International
Peru increases to 544 the number of districts in emergency due to water deficit

September 19 |
The Peruvian government published on Monday a decree declaring an emergency due to water deficit and imminent danger to 544 districts in the country, belonging to 14 departments, in order to address the situation.
The Minister of Agrarian Development and Irrigation, Jennifer Contreras, said in a press conference that the measure covered 544 districts, when previously 131 were in emergency due to this situation.
The decert will allow “regional and local governments to execute and act within the framework of their competences, in terms of disaster management”, said the official.
“It is a priority for the government and for the Presidency of the Republic to attend to the water deficit emergency, as well as to protect the lives of our population, our crops and our assets,” she said.
Contreras pointed out that the measure reaches several departments and localities that suffer the effects of the lack of rainfall, such as Puno with 85 districts, Huanuco with 54, Huancavelica 71, Cusco 77, Arequipa 32, Ancash 51, Apurimac 18.
“The regulation is going to allow regional and local governments to execute and act within the framework of their competencies, in terms of disaster management. For example, they can make direct contracts to be able to attend to the emergency due to water deficit in their respective localities”, she added.
The minister of the sector expressed that the authorities of the departments in emergency may acquire veterinary kits, food for livestock, as well as take actions to ensure the supply and provision of water, control and measurement of irrigation canals, among other measures.
She stated that the Executive Branch is developing a multisectoral intervention to provide assistance to the populations in the emergency due to lack of water, and “tomorrow the National Emergency Operations Center will report on the establishment of a prevention plan for water deficit”, she said.
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.
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