Election preparations underway in Haiti – threatened by gang violence
Election preparations are underway in Haiti, reports the AP. The authorities have opened ten registration centers in the capital Port-au-Prince, in areas considered reasonably safe from the brutal gang violence that has hit the island nation.
The plan is to hold elections on December 13, with a second round in February. But a large part of Haiti's eligible voters risk being left out of the process, as the risk of violence is too high for them to get to the polls.
Haiti has not had an election in over ten years. The last time the country had a president was in 2021, when President Jovenel Moïse was killed.
“We need security before we can have elections”
Registration has
opened for Haiti’s December elections, but many Haitians say they don’t
know if they will be able to get to the polls because of widespread gang
violence. This is reported by the AP.
38-year-old Victor
Valensky says he wants to participate in the elections, but that he is
afraid that his wife will not be able to take care of their children if
he is killed on election day.
Lawyer Francky Cavetan says he does not plan to go and vote – it is too dangerous.
–
The elections will not take place, because the government and the
electoral authority are lying to the people. They make people believe
that the elections will lead to security, but we need security before we
can have elections, he says.
fredag 31 juli 2026
Violence in Haiti
Border crisis in Ceuta
Over 48,000 have already returned voluntarily to Morocco
Over 48,300 of the Moroccans who entered the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in the past 24 hours have returned. This is stated by the Spanish Interior Ministry according to AFP.
At least 57 people have died, according to Spanish authorities.
Local authorities in Ceuta initially reported that around 60,000 migrants had made it there from Morocco. However, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry, it is about 50,000 people. In such cases, this would mean that around 1,700 of the Moroccans who made it to Ceuta are now left there.
Italy suspends agreement on free movement with Spain
Italy is suspending the Schengen agreement with Spain after the migrant crisis in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta, the Italian Interior Ministry said in a statement according to Reuters.
Italy has no border with Spain, but the decision will affect people traveling from Spain to Italy by boat or plane.
The Interior Ministry also said it agreed with Paris on the proposal to strengthen border controls between France and Italy.
Later, the ministry said checks would be carried out on people without citizenship in any EU country traveling to Italy from Spain.
The Schengen Agreement is the cooperation within the EU that is intended to facilitate free movement by establishing an area
Not a single migrant has made it to the mainland
Not a single person who made it from Morocco to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in the past two days has made it to the Spanish mainland. This is what the EU Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, writes in a post on X.
The information comes from the Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, whom Brunner spoke to on the phone during the evening.
The Foreign Minister himself writes on X that “practically everyone” has returned and that the integrity of the Schengen area is “absolutely guaranteed”.
“It is not possible to move from Ceuta and Melilla to the mainland without showing identification at a police check”, writes Albares.
without border controls. Ceuta is not covered by the agreement, and does not have free movement to the rest of the EU.
Russian invasion
The world's response
Trump: US must be "very careful" about letting Ukraine build Patriot
The US must be "very careful" about giving Ukraine permission to manufacture the Patriot air defence system, Donald Trump told reporters according to AFP.
- These weapons are incredible. We have to be very careful about letting anyone build them, he said.
Ukraine has repeatedly said that the country needs Patriot to defend itself against Russian attacks. As recently as early July, Trump gave Ukraine permission to manufacture the air defence system during a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyj.
Ukraine's response
Thousands demonstrate in Kyiv - want Fedorov back
Thousands of people took part in a demonstration in Kyiv on Friday to demand that Mykhailo Fedorov be reinstated as defence minister, Reuters reports.
“I don’t like it when decisions are made without someone being able to explain why they were made,” Oleksandr, 40, told the news agency.
The demonstrations against Fedorov’s move have been going on for a little over two weeks. Organizers have said they will not back down, despite there being no sign that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is changing his mind.
Middle East Crisis
Iran War
Sources: US and Israel to Attack Energy Targets in Iran
The US and Israel are planning to launch new attacks on energy infrastructure in Iran as soon as this weekend, several sources told CBS News.
However, Donald Trump has not yet given the green light for the attacks.
