International
Paraguayan President announces anti-corruption plan to fight corruption

November 25 |
On his 100th day in office, Paraguayan President Santiago Peña signed on Thursday at the Government Palace with other authorities a document called “National Strategy to Combat Corruption”.
It is a 68-page “road map” with deadlines for the execution of various projects and its content was revealed in the middle of a ceremony held at the Government Palace, where other authorities of the three branches of government participated in the signing of the strategy.
The document was signed by President Santiago Peña, Vice President Pedro Alliana, Comptroller General Camilo Benítez, Attorney General Emiliano Rolón, the President of the Court, César Diesel, the head of Congress, Senator Silvio Ovelar, and the head of the Chamber of Deputies, Raúl Latorre.
According to the Paraguayan president, “we are seeking for this strategy to be a road map with measurable tasks, commitments and objectives that involve and involve society for execution and control”.
The President thanked the signatory authorities for fighting against corruption, respecting what he called the balance of powers. “All the authorities agree that corruption is a scourge that requires a coordinated, multidisciplinary and transversal action by the State in order to defeat its institutions”, he said.
He insisted that through this strategy a dialogue table is installed in the fight against this scourge, in “search of a better future”.
He also described that “the strategy contains four axes, 16 sub-themes and 42 initiatives. It is the most complete strategy I have ever seen in my life”.
He added that the plan “covers a series of issues that are transcendental” for the country, in relation to public health and education.
On the other hand, he announced the processing of the bill that establishes the “National Regime of Integrity, Transparency and Prevention of Corruption in Paraguay”. The norm foresees “to establish a new regime for the prevention of corruption in our country, assigning this relevant function to a constitutional body with functional autonomy and independence such as the Comptroller General of the Republic”.
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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