International
The US pauses the delivery of Patriot and NASAM missiles to other countries to send them to Ukraine
The United States announced on Thursday that it decided to paralyze the delivery of Patriot anti-missile systems to other countries so that that weaponry can go to Ukraine as quickly as possible.
“Many of our allies and partners have also taken historic steps, but obviously more is needed and it is needed now,” the spokesman of the White House National Security Council, John Kirby, said in a call with journalists.
Consequently, he added, the US Executive “has made the difficult but necessary decision to change the priorities of the short-term plan of deliveries of military sales to other countries so that they go to Ukraine instead.”
Ukraine will receive “in the coming weeks, before the end of the safe summer,” those systems that were originally going to go to other countries.
The Joe Biden Administration pointed out that they are talking to the affected nations, whose name was not specified, to evaluate the new delivery times. “We will do our best to minimize that delay as much as possible,” the spokesman said.
Kirby did state that “this reprioritization will not affect Taiwan and what Taiwan continues to need and receive from the United States for its self-defense.”
The decision is made to help Ukraine cope with Russian airstrikes.
“In recent months, Russia has accelerated its missile attacks against cities and civilian infrastructure. They are trying to destroy Ukraine’s energy system. This is not a new tactic for them, but they have certainly applied much more energy and effort,” he said.
The Ukrainian Army, he added, “desperately needs additional air defense capabilities” and the United States takes its associations “very seriously,” “especially when a partner like Ukraine is at such a crossroads.”
Kirby pointed out that the response received from the nations affected by the change of military strategy in the short term has been generally positive.
This same Thursday, Romania said that it will deliver a Patriot long-range ground-to-air missile system to Ukraine so that it can better defend itself from “the constant and massive attacks of Russia,” in the words of the presidency of the Balkan country.
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
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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