International
Latvia will introduce mandatory national defense classes in all institutes
All Latvian high schools will teach mandatory national defense classes from the start of next year on September 1, Prime Minister Evikta Silina announced on Thursday in statements to the press.
With the decision, a 2018 law is made effective by which defense classes were first introduced on a voluntary basis in certain centers, in the tenth and eleventh years, with the subsequent goal of making them mandatory from 2024.
Silina spoke at a press conference after an ordinary Council of Ministers in Riga in which the Minister of Education, Anda Caksa, also participated, who indicated that the subject would include 112 hours of theory and practical exercises over two years.
Educational centers will have some flexibility to adjust their program and create space for the new mandatory classes, but not at the expense of science subjects or language and literature, Caksa said.
They will teach the instructor classes of the Voluntary Corps of Young Cadets, which has already participated in the pilot program and has its own programs of extracurricular and summer activities.
Caksa said that the requirements of the subject mean that educational centers must set up shooting ranges or have access to areas where they can practice shooting.
For his part, the Minister of Defense, Andris Spruds, explained that the subject will include topics ranging from the historical and theoretical basis of national defense, the role of the armed forces and civil defense to practical issues such as leadership, survival in the field, first aid and handling of weapons.
Although the idea of implementing the subject dates back to 2018, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, at the moment the classes are seen as a preparation for the National Defense Service (VAD), the new military service that combines voluntary and mandatory elements implemented in 2023.
The first two rounds were covered with volunteers, but in the third there have been mandatory recruitments after some volunteers did not meet the specified requirements.
Silina also said at the press conference that the first shipment of drones to Ukraine will soon be on its way, within the framework of the coalition of 14 countries to supply these devices to Kiev.
Spruds refused to provide details about its characteristics but said that it is mainly first-person vision (FPV) drones, which allow the operator to operate the device depending on what he sees through the cameras.
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
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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