International
Putin does not rule out supplying weapons to North Korea as NATO does in Ukraine
Russian President Vladimir Putin did not rule out on Thursday the supply of weapons to North Korea in response to the delivery of modern weapons to Ukraine by NATO countries.
“We reserve the right to supply weapons to other regions of the world. And I also do not rule this out in view of our agreement with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea,” Putin said during a press conference at the end of his visit to Vietnam, broadcast on Russian public television.
Putin assured that “Westerners provide weapons to Ukraine and from then on they say that they no longer control anything, and it does not matter how they are used.”
“Well, we can also say that we have supplied something to someone and then we don’t take care of anything,” he said.
As for the mutual assistance agreement in case of aggression signed this Wednesday with Pyongyang, Putin took iron from him, arguing that “it is nothing new.”
“We have signed this agreement because the old one has ceased to exist. And in the previous agreement of 1961 it was all the same, there is no news,” he said.
Although he admitted that “in the current context this seems somewhat extraordinary,” he added that “we have changed almost nothing” and that the situation in the world requires legal strengthening relations with Russia’s partners, especially in Asia.
South Korea “does not have to worry, since our military aid under the agreement we signed is only raised if an aggression is committed in relation to one of the signatories of the document. As far as I know, the Republic of Korea does not plan an aggression against North Korea,” he said.
Putin stressed that, in reality, the agreement he signed with the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, will be “a deterrent so that the (Korean) crisis” does not translate into an armed conflict.
And, in response to a reporter’s question, he ruled out the possible deployment of North Korean soldiers on the battlefield of Ukraine.
The signing of the mutual assistance agreement between Russia and North Korea has caused great discomfort in Seoul, but also in the United States and Japan.
Putin also called some of the sanctions adopted against the North Korean communist regime “inhumane” today and called for its lifting.
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
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