International
Taiwan focuses its efforts on finding 16 missing after the strong earthquake

Taiwan’s rescue teams are working this Friday in the search for sixteen people missing after the strong earthquake that shook the east coast of the island on Wednesday, causing 12 deaths and 1,106 injuries.
In a press appearance, the Taiwanese Minister of the Interior, Lin Yu-chang, said that rescue teams found two lifeless bodies this morning on a trail in Taroko National Park, one of the main tourist spots in Taiwan.
This morning they also rescued nine people stranded in a cave in the same park, who have already been directed to a safe place.
However, according to the state news agency CNA, the authorities do not know the current location of three foreigners, two Australian citizens and one Canadian.
Likewise, four people are still missing near the town of Fengbin: a couple with whom they lost contact at a campsite in Xiulin and two other people in the mining area of Heren and in the Luoshao area.
Almost three days after the earthquake, 671 people remain trapped: 435 in a hotel in Taroko National Park, 122 in the Tianxiang recreational area, 84 in an elementary school, 18 in a camp and another 12 in the Xiangde Buddhist temple.
The Taiwanese Minister of the Interior assured that, due to adverse weather conditions and the constant aftershocks – more than 500 since Wednesday – people trapped in Tianxiang will not be able to be evacuated until Sunday.
So far, the earthquake has caused a total of 2,612 incidents of varying magnitudes on the island, most of them in the cities of Taipei (1,145) and New Taipei (509) and in Hualien County (439).
The earthquake, of magnitude 7.2 according to the Central Meteorological Agency (CWA) of Taiwan and 7.4 according to the United States Geological Survey, was recorded at 7:58 on Wednesday (23:58 GMT on Tuesday) at sea, 25 kilometers southeast of Hualien.
This earthquake is the most intense that Taiwan has suffered since September 21, 1999, when a magnitude 7.6 earthquake killed more than 2,400 people.
Taiwan is settled at the confluence of the Philippine and Eurasian plates, so earthquakes are frequent on the island.
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 America3 days ago
Funeral turns tragic as armed attack leaves seven dead in Guatemala City
-
Central America3 days ago
Costa Rica issues Yellow Alert and halts water activities over tsunami currents
-
Central America4 days ago
Peru’s ambassador highlights “historic bonds” with El Salvador on Independence Day
-
International4 days ago
U.S. and China push for extension of tariff truce after “constructive” talks in Sweden
-
International3 days ago
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
-
International4 days ago
Medvedev warns Trump after new Ukraine ultimatum: ‘Russia is neither Israel nor Iran’
-
International3 days ago
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
-
International4 days ago
Trump administration opens civil rights probe into duke university over alleged bias
-
International3 days ago
U.S. launches ads urging undocumented migrants to self-deport via CBP Home App
-
International4 days ago
Argentina requests reentry into U.S. Visa Waiver Program during DHS chief’s visit
-
Central America2 days ago
Daniel Ortega’s last historic sandinista ally detained in Managua
-
Central America2 days ago
Honduras sees ongoing killings of land defenders and attacks on press, warns NGO
-
International4 days ago
Petro accuses Marco Rubio of undermining colombia’s sovereignty over Uribe comments
-
Central America2 days ago
Guatemala transfers top gang leaders to maximum security prison after funeral home massacre
-
International2 days ago
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
-
International11 hours ago
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
-
International11 hours ago
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
-
Central America11 hours ago
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves