International
At least 66 people died or disappeared between January and July in the capital of Haiti
At least 66 people died or disappeared in the towns of Gressier and Carrefour, south of the capital of Haiti, between January and July of this year, in attacks perpetrated by armed gangs, according to a report by the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (Rnddh) published this Friday.
Among the victims are four agents of the Haitian National Police (PNH), fifteen women and a minor, according to the report, which also reveals that twelve of the victims were between 60 and 80 years old.
The document emphasizes that armed bandits wear police uniforms, move with their firearms in vehicles and motorcycles equipped with police sirens, and demand that local residents pay them a periodic sum based on the number of people who live in the houses or who perform an income-generating activity.
“Police interventions to regain control of these two towns are very few and so far have not yielded any results,” denounced Rnddh, who maintains that the relatives of these victims and witnesses have described the horror they have experienced in a context marked by a marked deterioration of the situation in this depressed Caribbean country.
Hundreds of homes were looted, set on fire or illegally occupied, while vehicles have been stolen or burned and goods have been destroyed, according to the report on the situation.
At least 12 tolls have been installed at the southern entrance of Port-au-Prince, from Portail de Léogane to Gressier, and armed bandits have established a daily collection system in at least six markets.
Dozens of women and girls raped them in a group. The NGO was able to locate 46 survivors of rape, including three minors.
Some of these victims were raped in their homes and then had to flee after witnessing the murder of a relative.
Others kidnapped them in their homes and taken them to places where they were received naked men, who waited for them to rape them in a group for several hours or days.
“During these rapes, women and girls were also interrogated, severely beaten and insulted” by members of armed gangs, Rnddh’s investigation adds.
Since the end of October 2023, Carrefour and Gressier have been experiencing unprecedented armed violence, characterized by massacres and armed attacks perpetrated by the bandits.
It is also characterized by rapes and collective violations, robberies, looting, house fires, decapitalization of merchants and massive displacement of the population, a situation that has worsened this year.
The Transitional Presidential Council and the Superior Council of Police, chaired by the Prime Minister, Gary Conille, have promised to restore order and security in the area and affirm that security is a priority, however, they absorb a very important part of the agents for their personal safety and that of their families, to the detriment of the community, the report criticizes.
He also affirms that the agents of the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS), headed by Kenya and deployed since June, do nothing to help the population suffering from the acts of armed bandits, despite the fact that their mission is to help restore security and peace in the country in general and in the departments of Ouest and Artibonite, especially affected by the phenomenon of armed gangs.
Faced with the inaction of the Government and the MMAS, the armed bandits “gain in confidence and arrogance” and “enlag their territory,” he said.
The Haitian people “continue to be victims of systematic violations of their fundamental rights to life, freedom and security, physical integrity, psychological integrity, private property and freedom of movement,” the NGO denounces.
“And it is not surprising that the hopes placed by this population in the new authorities and in the arrival of the MMAS agents are already beginning to crumble,” he concluded.
International
Wildfires in France Burn Nearly Three Times More Land Than in 2025, Interior Minister Says
More than 50,000 hectares of land have been destroyed by wildfires across France since the beginning of the year, nearly three times the area affected during the same period in 2025, French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said Friday in an interview with AFP.
Emergency crews are currently battling several major fires, including one near the popular Cap Ferret peninsula, where flames have already consumed more than 10,000 hectares, making it the largest wildfire of the season so far, according to the minister.
“Currently, we have 32 fires underway, which obviously do not all have the same level of importance,” Nuñez said.
“We have exceeded the threshold of 50,000 hectares burned since January 1 of this year. It is practically three times more than during the same period last year,” he added.
Despite the extensive resources deployed and the long hours worked by emergency teams — estimated to be two and a half times higher than last year — Nuñez said authorities remain “calm” and “determined” to contain the situation.
The minister acknowledged that the main concern is the fatigue affecting firefighters and emergency personnel who have been working under demanding conditions.
“The concern, if there has to be one, obviously lies in the state of exhaustion of the men and women who are committed. We have to hold on throughout the entire season,” Nuñez said.
France’s late spring and early summer have been marked by repeated periods of extreme heat, conditions linked by scientists to climate change and considered a major factor contributing to the increase in wildfire activity across the country.
International
Israel Says Saudi Recognition Would Mark ‘Historic Breakthrough’ for Middle East Peace
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s recognition of Israel would represent a “historic breakthrough” toward achieving peace in the Middle East.
The statement came after the United States and Saudi Arabia announced an agreement on Wednesday to establish a civil nuclear program in the kingdom. U.S. President Donald Trump said the initiative would be linked to Riyadh’s decision to normalize diplomatic relations with Israel.
“Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords would represent a historic breakthrough toward peace in the Middle East,” Netanyahu’s office said following Trump’s announcement.
The statement added that recent developments, including joint military actions by the United States and Israel against Iran, as well as Israel’s efforts against what it described as Iran’s “terror axis,” have created new opportunities to expand regional diplomatic ties.
“The joint U.S.-Israeli military action against the genocidal regime in Tehran and Israel’s defeat of Iran’s terror axis have created the possibility of expanding the circle of peace,” the statement said.
A potential normalization agreement between Israel and Saudi Arabia would represent a major diplomatic shift in the region, as Riyadh has long been viewed as one of the key countries whose formal recognition could significantly reshape Middle Eastern relations.
International
Nicolás Maduro’s Son Calls U.S. Trial Against His Father and Cilia Flores “Unjust”
Venezuelan lawmaker Nicolás Maduro Guerra on Wednesday described as “unjust” the legal proceedings in the United States against his father, ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, following their capture in Caracas on January 3 by U.S. forces.
“Faced with the unjust trial taking place today, the people raised their voices with a single demand: We demand the immediate release of President Nicolás Maduro and the First Lady,” Maduro Guerra wrote on his Instagram account.
The lawmaker attended a rally in Caracas where supporters of the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV)gathered to show support for the former president, who faces charges in the United States including conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism and cocaine importation. Flores is accused of crimes related to drug trafficking and weapons possession.
The event was also attended by PSUV Vice President for Mobilizations and Events Nahum Fernández and Caracas Mayor Carmen Meléndez, according to photos shared by Maduro’s son.
The third hearing in the case against Maduro and Flores concluded Wednesday at a federal court in New York after lasting only about 18 minutes. During the hearing, the judge preliminarily set June 2027 as the expected start date for the trial.
One of the main arguments from the defense will focus on immunity. Maduro’s lead attorney, Barry Pollack, who has also represented WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, said the defense plans to request immunity for both defendants, arguing that Maduro was serving as head of state and Flores as first lady at the time of their detention.
Both Maduro and Flores pleaded not guilty during their first court appearance in New York on January 5.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who assumed power after Maduro’s capture, has not yet commented on Wednesday’s hearing in the United States.
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