International
The border market with the Dominican Republic, Haitians’ solution to stock up
On Mondays and Fridays, when the binational market of Dajabón (northwest of the Dominican Republic) officially operates, thousands of Haitians crowd at the border to cross the neighboring country and stock up on items that are scarce in their territory and also to sell their products.
This Monday is no exception. At 8 o’clock in the morning and under the strong surveillance of the Specialized Border Security Corps (Cesfront) and the intelligence services, the Dominican Republic opens the border gate. On the other hand, thousands of Haitians, mainly women, have been waiting since the early hours of the morning for the binational market to begin.
A Cesfront official tells EFE that on Mondays and Fridays about 35,000 Haitians can cross the gate, many of whom come in search of food products such as bananas, eggs, salami, rice and flour, due to the deep crisis that their country is experiencing and insecurity.
According to the Food Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the lack of food leads to almost half of the Haitian population, that is, 4.97 million people out of a total of 11 million, facing acute food insecurity and, of these, 1.64 million are in phase 4 of emergency of the Integrated Classification of Food Security Phases (CIF).
But Haitians don’t just come to buy, others come to offer their products. This is the case of Archibald Wilfred, 45, a resident of the Haitian town of Ouanaminthe (just a few meters from the border) and who for six years has had a food products position in the binational market.
“Now I sell much more food than before because, unfortunately, there is not much food there. There is very little food and there is no money anymore,” he tells EFE Archibald, whose customers are mainly merchants from various cities in Haiti, even the capital, who later resell the merchandise.
When asked about his opinion about the deployment of a foreign mission in his country, Archibald considers that “the arrival of troops is 50 percent of the solution. If they arrive it will be good because people expect to have security and with them the gangs will end,” he confides.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the border, many Haitian policemen try to put order and separate into groups the thousands of people who are waiting to reach the border bridge in a relatively orderly manner, before entering the Dominican side.
Despite police efforts, on several occasions the situation becomes chaotic because many want to be the first to cross, which causes pushes, blows and falls.
In Dajabón, the Dominican authorities proceed to take the biometric data of the thousands of people who enter, as a way to control entry into the country.
Already inside the binational market, there are thousands of people who move in an unstoppable tingling, between shouting and pushing, buying and selling all kinds of products, mainly food, as can be seen in the long line of wheelbrows, ‘tricycles’ and packages on the heads of women returning to Haiti.
Through the border, not only do sellers and buyers enter and leave. Half an hour after the border gate is opened, the first truck of the Dominican Directorate General of Migration arrives that transports dozens of Haitians deported from the country.
María, a young woman of about 30 years old, gets off “the truck,” crying and trembling: “I have lived all my life in Dajabón, but my mother never did the papers for me,” she says.
“I went out to buy something and migration got me into the truck. I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” he adds, as he walks slowly towards Ouanaminthe.
And it’s not the only truck. Throughout the day, there are several who arrive with people who are expelled, a policy that continues despite the calls of the UN and human rights organizations to cease deportations from the Dominican Republic in the face of violence and the critical situation in Haiti.
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
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Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
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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