It is unclear when the attacks will end, but according to the sources, discussions were underway to try to round them off in time for the stock market to open on Monday.
Earlier in the day, Donald Trump told reporters that the US will “hit Iran very hard”. When a reporter asked about resuming diplomatic talks, Trump replied:
– I think we just want to win.
Gaza War
Source: Israel will not leave Gaza until Hamas is disarmed
Israel will not leave Gaza until Hamas is “genuinely disarmed”, an Israeli source told AFP.
Hamas has previously said that the group agrees to disarm – but that Israel must fulfill its part of the agreement first.
According to the agreement, Hamas will hand over its weapons to a newly formed Palestinian authority, the so-called Palestinian Technocratic Committee.
US President Donald Trump was the first to talk about the disarmament agreement, which Hamas has announced that it has signed. No official response has yet come from Israel.
Experts: No one will want to take the first step
The agreement reached between Hamas and Trump's "peace council" stipulates that Hamas will lay down its weapons and that the Israeli military will leave the Gaza Strip. But how this will happen is a completely different question.
Bader al-Saif, a professor at Kuwait University, tells the BBC that he expects both parties to demand that the other take the first step.
Berlingske's expert Kristian Mouritzen wants to wait for the text of the agreement, but already sees major problems for Hamas if its leaders agree to disarm.
–It is pure suicide for them to give up their weapons, he says, and believes that competing groups within Gaza will then be able to attack the leaders.
Middle East expert Anders Persson tells Aftonbladet that the agreement is the biggest thing that has happened since the autumn ceasefire. However, he is still cautious about what it will lead to in practice.
–Trump's diplomacy in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran has not been very successful overall. His ceasefires tend to break down and he also tends to exaggerate successes with very big words.
...............................................
Sources: Preparing Iran attacks
TT
Published 00:46
The US and Israel are preparing major attacks on energy facilities in Iran, CBS News reports, citing several sources.
The
planned attacks are described as among the largest yet against energy
infrastructure during the Iran war and could begin this weekend.
Israel carried out air strikes together with the US at the beginning of the war, last winter.
Climate Threat
El Niño
“El Niño is pouring gasoline on a planet that is already burning”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres says that El Niño – which experts say is continuing to grow in strength and is expected to get stronger in late summer – will “pour gasoline on a planet that is already burning”, AFP reports.
“Two months ago I warned that El Niño was on the doorstep. Now it is in the house – and it is turning up the heat,” he says.
In addition to El Niño, a “positive dipole” is also expected, making the western part of the Indian Ocean warmer than normal and the eastern part colder, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).
Extreme Weather in Europe
“Exceptionally Severe” Drought Underway in England
England, which otherwise has a very wet and rainy reputation, is currently experiencing an “exceptionally severe” drought, the country’s Environment Agency announced according to CNN.
The combination of high temperatures and little rainfall has led to drought in the central, southern and eastern parts of the country.
“We are currently using water faster than nature can replenish it. It is an exceptionally serious situation that will have far-reaching consequences for our environment, wildlife and economy,” says Helen Wakeham, head of the Environment Agency’s water unit.
Only seven percent of the normal rainfall this year has fallen in England. The country’s rivers have water levels 78 percent below normal.
British drought – the worst July in 190 years
A long heatwave and extremely little rain have led to parts of Britain heading towards the driest July in 190 years.
According to preliminary figures, both England and Wales look set to have their driest July since 1836.
The weather has been characterised by an unusual combination of extreme heat, lots of sunshine and an almost total absence of rain in some areas, according to the British Met Office.
The weather agency describes July as “truly exceptional”.
Earlier this week, the agency announced that on June 26 a daytime temperature of 38 degrees was measured in Britain, which is a new heat record for the month.
Strong winds worsen fire situation on Crete
The situation in fire-stricken countries in southern Europe is spreading.
On the Greek island of Crete, high winds are making extinguishing work more difficult. In Gironde in France, where the giant fire is now stable, there is cautious optimism.
