International
Death toll from floods in southern Brazil rise to 148
The number of deaths from the serious floods that have been punishing southern Brazil for two weeks has reached 148 and the number of missing persons has reached 127, according to the latest Civil Defense bulletin.
According to the organization, the greatest climate tragedy in the history of the southern region of Brazil has also left 806 injured.
The most dramatic situation is in Rio Grande do Sul, a state bordering Argentina and Uruguay and where at least 147 deaths have been reported. The other victim has been registered in the neighboring state of Santa Catarina.
According to the Civil Defense, the tragedy has spread to 447 of the 497 municipalities of Río Grande do Sul. Affecting 2.12 million people, which corresponds to 18.8% of the 11.3 million inhabitants of this prosperous state.
Of those affected, 80,826 have had to be accommodated in improvised accommodation in schools, gyms and churches. Another 538,241, in homes of family and friends.
The Civil Defense has also reported that the rescue work, in which 27,651 firefighters, military and police participate with the support of 4,405 patrols, 41 aircraft and 340 boats, have so far allowed the rescue of 76,470 people and 10,814 animals.
The devastating floods have destroyed part of some populations. They have left numerous municipalities totally flooded and partially others, such as Porto Alegre, the regional capital, and a huge trail of devastation.
The already serious situation may get worse in the coming days, by the time new storms with precipitation, cold and strong gusts of wind are expected.
The rains have fallen again with intensity since Sunday, so the level of the waters of the rivers, which had begun to decrease on Friday, has risen again but without reaching the highs they recorded.
With the rains on Saturday and Sunday, the Guaíba River, which flooded much of the historic center of Porto Alegre, including its airport and the land transport terminal, has risen again and is now at 4.78 meters.
Projections from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS) indicate that the water level in the Guaíba can reach the historical mark of 5.5 meters in the coming days if the rain persists.
In the same way, the Taquari and Caí rivers have overflowed again and have caused new floods in the municipalities of the interior of Rio Grande do Sul.
The new flood has dragged in the early hours of Monday the bridge that connected the cities of Caxias do Sul and Nova Petrópolis. The new floods have led the authorities to declare the maximum alert for the possibility of intense flooding in the Vales region.
Likewise, the maximum alert is maintained in the municipalities located on the banks of the so-called Lagoa dos Patos, where all the waters of the Guaíba flow and whose level has been rising since last Thursday causing flooding in important cities such as Pelotas and Rio Grande.
One of the main concerns is the economic impact that the tragedy will have. Río Grande do Sul is an important agricultural center in the country and the largest rice producer in Brazil.
According to the regional authorities, the initial needs to address the emergency are estimated at 18,839 million reais (3,663 million dollars or 3,392 million euros).
The Brazilian city of Porto Alegre spent ten days flooded and it is very likely that its situation will be aggravated by a new flood of the Guaíba River, which could reach a new record level on Tuesday, according to local authorities.
The heavy rains of the last few days in southern Brazil have again caused the rise of the river, which this Monday reached 4.94 meters, a level that exceeds 4.76 meters that, until last week, was the highest level of which there were records and that had only been reached once, in 1941.
The governor of Río Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, warned that the river will be able to exceed the level of 5.5 meters on Tuesday, which is 20 centimeters more than the level reached last week, at the worst moment of the flood that affects the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
At a press conference, Leite said that “it is still not time to return home” and asked that people who returned to their homes in risk areas be safely returned to shelters.
The Brazilian Government announced on Monday a suspension of the payments of the debt of the state of Rio Grande do Sul with the Treasury for three years, to help the reconstruction of that region devastated by the floods.
The debt of that state reaches 104 billion reais (20,390 million dollars or 18.9 billion euros) and, with the moratorium, about 10% of that amount will be released for the reconstruction of the state, said the Minister of Finance, Fernando Haddad, along with the president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Parliament authorities, who will have to approve that measure.
The minister added that, during that period, interest on the debt will not be counted either, all with the purpose of “recovering the economic capacity of Rio Grande do Sul in the shortest possible period,” he said.
The governor of Rio Grande do Sul, Eduardo Leite, who attended the announcement by videoconference, thanked the support and recognized “the effort of the entire federal government” in the face of the emergency.
With less intensity, the rain also affects the borders of Argentina and Uruguay, where thousands of people have been evacuated.
Before the current climate disaster, Rio Grande do Sul already had serious problems honoring its debt to the Treasury, which is equivalent to 185% of that state’s annual income, according to data from the regional government.
The economic consequences of the disaster are still immeasurable, but a balance sheet of the Federation of Industries of Rio Grande do Sul has already drawn a partial panorama.
According to that organization, 86.4% of the state’s industrial plants are located in the affected cities, which have had their activities practically paralyzed for two weeks, like almost the entire regional agricultural sector.
Also about 600,000 small and medium-sized companies have plummeted, due to the difficulties for delivery in regions where bridges and roads have collapsed and the airports operate halfway or are completely closed, as is the case with the one in Porto Alegre.
Last week, the federal government had already announced an aid plan for Rio Grande do Sul for about 50 billion reais (9.8 billion dollars or 9.09 billion euros), which includes direct assistance and subsidized credits for small businesses, among many other measures.
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
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