International
Argentine President inaugurates conference on Peace Operations

September 12 |
The opening of the II Latin American and Caribbean Conference on Peace Operations of the United Nations Organization (ALCONU) was held on Tuesday by the President of Argentina, Alberto Fernandez, in the San Martin Hall of the Libertador Building.
Also presiding the event with the President were the Ministers of Defense, Jorge Taiana, and of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship, Santiago Cafiero, and the Assistant Secretary General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.
The event organized by the Argentine Ministry of Defense, hosted by Taiana, is an international meeting that brings together the Ministers of Defense of 24 countries of the region and the world.
“The United Nations has been developing peace missions for a long time, and we, who are Latin America and a region of peace (…) have learned to solve our problems with diplomacy and dialogue”, said the President to those present.
The objective of this Conference, of which Argentina holds the Pro Tempore Presidency, is to strengthen the articulation with respect to the United Nations Peacekeeping Operations (PKOs).
“We will continue to accompany the United Nations, to the extent that it remains the center that brings us together as the world that we are and we will always continue to demand respect for peace,” said President Fernandez in closing his speech.
For his part, the Argentine Minister of Defense said: “We reaffirm our willingness to support the multilateral system in general, the United Nations system, and also, in particular, our support for the entire area of peacekeeping operations”.
At the conclusion of the Conference, the first institutional mechanism in the region and the world for UN-mandated peacekeeping cooperation will be signed, the so-called Statute of the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Peacekeeping Cooperation (RELACOPAZ), drafted in Lima in 2022.
Similarly, progress will be made in defining the objectives, strategic thinking and regional perspective on PMOs under UN mandate.
In addition to the member countries gathered there, representatives from Spain, Canada, India, China, Slovenia, Pakistan and France will also participate as observers.
In recent times, Argentina’s links with UN Peace Operations have doubled from four to eight international missions in countries such as Cyprus, Colombia, Lebanon, Western Sahara, Central African Republic, Middle East, South Sudan and India-Pakistan.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide

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.
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.
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.
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.
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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