On Crete, firefighters have been fighting all night to get control of the wildfire in Rethymnon. High winds have made extinguishing work more difficult with new fires flaring up in several places, reports the state television channel ERT.
On Thursday, several hundred people were forced to evacuate the area, some of them by boat because thick smoke made it impossible to use roads.
So far, no Swedish tourists have had to evacuate, travel agencies Ving and Apollo told TT on Thursday.
In France, Gironde, where a giant fire has now raged for nine days, reported that the night was calm and the situation was stable.
"The weather conditions during the night were favorable," the Gironde authorities wrote on X.
According to French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez, "the worst is probably behind us."
- We will still be extremely vigilant, but cautiously optimistic, he told French television channel BFMTV.
In Spain, the giant fires in Ávila and around Madrid are also now under control, and on Thursday, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez lifted the national state of emergency that had prevailed in the country due to the fires.
Läget i branddrabbade länder i södra Europa spretar.
På den grekiska ön Kreta försvåras släckningsarbetet av hårda vindar. I Gironde i Frankrike, där jättebranden nu är stabil, råder försiktig optimism.
På Kreta har brandmännen kämpat hela natten för att få kontroll över terrängbranden i Rethymnon. Hårda vindar har försvårat släckningsarbetet med nya uppflammande eldar på flera ställen, rapporterar den statliga tv-kanalen ERT.
På torsdagen tvingades flera hundra personer evakuera från området, vissa av dem med båt eftersom tjock rök gjorde det omöjligt att använda vägar.
Såvitt har inga svenska turister behövt evakuera, uppgav resebyråerna Ving och Apollo för TT på torsdagen.
I Frankrike meddelas i Gironde, där en jättebrand nu har rasat i nio dagar, att natten har varit lugn och situationen är stabil.
”Väderförhållandena under natten har varit gynnsamma”, skriver myndigheterna i Gironde på X.
Enligt franska inrikesministern Laurent Nuñez ligger ”troligen det värsta bakom oss.”
– Vi kommer fortfarande vara extremt vaksamma, men försiktigt optimistiska, säger han till franska tv-kanalen BFMTV.
Även i Spanien är nu jättebränderna i Ávila och kring Madrid under kontroll och på torsdagen hävde premiärminister Pedro Sánchez det nationella undantagstillstånd som rått i landet på grund av bränderna.
Analysis: Climate change made the fires worse
Human-caused climate change has made the fires in France and Spain worse, according to a rapid analysis by the World Weather Attribution (WWA) research network.
The researchers analyzed historical weather observations to see how weather conditions that promote fires have changed over time based on a measure that takes into account hot, dry and windy conditions and how difficult it is to extinguish a fire once it has broken out.
Their rapid analysis shows that human-caused climate change has made the risk of fire-hazardous conditions at least twice as high in southwestern France and at least 20 times as high in central Spain. The researchers emphasize that these are conservative estimates.
They also note that, with today’s climate, fires of the same intensity can be expected to occur every twenty years in southwestern France and every six years in central Spain.
“Our studies show time and again how Europe’s climate is changing faster than governments can adapt. Last year we documented the fires in the Iberian Peninsula, more recently our research showed how climate change is worsening droughts across the continent. Now we are seeing another disaster driven by the same cause – the burning of fossil fuels,” says Friederike Otto, professor of climate change at Imperial College London, in a comment.
Trump disappointed with Iran: “They are lying”
Donald Trump says he has begun to despair about the negotiations with Iran, reports the Spanish news agency EFE
“I am losing hope in them because they are lying,” the president said during a meeting with journalists at Camp David.
The fragile negotiations to reach a peace agreement between the US and Iran are still ongoing. At the same time, unrest continues around the Strait of Hormuz.
Donald Trump says the US has respected the negotiation process and refrained from attacking Iran during the week. But he accuses Iran of firing missiles at US targets in the region and claims that Iranian officials are lying about their promises.
According to the president, US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are still involved in the negotiations.
Amazon's future
Amazon's profit clearly higher than expected - the stock rose
Amazon's profit per share landed at $5.75 for the quarter. Expectations were $1.82 per share. But the comparison may not be entirely fair, warns CNBC.
Revenue of $200.6 billion also beat expectations of $196.5 billion.
Revenue from the important cloud unit Amazon Web Services was $42.2 billion, against expectations of $40.54 billion.
“AWS is in full swing, growing 36.7 percent year-over-year in the second quarter — our fastest growth in 18 quarters — and our AI and chip businesses each reached annualized revenue of more than $25 billion,” said Andy Jassy, Amazon CEO, in a statement.
The stock surged more than 9 percent in after-hours trading.
Expert: Strong cloud growth sent Amazon soaring
Amazon's stock
surged over 9 percent in after-hours trading after the interim report
showed that cloud revenue rose for the fifth consecutive quarter, writes
Bloomberg.
Neither the negative cash flow nor the raised
forecast for AI investments and other capital expenditures to $220
billion this year seem to scare investors.
According to Emarketer
analyst Sky Canaves, this is because revenue growth for Amazon's cloud
business "is accelerating while Amazon maintains tight cost control in
other areas," writes the news agency.
Apple's future
Analyst: The market is worried about Apple's sales
Apple's
unexpectedly weak revenue forecast ahead and concerns that strong
iPhone sales will fade pressured the stock in after-hours trading after
the interim report, according to analysts.
“I think investors are
worried that the quarter reflected a temporary buying spree that won’t
last,” Technalysis Research analyst Bob O’Donnell told Reuters after
Thursday night’s report.
DA Davidson analyst Gil Luria noted that
the services business has already slowed down and that growth will slow
even more if iPhone sales return to a more normal level.
The stock fell more than 6 percent in after-hours trading after the report.
Apple delivered in Cook’s farewell speech
Apple reported sales and profit figures that exceeded Wall Street expectations in the quarter that ended in June.
iPhone sales rose 22 percent. Mac sales rose 29 percent.
Earnings
per share were $2.02. Expectations were $1.89, according to CNBC. But
the figures are not entirely comparable. 11 cents of the profit per
share can be linked to customs refunds, writes Reuters.
Revenue of $ 109.42 billion marginally beat expectations.
–
Today, Apple is proud to report our strongest June quarter ever, with
double-digit revenue growth for iPhone, Mac and services and in all
geographic segments, said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO, in the report
commentary.
The stock fell more than 6 percent in after-hours trading.
Economy
ECB vs. inflation
Inflation rises in the eurozone – more expensive energy contributes
The inflation rate in the eurozone rose preliminarily to 2.9 percent in July from 2.8 percent in June, new figures from the statistical agency Eurostat show. This was in line with expectations, according to Trading Economics.
Energy costs rose by 10 percent and contributed to the rise.
Core inflation, which excludes energy and food, rose to 2.5 percent at an annual rate from 2.4 percent in June. It was expected to remain at 2.4 percent.
Oil Market
Oil giant BP leaves the North Sea after half a century
British
oil giant BP wants to sell its entire North Sea operation as part of a
review of the company's operations, according to a press release.
“The
UK has been our home for over 100 years and will continue to play a key
role in our future,” said CEO Meg O’Neill in a statement.
The oil giant now wants to focus on the most profitable opportunities in its portfolio, she added.
Bloomberg
has previously reported that the company’s North Sea operations could
be worth around SEK 25 billion if sold. BP has been extracting oil in
the area since the 1970s, the Financial Times reports.
Iran War Boosts Oil Giants' Profits
American
energy giant Chevron's profits increased clearly more than expected in
the second quarter, according to the company's interim report. The
background is that the Middle East crisis has pushed up the prices of
energy and fuel.
Profits almost fivefold to $12.1 billion
compared to the same quarter last year. This is the largest profit since
Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, notes Bloomberg.
Previously, companies such as British Shell and French Total have reported sharply rising profits during the past quarter.
