Haitian authorities have pledged to intensify their crackdown on gang violence as armed groups continue to tighten their grip on Port-au-Prince, forcing over 1 million people from their homes. According to a UN human rights expert, gangs now control 85% of the capital, spreading terror and displacing families in unprecedented numbers.

This week, fresh gang attacks in western Port-au-Prince forced authorities to evacuate students from a school near the historic Oloffson Hotel after heavy gunfire erupted in the area. Meanwhile, reports circulated on social media of a group of priests trapped inside a church in Carrefour-Feuilles, a neighborhood targeted by the Viv Ansanm gang coalition late Tuesday.

Police Plan New Strategy Against Gangs

Haiti’s Deputy Police Spokesman Lionel Lazarre stated that law enforcement is actively preventing gangs from expanding their territorial control.

“They’re trying to take more areas, but police are there, making sure that doesn’t happen,” Lazarre said during a press conference on Wednesday. He confirmed that police have developed new anti-gang strategies but withheld details for security reasons.

In a recent operation, police seized 10,000 bullets, weapons, and drugs from a minibus in Mirebalais, northeast of Port-au-Prince. However, tensions escalated when two of the four suspects were lynched by a mob on Sunday, while the others managed to escape.

UN Warns of Worsening Humanitarian Crisis

The latest wave of violence follows a visit by William O’Neill, the UN’s human rights expert on Haiti, who warned that the situation is worse than ever.

“These violent criminal groups continue to extend and consolidate their hold even beyond the capital,” O’Neill said. “They kill, rape, terrorize, and burn homes, orphanages, schools, hospitals, and places of worship.”

O’Neill emphasized the urgent need to strengthen Haiti’s police force, which has just 9,000–10,000 officers for a country of 11 million people. In contrast, the neighboring Dominican Republic, with a similar population, has a police force of 50,000.

He also called for the reinforcement of the Kenya-led multinational security mission, which deployed 1,000 officers in June. According to O’Neill, a well-equipped force of 2,500 personnel could effectively dismantle and overpower the gangs terrorizing the country.

US Extends Flight Ban Amid Violence

Amid escalating violence, the United States extended its ban on flights to Haiti’s capital until September 8, citing security concerns. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) initially imposed the ban in November after gangs opened fire on three commercial planes. It was set to expire Wednesday but has now been prolonged due to ongoing instability.

With gang violence worsening and humanitarian conditions deteriorating, Haiti’s crisis continues to deepen, leaving millions displaced and vulnerable in what experts call one of the most severe security crises in the region.

Swedish businessman Carl Lundström, an early financier of the controversial file-sharing site The Pirate Bay, has died in a plane crash in Slovenia.

Lundström, 63, was piloting his Mooney M-20 aircraft alone when it crashed in the Velika Planina mountains on Monday, according to reports from Slovenian media. The right-wing party Alternative for Sweden, with which Lundström was politically affiliated, confirmed his death in a Facebook post on Tuesday.

Plane Crash in Remote Mountains

According to the party’s statement, Lundström had taken off from Zagreb, Croatia, en route to Zurich, Switzerland, when his plane crashed into a cabin on Velika Planina, splitting the structure in two.

The rescue operation was delayed due to bad weather and difficult terrain. On Monday, emergency teams located wreckage from the plane inside the cabin, but initial efforts to identify the pilot were unsuccessful.

A Key Backer of The Pirate Bay

Lundström played a pivotal role in The Pirate Bay’s early days, helping to provide the site with servers and infrastructure through his company Rix Telecom between 2003 and 2005.

In 2009, he was among four defendants convicted for being an “accessory to breaching copyright law” when the torrent-tracking website was found guilty of facilitating copyright infringement.

Lundström appealed his conviction but lost. However, his prison sentence was reduced from one year to four months. He was also ordered to pay 32 million Swedish kronor (€2.9 million) in damages.

Political Involvement and Business Legacy

Beyond his involvement with The Pirate Bay, Lundström was active in Swedish politics. He was a key financial backer of the Swedish Progress Party in 1991, which later merged with the Sweden Democrats.

In 2018, he became involved with Alternative for Sweden, serving as a district manager before running in the 2021 Church Assembly election, though he was unsuccessful.

Lundström also came from a prominent business background, as the heir to Wasabröd, Sweden’s largest producer of crisp bread.

His death marks the end of a controversial and politically engaged career, leaving behind a legacy in both technology and politics.

HULL, UK – A US-registered oil tanker and a Portuguese cargo ship collided in the North Sea off the UK coast on Monday, sparking a major fire and triggering a large-scale rescue operation.

The incident occurred 10 nautical miles from Hull at approximately 11 a.m. CET, prompting UK emergency services to launch an immediate response.

Rescue Efforts and Casualties

The UK Coastguard confirmed that lifeboats, helicopters, and firefighting vessels were dispatched to the scene.

“A coastguard rescue helicopter from Humberside, along with lifeboats, a fixed-wing aircraft, and firefighting vessels from nearby ships, were deployed to assist in the operation,” a coastguard spokesperson said.

At least 32 casualties have been brought ashore, according to Martyn Boyers, chief executive of the Port of Grimsby East. The extent of their injuries remains unclear.

Boyers described the incident as catastrophic, stating that a “massive fireball” erupted upon impact, followed by thick black smoke rising from both vessels.

Details of the Vessels Involved

The collision involved the Stena Immaculate, a US-registered oil tanker, and the Solong, a Portuguese container ship registered in Madeira.

• Stena Immaculate: 183 meters long, 32 meters wide, sailing from Agioi Theodoroi, Greece.
• Solong: 140.6 meters long, 21.8 meters wide, en route from Grangemouth, Scotland, to Rotterdam, Netherlands.

According to ship tracking data from Marine Traffic, the Solong was last recorded drifting at 0.3 knots, indicating a loss of propulsion.

Potential Environmental Risks

Authorities are currently assessing a potential oil spill, though it remains uncertain what cargo the tanker was carrying at the time of impact.

The UK Coastguard stated that a counter-pollution response is likely but will depend on further damage assessments.

Government Response and Weather Conditions

UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander expressed concern over the accident and praised emergency responders for their swift action.

“I thank all emergency service workers for their efforts in responding to this incident,” Alexander said in a statement.

The UK Met Office had earlier forecast poor visibility in the Yorkshire and Humber region, reporting “areas of fog and low cloud” that could have impacted navigation conditions at sea.

Rescue and firefighting operations are ongoing as authorities continue to evaluate casualties, vessel stability, and environmental impact.