International
The big U.S. TV networks will ask for a face-to-face between Biden and Trump
The five largest television networks in the United States are preparing a joint letter to ask the US president, Joe Biden, and the virtual Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to participate in televised debates, in the face of speculation that in this electoral year they will not reach an agreement to celebrate this traditional face-to-face.
CNN, ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox News request that the presidential campaign that leads to the election in November, this year have those debates that have been part of the tradition of the United States in all electoral cycles since 1976.
“The signatory national news organizations urge the probable presidential candidates to publicly commit to participate in debates before the election,” says a draft of the request revealed by The New York Times.
The 81-year-old Democrat Biden has not discarded the idea of facing Trump again in front of the cameras and the national audience, as he did twice in 2020.
For his part, Trump, 77, who refused to participate in the debates of the Republican primaries this year, has said that he is willing to debate with Biden “at any time, anywhere.”
These debates have been losing interest for voters: the second confrontation between Trump and Biden in 2020 attracted an audience of 63 million people, 10 million less than the first, and 8.6 million less than the final debate of Trump and Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton in 2016.
In their letter, according to the draft cited by The New York Times, television networks affirm that “if there is something that Americans can agree on, in these times of polarization, it is that what is at stake in this election is exceptionally important.”
“Simply, nothing can replace the debate of the candidates face to face, before the citizenry, with their visions for the future of the nation,” the text adds.
The first of these televised debates occurred in the 1960 campaign when Republican candidate and vice president Richard Nixon, and young Democratic Senator John F., clashed. Kennedy, and it took 16 years until the confrontation of then Republican President Gerald Ford, and the Democratic Governor of Georgia, Jimmy Carter.
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.
International
Three salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
Three Salvadoran residents living in Orlando, Florida, were sentenced for conspiracy to commit tax fraud and wire fraud involving a scheme exceeding $146 million in the construction industry, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. The sentence was handed down by federal judge Timothy J. Corrigan on Tuesday, July 29.
Eduardo Aníbal Escobar (45) was sentenced to 4 years and 9 months in prison, Carlos Alberto Rodríguez (36) to 3 years and 4 months, and Adelmy Tejada (57) to 18 months in prison, followed by 6 months of house arrest. All three pled guilty on April 3, 2025.
In addition to the prison terms, the court ordered restitution payments totaling $36,957,616 to the IRS for unpaid payroll taxes, and $397,895 to two insurers for workers’ compensation claims related to the scheme.
Escobar and Rodríguez are permanent legal residents originally from El Salvador, while Tejada is a naturalized U.S. citizen of Salvadoran origin.
International
Kremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
The Kremlin expressed relief that the earthquakes that struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula today —the first being the strongest since 1952— resulted in no casualties, and emphasized that the region is well prepared to face such natural disasters.
“Thank God, there were no victims,” said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov during his daily press briefing.
The presidential representative stated that “all alert systems were activated in time, and evacuations were organized for residents in areas requiring it in response to tsunami threats.”
“Overall, the seismic resilience of the buildings proved effective (…) Therefore, we can say that the technological preparedness demonstrated a high level,” Peskov added.
Honduras sees ongoing killings of land defenders and attacks on press, warns NGO
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
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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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