International
The Justice of Suriname refuses to suspend the conviction of former former President Bouterse fugitive

The Court of Justice of Suriname rejected the appeal to suspend the convictions of former fugitive president Desi Bouterse and the other four convicted of the murder of 15 political opponents in 1982.
The former president’s lawyers alleged that the judicial process against his clients was not fair, and that is what the Court of Justice had to determine today, which declared it “inadmissible.”
The former governor must thus serve his 20-year prison sentence, issued last December, since the court decided not to suspend the sentence or its execution.
However, one of the lawyers, Murwin Dubois, quoted by the Surinamese media, indicated that they will “carefully study the considerations of the court” to determine other steps to be taken.
Dubois said that the legal team still believes that procedural errors were made in the trial.
Although the legal options for Bouterse and the other four convicts – sentenced to 15 years in prison – to avoid punishment were exhausted, the question remains whether the former president will serve that sentence.
Bouterse, 78 years old and president between 2010 and 2020, has been a fugitive from the Surinamese authorities since last January, when he should have appeared before the authorities, and his whereabouts are unknown.
Interpol issued a red notice against Desi Bouterse last week for law enforcement around the world to locate and arrest him.
Bouterse, who led a military government in the 1980s, had already been sentenced in 2021 for the massacre of opponents to 20 years in prison by the Surinamese Martial Court, which confirmed a similar ruling in 2019.
The victims – journalists, military, union leaders, lawyers, businessmen and university professors – arrested on December 8, 1982 and transferred to the then headquarters of the Surinamese National Army, where they were tortured and later summarily executed.
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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