International
Venezuelan President orders joint defensive action against UK military threat
December 30 |
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Moros ordered Thursday the deployment of the joint action military exercise General Domingo Antonio Sifontes 2023 to protect its territorial integrity, in response to the threat from the United Kingdom with the arrival of the ship HMS Trent off the coast of Guyana.
During the 2023 New Year’s Eve Salutation to officers of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB), the Venezuelan head of state strongly rejected the arrival of the British Navy ship HMS Trent to the area.
He stated that it constitutes a military threat and a provocation by the United Kingdom against a peaceful and noble, but also warrior people, such as the Venezuelan people. We are the people of the liberators, he added.
He denounced that the dispatch of the ship and its acceptance by Guyana “is a breach of the Argyle Agreements”, signed with that nation last December 14, and assumed as a road map to solve the territorial dispute over the Essequibo.
He pointed out that since the Venezuelan government knew of London’s intention, it activated all the political-diplomatic mechanisms for Guyana to stop the arrival of the HMS Trent, but his government decided to receive the said naval vessel.
The Bolivarian leader stressed that Venezuela will not stand idly by in the face of any threat, wherever it may come from. We do not accept provocations. Venezuela has the right to defend its integrity, he made clear.
He stressed that Venezuela has respected the Argyle Agreements, but it will not stand idly by in the face of this threat, wherever it comes from. He warned that this time it comes precisely from the power that stripped Venezuela of Essequiba Guyana.
He recalled that in that locality of St. Vincent and the Grenadines a path was sought, the path of political dialogue, after close coordination with the Caribbean Community (Caricom) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).
He pointed out that “we are responding proportionally to the threats: today we have issued a communiqué and we reserve all actions” to defend the sovereign zones of Venezuela.
He explained that he called the military exercise joint action General Domingo Antonio Sifontes 2023 in honor of this military chief (1834-1912), hero of Venezuela, whose remains will be taken next January to the National Pantheon. The military exercise was deployed in areas of the Venezuelan Atlantic coast and several forces are participating in it.
Venezuelan Vice-President rejects interference of the United Kingdom
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez also rejected on Thursday the interference of the United Kingdom in the territorial dispute over the Essequiba Guiana.
Delcy Rodriguez recalled that London forged the 1899 award to illegally appropriate the territory of the Essequibo.
The high official of the Venezuelan Government reiterated that the only historical owner has been and will continue to be Venezuela.
“The United Kingdom has the obligation to abide by what was agreed in the Argyle Declaration which expressly excludes external threats that seek to sow or escalate a conflict between Venezuela and Guyana. Its threatening behavior against our country and the peace of our Region will have the timely and legitimate response of Venezuela. More than two centuries ago we decided for independence. We will not accept any kind of neocolonialism” wrote the Vice President in her X account.
Delcy Rodríguez indicated that the United Kingdom must recognize that they are part of the Geneva Agreement of 1966.
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.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
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