International
Chile will launch a search plan for people who disappeared during the dictatorship

August 30|
The Chilean government will launch this Wednesday the National Search Plan for the Detainees Disappeared during the military dictatorship of Augusto Pinochet.
The search program will start from the integration of the work done by truth commissions, courts of justice, victims’ relatives and previous governments.
During a meeting with the foreign press, the Chilean Minister of Justice, Luis Cordero, explained that the objective of the plan is to know the conditions and circumstances in which the detentions and forced disappearances occurred during Pinochet’s dictatorial regime.
The Chilean minister affirmed that the plan is a form of reparation not only to the victims’ families, but also to society.
The official ceremony will be headed by President Gabriel Boric and will take place in the Plaza de la Constitución in the Chilean capital, Santiago, on the occasion of the International Day of the Victims of this crime against humanity.
The launching of the search plan coincides with the 50th anniversary of the coup d’état against then President Salvador Allende, which is remembered as one of the darkest moments in the history of the South American country.
President Gabriel Boric stated on September 11, 2022 that the whereabouts of 1,192 disappeared detainees of the Pinochet dictatorship were still unknown.
More than 3,200 people were killed or disappeared during the 17 years of military dictatorship. Hundreds of families still do not know the whereabouts of their relatives.
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 America4 days ago
Funeral turns tragic as armed attack leaves seven dead in Guatemala City
-
Central America4 days ago
Costa Rica issues Yellow Alert and halts water activities over tsunami currents
-
International4 days ago
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
-
International4 days ago
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
-
Central America3 days ago
Daniel Ortega’s last historic sandinista ally detained in Managua
-
International4 days ago
U.S. launches ads urging undocumented migrants to self-deport via CBP Home App
-
Central America3 days ago
Honduras sees ongoing killings of land defenders and attacks on press, warns NGO
-
Central America3 days ago
Guatemala transfers top gang leaders to maximum security prison after funeral home massacre
-
International3 days ago
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
-
International1 day ago
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
-
International1 day ago
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
-
Central America1 day ago
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves