International
Former candidate Márquez asks the Supreme Court of Venezuela for an investigation of the electoral body
Former Venezuelan opposition candidate Enrique Márquez asked the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) on Friday for an investigation for “conspiracy” of the National Electoral Council (CNE), which ratified President Nicolás Maduro as the winner of the July 28 presidential elections, a result questioned inside and outside the country.
“We accuse (…) the rectors of a serious crime, which is a conspiracy to destroy the bases of the republic, based on an alleged check (which affected – according to the CNE – the transmission of the results of the elections),” said Márquez, who made this request through a document that he consigned to the TSJ.
The former candidate expressed his “conviction” that the “five main rectors of the CNE are committing a criminal offense (…) by violating the popular sovereignty contained in the suffrage.”
Likewise, he asked for “counting the votes”, since “it is not enough” to publish the results, something that the CNE has not yet done.
“In the face of that immense doubt (…), I demand that the court generate a vote-by-vote count, order the CNE, or that the court do so. That he orders to bring all the boxes, all the electoral ballot boxes, because there it is (…) the vote of the Venezuelans to check what has happened,” Márquez said.
He recalled that, in 2013, the opponent Henrique Capriles asked the CNE to “open all the boxes” after losing the Presidency to Maduro, and the electoral institution allowed it.
Márquez said that next week he will go to the Prosecutor’s Office to request “an investigation” to “determine if there is a criminal offense” in the “way the CNE has behaved.”
“The CNE is jailed, but the cyber system is not under check, it is politically under a check,” said the opponent, who criticized that, after almost two weeks of the elections, the electoral entity has not published the disaggregated results, but “it can take them, supposedly, to the Electoral Chamber.”
This Thursday, Márquez attended an appearance before the TSJ, after this institution accepted a contentious appeal introduced by Maduro to “certify” the electoral results.
However, the opponent said that he was “surprised” by an audience that was “emputy,” since he was not asked any questions or allowed to “establish any type of verbal communication.”
“I was not asked for (the) minutes, I was not asked for anything. Everything was very strange, I confess it. And when I left I realized that the media had been put in a place, to which I did not have access. That’s why the press conference,” he reported.
He said that the contentious appeal “does not exist” and the “procedure they are using either.”
“We asked the (Electoral) Chamber to restore justice in this case. The president cannot exercise this type of resource and we make it clear in the document. We also made it clear (…) that the TSJ should never have accepted that document to the president. It is inadmissible because of all the vices it has (…). The Electoral Chamber is not acting in accordance with our Constitution and the laws,” he said.
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
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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
ICE Plan to Equip Agents With Electric Shock Gloves Raises Abuse Concerns
Luigi Mangione Pleads Guilty to Killing UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson
Brazil’s Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro kick off election campaigns amid focus on crime
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