International
Peruvian JNJ suspends prosecutor Benavides for six months
December 7 |
The National Board of Justice (JNJ) of Peru resolved on Wednesday to suspend for six months the prosecutor of the Nation, Patricia Benavides Vargas, who is accused of alleged influence peddling.
The JNJ communicated Wednesday night that the measure taken against the prosecutor of the Nation was decided in the framework of her constitutional functions.
The entity stated in a communiqué that “it unanimously decided, with a duly motivated resolution, to provisionally suspend Ms. Liz Patricia Benavides Vargas for six months as supreme prosecutor of the Public Prosecutor’s Office and, consequently, in the position of prosecutor of the Nation”.
“The precautionary measure (…) is given in the framework of the immediate disciplinary proceeding initiated against Mrs. Benavides Vargas, in order to ensure the normal development of the same, prevent its obstruction and guarantee the effectiveness of the final resolution,” the official press release added.
The JNJ emphasized that it acts “in strict compliance with the Constitution, its Organic Law and its Regulations of Disciplinary Procedures, guaranteeing the due process and safeguarding the right of defense of the investigated and the public interest”.
The autonomous constitutional body opened last November 28 a disciplinary proceeding against Benavides, following an investigation by the Special Team of Prosecutors against Corruption of the National Power and Police, which accuses her as alleged leader of an alleged criminal organization.
Benavides, while participating earlier in a hearing with the JNJ accused the entity of violating her right to defense and refused to testify in the process that has been opened against her.
“You have instituted a type of procedure that I consider violates my right to defense and the right to due process, for which I have filed several mechanisms for which I have not received any response to this day,” said the now suspended official.
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
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
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