International
Donald Trump pulls on economics and geopolitics to reverse his negative trend in the polls
Former American President Donald Trump (2017-2021) bet this Thursday for a speech with a slow tone, a “amiable” mood in geopolitical terms and a content deeply focused on the economy at a crucial moment for the future of the November elections.
“Harris is a communist, he destroys everything he touches. If he takes office, his finances will suffer. Inflation will be our priority from day one,” Trump said in the first minute of a press conference from his private golf club in Bedminster (New Jersey).
The latest polls show that, since the Democratic Party named Vice President Kamala Harris as its candidate for the presidential elections, support for the former president has fallen and the notable advantage that distanced him from Joe Biden has almost vanished.
The latest update of the FiveThirtyEight poll average, carried out today, gives Harris approximately 46.4% of the national vote, compared to Trump’s 43.4%.
From the same golf club in which he took refuge after his assassination attempt last month, Trump appeared flanked by four shelves with basic food products and several dozen followers who enthusiastically applauded his proclamations.
“We had mortgages at 2% and now they are at 10%. Every month, inflation costs Americans thousands of dollars. Only in food they are paying 148 dollars each month,” said the Republican candidate between cans of Campbell’s tomatoes, Cheerios cereals and packaged meat.
Trump described as “Kamala’s crash” the black day for the international stock exchanges on August 5 but, once the market was stabilized, he could not recycle the argument and limited himself to qualifying his hypothetical financial management as “a disaster for the United States.”
In addition, immigration was once again the origin of the main evils of the United States in a shrewed argument already for Trump, who said that “while this happens, millions of people cross the border and we don’t even know who they are.”
“Criminals, rapists and people with mental problems,” repeated the former president, claiming that many of them come from Latin America.
Trump referred to this region, and more specifically Venezuela, when he said that if Kamala Harris arrives at the White House he will apply what he called the “Maduro Plan” to impose economic policies “of Venezuela or the Soviet Union” in the United States “with disastrous consequences.”
It was not the only foreign nation to which the tycoon alluded: he said that he will be “amiable” with Iran if he returns to the Oval Office and reiterated that during his mandate there was no open conflict in the Gaza Strip or a war in Ukraine because the international community “respected” it.
“I don’t want to misbehave with Iran. We are going to be friendly (…) I hope we are friendly, but they can’t have a nuclear weapon because once they have it, it’s a totally different world,” he said.
Shortly after, he explained that in his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in July he urged him to end the war in Gaza, also corroborating that he has not had any recent conversation with him.
“I encounted him to end this. It has to end quickly. Get your victory and finish it. The massacre has to stop,” he said, about the meeting they held on July 26 in their mansion in Mar-a-Lago (Florida).
Trump tried to convey tranquility and confidence in defeating Harris, something that he said will be “easier than defeating Biden” but that does not agree with the nervousness and the way of proceeding of his campaign in recent days.
The ambiguous label of “weird” about his running mate JD Vance has been one of the slabs that has fallen with the most weight, to which Trump responded today that the Democratic bench is “radical” and is “sick.”
“He is a great Yale student, a self-made man. I don’t know what it’s like to be weird for them,” he said.
Trump lavished himself for an hour and a half and then admitted several questions from the press, on the same day that Harris made his first joint public appearance with Joe Biden since he gave him the witness, celebrating a price control measure for patients in the Medicare health system.
International
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
More than 70 million people remained under heat alerts Monday as an intense heat wave continued across the southern United States, particularly Florida and states along the Mexican border, where temperatures and heat indexes could reach as high as 46 degrees Celsius, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Several cities recorded or tied temperature records over the weekend and into Monday, including Miami and Fort Lauderdale in Florida; Laredo, Borger and Austin’s airport in Texas; Atlanta, Georgia; Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina; and Memphis, Tennessee.
The NWS warned that the heat wave will continue affecting the southern and southeastern United States, with maximum temperatures expected to remain near 38°C to 40°C for several days. The heat index, which combines temperature and humidity to estimate how hot conditions feel, could reach 46°C.
