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Colombia, US announce joint exercises with nuclear sub

AFP

Colombia and the United States announced on Monday a nuclear submarine was taking part for the first time in joint military exercises in the Caribbean Sea as regional tensions mount.

Earlier this month, Colombia accused Russia of “foreign interference” on its border with Venezuela where two left-wing guerrilla groups have been fighting deadly battles for control of lucrative drug-trafficking routes.

Russia dismissed the claims from Bogota, which also accuses Venezuela of harboring armed rebels on its soil.

Colombia’s defense minister Diego Molano said the exercises would strengthen the fight against drug-trafficking and protect “national sovereignty.”

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“For the first time, a US nuclear submarine participated in interoperability exercises in the Colombian Caribbean Sea,” said Molano in a video statement released on Monday.

The exercises began on Sunday but Molano gave no indication of how long they would last nor how many US troops were involved.

Venezuela reacted with fury to the news.

“Is it a replica of NATO expansion in the American Mediterranean?” said Defense Minister General Vladimir Padrino on Twitter.

“Drug trafficking, the war in (the Colombian region of) Arauca, systematic murders and terrorist groups cannot be fought with nuclear submarines.”

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On February 3, Molano claimed Venezuelan military units had been “mobilized to the border with the support and technical strength of Russia.”

Moscow denied the allegations.

In May last year, in the midst of unprecedented anti-government protests, Colombia accused Russia of involvement in cyber attacks against official websites.

Moscow also rejected those claims.

In December, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov threatened to send forces to allies Venezuela or Cuba if it did not get its way with NATO over Ukraine.

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Colombia is the only strategic NATO partner in Latin America and is also a close US ally.

Moscow had been demanding a guarantee from NATO – the military alliance between mostly Western countries — that Ukraine never be allowed to join.

NATO refused and last week Russia invaded its western neighbor.

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International

Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide

Moderna reduces production of COVID-19 vaccine

COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.

The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.

The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.

“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.

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International

Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua

The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”

On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.

Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.

DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.

“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.

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She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”

McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.

The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.

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International

Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028

The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.

The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”

“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.

The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.

The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.

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The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.

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