International
Biden tells Netanyahu that the future of US support will depend on the protection of civilians in Gaza
US President Joe Biden warned Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that the future support of the United States for the war in Gaza will depend on the “concrete” actions he takes to minimize the damage to civilians in the Gaza Strip and ensure the safety of humanitarian workers.
The two leaders spoke this Thursday by phone, in what is their first direct contact since the attack that on April 1 killed seven co-workers from World Central Kitchen (WCK), the NGO founded by Spanish chef José Andrés.
According to the White House in a statement, Biden took advantage of the call to ask Netanyahu to announce and implement “a series of specific, concrete and measurable steps to address the damage to civilians, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers.”
He then warned that his Government’s future policy regarding Gaza “will depend” on the actions that Israel takes to comply with those requests and considered that the attacks on humanitarian workers and the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where 33,000 people have died, “are unacceptable.”
Biden also stressed to Netanyahu that “an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians,” and urged him to empower his negotiators to conclude an agreement without delay for the hostages to return home.
Biden’s words imply a hardening of tone, although already in recent months he has been critical of Israel’s military strategy in Gaza.
However, in practice, your Government has not modified the support it has provided to Israel since the beginning of the conflict.
In fact, this same Thursday, The Washington Post newspaper reported that the United States approved on Monday – the same day that the attack on WCK took place – a new weaponry package to Israel that includes 2,000 small and medium-diameter bombs.
The White House statement did not mention that delivery of weapons and it is only said that both also talked about Iran’s threats to Israel. In this regard, Biden made it clear that the United States strongly supports Israel in the face of those threats.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday that President Joe Biden asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to have a ceasefire in Gaza to protect innocent civilians.
During today’s telephone conversation with Netanyahu, Biden told him that “an immediate ceasefire is essential to stabilize and improve the humanitarian situation and protect innocent civilians,” Blinken said at a press conference in Brussels, after having participated in a NATO ministerial meeting.
He also urged him to allow his negotiators to conclude “an agreement without delay to return home the hostages” kidnapped by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas after its attack on Israel on October 7, in which about 1,200 people also died.
“If we don’t see the changes we have to see, there will be changes in our policy,” Blinken insisted.
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
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
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