International
Bolsonaro says he could return to Brazil in a few weeks
12 février |
Former president Jair Bolsonaro said Saturday that he intends to return to Brazil “in the next few weeks.”
It is the first time Bolsonaro has made a public statement about his return. The right-wing politician is in the United States after arriving in Orlando, Florida, on Dec. 31, a day before his leftist rival Luis Inácio Lula da Silva ascended to the presidency.
Saturday’s event at an evangelical church in Florida was entirely in Portuguese for a Brazilian crowd of Bolsonaro supporters living abroad, and was organized by the right-wing collective Yes Brazil USA. The former president was cheered throughout the event.
Bolsonaro’s possible return to Brazil has raised conjecture in recent weeks as to when he would do so, although several investigations related to possible illegal behavior are weighing on him.
Bolsonaro entered the United States on a one-month diplomatic visa that expired on January 31. He was accompanied by his wife and a team of presidential advisors, all of whom left Florida last month.
Bolsonaro’s lawyers recently told the Brazilian press that they had arranged a tourist visa for the former president to extend his stay in the United States.
Amid speculation about Bolsonaro’s plans, one of his sons, Senator Flavio Bolsonaro, told the Brazilian press that he did not know when his father might return.
“It could be tomorrow, in six months, maybe never. I don’t know. He is resting,” he added.
For the first time in his political career of more than three decades as a lawmaker and later as president, Bolsonaro no longer enjoys the special legal protection under which he could only be tried by the Supreme Federal Court.
Bolsonaro is subject to four inquiries, which had been in the highest court but were already sent to an ordinary court last week.
One of the investigations is to determine whether Bolsonaro had any involvement in inciting the January 8 riots, in which his supporters raided government compounds in Brasília to demand the annulment of his electoral defeat to Lula.
Investigators are also seeking to determine who organized and financed the mass gathering of Bolsonaro supporters who arrived in the capital from various parts of Brazil.
One of the inquiries of the Brazilian justice system is to determine who were those responsible for inciting the crimes, and who paid the people to travel to Brasilia.
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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