The climate threat Forest fires in Europe
Fires do not stop Swedish travelers to Southern Europe
The fires do not seem to deter Swedes from traveling to Southern Europe, reports TT. Norwegian is still booking trips to Bordeaux in France, while Ticket sees an increase in trips to France by 22 percent and to Spain by 29 percent in the past week compared to last year. None of the companies TT has spoken to have experienced customers cancelling because of the fires.
According to travel expert Lottie Knutson, this may be because it is difficult to cancel trips that have been planned for a long time.
– Travel habits can also be long-lasting. Everyone knows that fires occur in Southern Europe, even if they are unusually scary this year, she tells TT.
Several travel agencies, however, state that travelers are contacting them for advice.
The inflation rate in the EMU is normally measured in the harmonized measure HICP.
Border crisis in Ceuta
25,000 have already returned voluntarily to Morocco
Almost half of the Moroccans who entered the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in the past 24 hours have returned. This is stated by the Spanish Interior Ministry, reports Reuters.
All 25,000 have returned voluntarily, the ministry emphasizes, which at the same time writes down its estimate of the number who crossed the border from 49,000 to 60,000, according to The Guardian. At least 34 have died.
Analysis: Morocco is pressuring Spain through the migrants
That tens of thousands of people crossed the border to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in one day is no coincidence. This is what analysts in Swedish and international media agree on.
“This would have been impossible without the passivity of the Moroccan authorities,” writes Miguel González in El País.
Several analysts write that Morocco has eased its border security in recent days, and has not reacted when thousands began to cross. They believe this is a direct response to the fact that Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Morocco’s archenemy Algeria on July 20 and promised to conclude a high-level agreement later this fall.
Analyst Taleb Alisalem tells TeleMadrid that waves of Moroccans to the Spanish Ceuta and Melilla always come when Morocco wants to put pressure on Spain or the EU. According to him, the country is on the verge of claiming the two Spanish exclaves.
“This is not a conspiracy theory, but concrete statements from the Moroccan Prime Minister,” he says.
The situation is creating enormous problems for Sánchez, both domestically and internationally. This is what Mats Larsson writes in his analysis in Expressen.
“Spain is going to the polls by next summer at the latest and Sánchez is already under pressure from a series of corruption scandals.”
And Donald Trump, he writes, who has been angered by Sánchez’s criticism of the war in Iran and is himself closing the US borders, “will not learn to remain silent about what is happening in Ceuta.”
49,000 have crossed the border
5 points about: Migrant crisis in Ceuta
49,000 have crossed the border
Published 14:09Updated 14:59
Approximately 50,000 migrants have crossed the border from Morocco to Spanish Ceuta.
Here are 5 points about the chaos in Ceuta.
1. 49,000 have crossed the border – half have returned
Tens of thousands of migrants have crossed the border from Morocco to the Spanish exclave of Ceuta in the past 24 hours. A total of 85,000 people live in the exclave.
The situation is described as chaotic and the reception centers are overcrowded. Isabel, who lives in Ceuta, describes a tense situation.
– It is a terrible chaos, it is indescribable – you have to experience it, she says.
On Friday afternoon, Spain's Interior Ministry announced that half of them, around 25,000 people, have now returned to Morocco voluntarily.
2. At least 27 dead
At least 27 people have died, most of whom drowned while trying to cross the border. Many migrants, including unaccompanied children, are sleeping on the streets and in parks, reports El Pais.
Local police have called the situation a humanitarian crisis, reports The Guardian.
Thousands of people swam across.
3. Domstolsbeslut orsak3. Court decision reason
The Spanish exclave of Ceuta borders Morocco and has long been a route for migrants trying to reach Europe.
Earlier in July, Spain's Supreme Court ruled that migrants stopped at sea on their way to the exclave cannot be immediately sent back to Morocco.
Spain's Interior Ministry has criticized people smugglers for exploiting the ruling to "encourage the flow of undocumented migrants."
4. Prime Minister on the spot
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez will visit Ceuta on Friday to talk to regional president Jesús Vivas about the situation in the exclave.
