International
The United States and its allies will sanction Iran “in the coming days” for the attack on Israel
The US Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen, said on Tuesday that the United States and its allies will sanction Iran “in the coming days” for the attack on Israel.
“We will take additional measures against Iran in the coming days,” he said at a press conference on the sidelines of the spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank (WB), which are being held this week in Washington.
Yellen said that he will use those meetings, attended by the Ministers of Economy and Finance from almost the world, to coordinate a new round of sanctions against Iran.
“We never give details of the sanctions before announcing them. But in the conversations I have had, all the options to interrupt Iran’s terrorist financing are still on the table,” he stressed.
The head of the Treasury did not offer details about what sanctions they will impose on Iran the U.S. and its allies; but, asked by the press, she mentioned the possibility of increasing controls to prevent Tehran from bypassing the US sanctions they already thought about its oil sector.
“Iran continues to export some oil. It is possible that something else can be done. I don’t want to advance anything about the sanctions that we could impose but, without a doubt, that is one of the areas that we could address,” he simply said.
In 2018, under the administration of Donald Trump, the United States again imposed sanctions on Iran’s oil sector and, since then, the Joe Biden Administration has tried to enforce those restrictions by imposing sanctions on companies from different countries that help Tehran export oil.
Despite these efforts, Iran continues to be able to evade US sanctions to export oil, China being one of its main customers.
The United States is studying with its G7 partners to impose more sanctions on Iran and designate the Iranian Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group after the attack on Israel.
Several countries have already designated the Revolutionary Guard, a branch of the Armed Forces of Iran created after the Islamic Revolution of 1979, as a terrorist group.
In 2019, the United States included the Revolutionary Guard on the blacklist of terrorist groups, while the Government of Canada said in January of this year that it was studying ways to include the Revolutionary Guard on its list of terrorist organizations.
For its part, the European Union (EU) is currently studying new sanctions against Iran to contain its drone and missile programs, according to the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, on Sunday.
These efforts by the United States and its allies to promote new sanctions against Iran occur while several countries in the West have urged Israel to show restraint and avoid a strong military response to Iran’s attack, at the risk of triggering a large-scale war in the Middle East.
The spring meetings of the WB and the IMF that are held this week in Washington will bring together the world’s leading finance and economic ministers.
In addition, in parallel with those events, it is planned that there will be meetings of the ministers of Economy and Finance of the G20 and also of the G24, a group that brings together developing countries, including Iran.
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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