of conflict. At the height of the conflict, FARC fighters kidnapped key figures for ransom, including well-known politician Ingrid Betancourt, who was released alive, and three New Tribes missionaries, who were killed, along with many others. But presidential elections set for May 25 could unravel the progress as a leading contender has threatened to suspend negotiations.

CENTRAL AMERICA: Leaf rust is threatening (again) the price of coffee worldwide, and the U.S. government is getting ready to spend another $5 million on research to try to eradicate it.

NIGERIA: With apologia pieces today, Reuters, The Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler, and others predictably are defending Hillary Clinton’s delay in designating Boko Haram a terrorist organization. But the hold-up is well documented and had to do with the Obama administration positioning itself as winning against terrorists, which meant not acknowledging the rising threat of terrorist groups in Africa.

CHINA: The U.S. Justice Department today charged members of the Chinese military with conducting economic cyber-espionage against American companies—the first time the United States has brought criminal charges against a foreign country.

INDIA: Narendra Modi’s historic election victory marks the end of “secular democracy” for India and a shifting emphasis to technology and economics from ideology and legacy, writes former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. Husain Haqqani: “With each passing generation, India’s memory of its freedom struggle is less sharp. Sentiments of loyalty over past sacrifices, too, cannot last forever.”

But in the end, the leadership will be about the man, and many say he is dangerous: “Modi’s ideology is certainly going to be important over the next several years, but his worrying personality might end up mattering more.”

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