- What happened yesterday in Ceuta is a violation of Spanish territorial sovereignty, Pedro Sánchez said during the visit.
Spain has sent military personnel to support the police in the exclave. The police forces have also been reinforced with personnel from other parts of Spain.
5. Strong reactions in the EU
Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni is now threatening to stop Schengen cooperation due to the crisis.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calls the situation in Ceuta “unacceptable”, and the EU border agency Frontex has stepped up its preparedness.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has also commented on the situation.
“It is important that Spain acts urgently to gain control of the situation and fulfill its commitments within Schengen cooperation,” Kristersson writes.
Diplomatic row over 160-year-old war
Paraguayan Foreign Minister has summoned Brazil's ambassador after a comment by Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva about a war the countries fought 160 years ago.
When Lula was about to justify higher funding for the military a week ago, he added:
- There are crazy people in the world who want to start wars. Let's not forget that Paraguay one day decided to invade Brazil.
That made Paraguay see red and demand an explanation on "this sensitive issue".
According to Brazilian O Globo, the presidents of the countries will talk about how the countries should move forward in diplomatic relations.
The war in question, the War of the Triple Alliance of 1864–1870, is considered the bloodiest war in South American history. And Lula was not entirely wrong, it was started by Paraguay when it wanted to help Uruguay against Brazil.
Trump “not sure” about Ukrainian Patriot
License manufacturing of the American Patriot air defense system is high on Ukraine’s wish list.
But from the American side, hesitation is expressed – Donald Trump says he is “not sure”.
The need for air defense – especially Patriot missiles – is great in Ukraine, according to the country’s government. Among other things, the weapons are needed to protect against Russian attacks on cities and civilians.
This week, a meeting was held between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj and his US counterpart Donald Trump, where the weapons system was reportedly discussed.
Despite the meeting, Donald Trump says he has not decided whether any Ukrainian license manufacturing of Patriot should be allowed.
“It's a very special weapon, and we have to be a little careful about who we grant permission to,” Trump told the Financial Times.
ALS mystery: No one understands why veterans are affected
More officers
The researchers also found that officers are affected to a greater extent than ordinary soldiers – the incidence of ALS was 64 percent higher for men and 72 percent higher for women. However, longer military service is associated with a lower incidence of ALS.
“The results suggest that officers and employees in the Air Force, Navy or Coast Guard may have been exposed to military environments that increase the risk of ALS,” says study author Marc G. Weisskopf, a professor at the Harvard School of Public Health.
However, further research is needed to identify the factors involved, according to Weisskopf, who emphasizes that the overall risk of being affected is small.
Cause unclear
Previous studies from several countries have indicated a connection between military service and ALS, but the connection is not fully established, according to Caroline Ingre, ALS researcher and chief physician at Karolinska University Hospital.
The question of what this is due to can therefore only be answered with hypotheses.
“It has been discussed whether it is increased physical strain or emotional strain, or whether one has been exposed to chemicals, for example, in connection with combat,” says Caroline Ingre.
Another factor that may play a role is individual genetic predisposition.
– It has previously been said that well-trained or athletes are at increased risk and that it is the genetic makeup that provides the conditions to become an athlete or military that is the risk in itself, and not the professional practice.
Facts
ALS
Every year, just over 440 people get ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) in Sweden. Most are between 60 and 70 years old.
ALS is actually a collective term for several neurological diseases that all lead to the same symptom picture. It is not entirely known why people are affected, but research points to a combination of genetics and environment.
The disease breaks down the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that regulate the voluntary muscles. It often starts on one side of the body, with, for example, weakness in an arm, hand or foot, and then spreads until you are completely paralyzed. The muscles for speaking and swallowing, as well as the strength of the arms, legs and breathing muscles, are usually affected.
Most people with ALS die within two to four years of becoming ill, usually from respiratory failure. About one in ten lives considerably longer.
There is no cure for ALS, but there are medications that relieve symptoms and slow the progression somewhat.
Source: 1177, Karolinska University Hospital
