International
Little progress three months after the arrival in Haiti of the Security Support Mission
Three months after its deployment began in Haiti, the Multinational Security Support Mission (MMAS) still does not give the expected results: there is no significant progress, violence continues to reign and 80% of the capital remains in the hands of armed gangs.
“Are the Kenyans in Haiti? We have never seen them, no one has seen them. They don’t pass through the area,” neighbors and merchants of Marchand Salomon, in the heart of the capital, tell EFE.
If things have improved, they say, “it is by the will of the bandits that they have decided to let us work properly. The bandits use the area as a passage zone” and add: “If the Kenyans had come to save us, we would all be dead. It’s not the Kenyans who prevent the gangs from killing us. If they wanted to, they would do it.”
Lean results
Some patrols in certain streets, some joint operations with the Haitian National Police in Centre-ville in Port-au-Prince or in the communes of Delmas and Ganthier, clashes with armed gangs that result in deaths. This is the balance sheet of the multinational mission so far.
When visiting Haiti last Saturday, Kenyan President William Ruto praised the merits of the force, said that he had seen much progress in the Caribbean country and said that doubts, criticism and pessimism were decreasing in the face of Kenya leading a mission that has the approval of the UN.
According to Ruto, there is much more security at the airport, the National Palace, the State University Hospital, the Police Academy and the ports and now work is being done to reopen the roads (“the work is difficult, but we are capable of doing it”), but more resources and equipment are needed: “The troops we have in Haiti are not enough.”
On the ground you can see a resounding lack of logistics, equipment, personnel. The force should have 2,500 officers, but there are just over 420 (400 Kenyans, 20 soldiers and 4 Jamaican policemen and two Belizean soldiers). About twenty countries have committed to send troops and Ruto announced that, between October and November, another 600 troops from Kenya will be in Haiti.
In those days William O’Neill, an independent expert on the human rights situation in Haiti, declared: “the equipment received is inadequate and the resources insufficient (…) I am sad to say that all the indicators are still extremely worrying. The first, and most worrying, is insecurity.”
The constant deterioration of security in Haiti
Only 28% of health services are functioning normally in Haiti, almost 5 million people suffer from acute food insecurity, there are at least 700,000 displaced people (more than half children) and security does not improve.
The Haitian Prime Minister, Garry Conille, recognizes it: “In the 100 days of this government, we have not yet seen important results (…) Especially in terms of security, but we have already laid the foundations. We have taken the time to design the national security strategy with the Police, the Army, the municipal security councils and the population.”
In view of this, the expert William O’Neill considers “crucial to suffocate the gangs by providing the Multinational Security Support Mission with the necessary means to be effective in supporting the operations of the Haitian National Police and applying the other measures provided for by the United Nations Security Council, in particular the sanctions regime and the selective arms embargo.”
Conille, for his part, assures that his government will not back down: “I have no doubt that together we will be able to restore security. We will help the displaced to return to their homes. We will reactivate our economy. We will make the necessary changes in our Constitution. And, finally, we will hold elections next year and there will be a new government on February 7, 2026.”
International
Florida officials warn against raw milk after dozens sickened
Unprocessed milk from a farm in Florida has sickened at least 21 people, prompting state authorities to issue a public health alert, U.S. media reported Monday.
The 21 cases include six children under the age of 10, all diagnosed with infections caused by E. coli and Campylobacterbacteria linked to raw milk from the farm in the southeastern U.S. state. Local authorities have also warned about the dangers of drinking unpasteurized milk.
Seven people have been hospitalized, two of whom have suffered complications, according to multiple reports.
The Florida Department of Health has urged the public to avoid raw milk consumption and blamed the outbreak on the farm involved—without naming it directly—citing poor sanitary practices.
Florida law prohibits the sale of unprocessed milk for human consumption, although it can be sold if labeled for pets. Pasteurization, which involves heating milk to kill harmful bacteria, is required under U.S. federal regulations for any dairy products sold across states.
Despite these regulations, sales of raw milk have been increasing in recent years, fueled by online promotion from wellness influencers and advocates of unprocessed foods.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warn that raw milk can contain potentially deadly bacteria such as E. coli, Campylobacter, Listeria, or Salmonella, which can cause symptoms ranging from diarrhea, vomiting, and indigestion to severe complications like kidney failure.
International
Massive wildfire in Southern France kills one, injures nine
Hundreds of firefighters battled on Wednesday to contain a massive wildfire in southern France that has left one person dead and nine others injured.
The blaze, which broke out Tuesday in the Aude department, is the largest recorded in France during the current summer season. Authorities have deployed 1,800 firefighters in an effort to bring it under control.
An elderly woman died in her home in the town of Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, while two others were injured—one in serious condition due to burns—according to the local prefecture. Seven firefighters suffered smoke inhalation injuries, and one person remains missing. The wildfire has already scorched an estimated 12,000 hectares of land.
“The fire is spreading very quickly due to unfavorable weather conditions. This is one of the driest areas of the department, and strong winds are fueling the flames,” said Lucie Roesch, secretary general of the Aude prefecture. Rémi Recio, subprefect for the city of Narbonne, added, “The fire is still spreading and is far from being contained or under control.”
The A9 motorway, which runs along the Mediterranean coast between France and Spain, has been closed in both directions between Narbonne and Perpignan, along with numerous secondary roads.
In Saint-Laurent-de-la-Cabrerisse, the smell of smoke lingers over the charred hectares. A helicopter was seen drawing water from the river below the village and dropping it several kilometers away, AFP reporters observed.
A campsite and at least one village were partially evacuated, with 25 houses and around 35 vehicles damaged, according to a preliminary assessment.
French Prime Minister François Bayrou announced he will visit the affected area on Wednesday.
International
Japan marks 80 years since Hiroshima bombing with call for nuclear disarmament
Japan observed a minute of silence on Wednesday to mark the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, a solemn reminder to the world of the horror it unleashed, amid heightened tensions between nuclear powers the United States and Russia.
At exactly 8:15 a.m. local time (23:15 GMT), the moment when the U.S. bomber Enola Gay dropped the “Little Boy” atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, the city paused to remember.
The bombing claimed an estimated 140,000 lives, not only from the devastating blast and fireball but also from the deadly radiation that followed. Three days later, another bomb dropped on Nagasaki killed 74,000 more. Japan’s surrender on August 15 marked the end of World War II.
On a sweltering morning, hundreds of students, survivors, and officials dressed in black laid flowers at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial. The city’s mayor, Kazumi Matsui, warned of “an accelerating trend toward military buildup worldwide,” citing Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war in the Middle East.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba stated that Japan has a mission “to take the lead toward a world without nuclear weapons.”
Today, Hiroshima is a thriving metropolis of 1.2 million people, yet the skeletal remains of one building still stand at its center as a powerful reminder of the tragedy.
Wednesday’s ceremony was attended by representatives from around 120 countries and regions, including delegates from Taiwan and Palestine for the first time.
Among the attendees was 96-year-old Yoshie Yokoyama, who arrived in a wheelchair accompanied by her grandson. She told reporters that her parents and grandparents were victims of the bombing.
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