International
White House says only Zelensky can decide on Russia peace talks

| By AFP |
The White House said Friday that only Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky can decide to open peace talks with Russia, rejecting the notion that it was pressing Kyiv to negotiate.
“We all agree that a diplomatic negotiated settlement is the next best thing to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin just pulling his troops out,” said White House national security spokesman John Kirby.
“We have also said that Zelensky gets to determine if and when he’s ready for negotiations and what those negotiations look like,” Kirby told reporters.
“Nobody from the United States is pushing, prodding or nudging him to the table.”
The comment came two days after the Pentagon’s top general, Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley, suggested that after its major victories on the battlefield and with Russian forces significantly weakened, Kyiv could take advantage and open talks toward ending the war.
Milley said that it is unlikely that Ukrainian forces will be able to soon recapture all of the land that Russia has occupied, especially Crimea, which Moscow seized in 2014.
But Kirby emphasized that there was no pressure and that the US was not taking its own actions.
“We’re not going to have discussions with the Russians about ending this war in Ukraine, without Ukraine being a part of that conversation,” he said.
“Those conversations aren’t happening because President Zelensky has made it clear that he’s not ready for that,” Kirby said.
“And you can’t blame him,” he said of Zelensky, because Moscow itself has indicated it is not ready for talks.
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.
-
Central America3 days ago
Funeral turns tragic as armed attack leaves seven dead in Guatemala City
-
Central America3 days ago
Costa Rica issues Yellow Alert and halts water activities over tsunami currents
-
Central America4 days ago
Peru’s ambassador highlights “historic bonds” with El Salvador on Independence Day
-
International4 days ago
U.S. and China push for extension of tariff truce after “constructive” talks in Sweden
-
International3 days ago
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
-
International4 days ago
Medvedev warns Trump after new Ukraine ultimatum: ‘Russia is neither Israel nor Iran’
-
International3 days ago
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
-
International4 days ago
Trump administration opens civil rights probe into duke university over alleged bias
-
International3 days ago
U.S. launches ads urging undocumented migrants to self-deport via CBP Home App
-
International4 days ago
Argentina requests reentry into U.S. Visa Waiver Program during DHS chief’s visit
-
Central America2 days ago
Daniel Ortega’s last historic sandinista ally detained in Managua
-
Central America2 days ago
Honduras sees ongoing killings of land defenders and attacks on press, warns NGO
-
International4 days ago
Petro accuses Marco Rubio of undermining colombia’s sovereignty over Uribe comments
-
Central America2 days ago
Guatemala transfers top gang leaders to maximum security prison after funeral home massacre
-
International2 days ago
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
-
International11 hours ago
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
-
International11 hours ago
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
-
Central America11 hours ago
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves