International
Alarm is growing in Russia for crimes of convicts pardoned by Putin to fight in Ukraine
The increase in crimes committed by convicts pardoned to fight in Ukraine by Russian President Vladimir Putin, has triggered the social alarm among Russians.
“The murder of a 12-year-old girl in the Kémerovo region has revealed a terrible threat (…) A man tried on several occasions, convicted of homicide, was released from prison to participate in the war and returned to civilian life committed a new brutal crime,” Russian deputy Nina Ostánina denounced on Telegram.
The crime, which has impacted Russian society, came to light on Wednesday, when the lifeless body of the minor was found with signs of a violent death.
The authorities attributed it to a former war combatant who had been recruited from prison, where he was serving a sentence of 13 and a half years for the murder of a woman, after having been tried at least six times for various crimes.
The legislator, responsible for the committee for the protection of the family and children of the Russian Duma or chamber of deputies, warned that “there will be more crimes like this.”
“When returning from the front, these people turned out not to be ready for their social reintegration and represent a threat to society,” he said.
Therefore, he called on the Russian authorities to “assume the responsibility of protecting citizens from criminals like these” through “constant control” and help their reintegration into labor.
In addition, he made the preparations for a bill that would regulate this matter.
“We must act without delay. Nightmares like this cannot be allowed to repeat. Our children deserve a safe life and protection from ruthless criminals,” he said.
After the beginning of the war in Ukraine and the call to the ranks of inmates, a practice promoted by the Russian mercenary company Wagner, Russia has been affected by a wave of crimes and crimes committed by these people upon their return from the battlefield.
This same Thursday, the digital media Gazeta.ru reported the case of a pregnant young woman who lost her child as a result of a beating by a member of Wagner who had also been recruited from between bars.
The doctors found that the woman suffered head injuries, fracture of ribs and phalanges of the hands, as well as multiple bruises and cardinals, however, despite the fact that the culprit was arrested, he managed to avoid the trial when he returned to the front.
In April of this year, another Wagnerite killed a woman in the Leningrad region and dismembered her; and in March, another ex-convict and member of Wagner stabbed at least 15 times to the woman he lived with and later cut her ear, just two examples from a long list.
According to the independent digital media Viorstka, in the last two years about fifty people have died at the hands of veterans of war in Ukraine recruited from Russian prisons.
Most of the victims turn out to be the relatives or neighbors of these people for domestic reasons and are usually crimes related to the consumption of alcoholic beverages
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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