The extreme heat is also spreading into the Southwest, where temperatures began rising again between Monday and Tuesday. Forecast highs in the region range from about 38°C to 43°C.
Heat alerts remain in effect across Nevada, Arizona and California, including areas in southern Arizona and California near the Mexican border, as authorities warn of the risks posed by prolonged extreme temperatures.
The NWS urged residents to limit outdoor activity, stay hydrated, ensure access to air conditioning or cooling centers, and check on vulnerable friends, neighbors and family members.
The United States is experiencing a summer marked by above-average temperatures and repeated heat waves. One of the most intense episodes occurred during the July 4 weekend, when extreme heat was blamed for roughly 30 deaths.
July was the hottest month ever recorded in the United States since measurements began, with the average temperature across the contiguous country approaching 25°C, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
The combination of extreme heat and drought conditions has also fueled wildfires. Nearly 3 million hectares have burned across the country so far in 2026, making it the largest area affected by wildfires in a decade.
International
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
U.S. President Donald Trump reiterated Monday that Iran must never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, as a 60-day deadline set under a memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran expired without an agreement to end the conflict in the Middle East.
“The number one goal is, and always will be, that Iran cannot have, in any way or under any circumstances, a nuclear weapon,” Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.
The memorandum, signed on June 17, called for an “immediate and permanent cessation of military operations on all fronts” as part of a broader negotiation process aimed at ending the conflict. However, the deadline expired Monday without a peace agreement, while both Washington and Tehran continued to maintain their respective positions.
The expiration is largely symbolic, as military clashes resumed during the 60-day period. The Strait of Hormuz also remains blocked, contributing to elevated global oil prices.
Trump escalated his rhetoric toward Tehran last Friday, saying he planned to declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory after defeating Iran.
“After we finish defeating Iran, which is being very badly defeated, very soon I will essentially declare the Strait of Hormuz U.S. territory,” Trump said during a political rally in Long Island, New York. He also claimed that the United States currently controls the passage of vessels through the strategic waterway.
Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington is preparing additional economic measures against Iran that he described as unprecedented.
“Stay tuned for new announcements next week because we are going to implement measures unlike anything ever seen in the history of the economic isolation of a country,” Bessent said.
The Treasury secretary indicated that the measures would form part of a broader “double hit” strategy that could also involve maintaining the blockade of Iranian ports.
International
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
Public security took center stage Sunday as Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Senator Flávio Bolsonaro formally launched their election campaigns, positioning themselves as the leading rivals ahead of the October presidential vote.
Lula, who leads most opinion polls, kicked off his campaign at the Vila Euclides stadium in São Bernardo do Campo, in São Paulo state, while Bolsonaro held his event in Rio de Janeiro, a political stronghold of his family.
During his speech, Lula announced plans to create a new Ministry of Public Security aimed at strengthening coordination between the federal government and Brazil’s states in the fight against crime.
The president pledged a tougher strategy to reclaim territories controlled or influenced by criminal groups. The proposed ministry would help “share responsibilities with the states” and confront those who seek to control favelas and impoverished neighborhoods, Lula told supporters.
The initiative places public security at the heart of Lula’s campaign as he seeks another term in office amid persistent concerns over crime and organized criminal activity in Brazil.
Lula also used his first campaign speech to reinforce his position as a leading figure of Brazil’s left and to criticize his political opponents on the right.
“I will not allow the right to take power,” Lula said, accusing his opponents of having previously mocked children who died because they lacked access to medicine.
“I don’t know what future these people imagine for the Brazilian people,” he added.
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
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Three U.S. Executions Set for Same Day as Trump Pushes to Expand Death Penalty
Colombia Earthquake Death Toll Reaches 265 as Rescue Teams Race Against Time
Trump warns Iran over nuclear ambitions as U.S.-Iran ceasefire deadline passes
Heat wave puts more than 70 million Americans under alerts as temperatures near 46°C
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns
Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
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