International
Police kill an armed man who wanted to burn a synagogue in the north of France
The French police have killed an armed man who wanted to set fire to the synagogue in the city of Ruán, in the north of France.
This was announced this Friday by the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, who has so far ruled out the terrorist trail.
“I congratulate the reactivity and courage of the agents,” Darmanin said on Twitter.
For its part, the Prosecutor’s Office has announced the opening of two investigations, one regarding a voluntary fire in a place of worship and another about the circumstances of the man’s death, killed by one of the agents with his regulatory weapon.
The Ruán Prosecutor’s Office is in the process of verifying the identity of the deceased.
“The individual was carrying only a transport card from Ruan. We are in the process of verifying his identity,” the prosecutor, Frédéric Teillet, told the press.
However, French media assure that this man, whose nationality and age are unknown, was under an expulsion order issued more than a year ago for an irregular stay in French territory, a directive that was not executed due to the legal remedies presented.
Teillet explained that he informed the anti-terrorist Prosecutor’s Office about this incident, but clarified that, for the time being, the Ruán Prosecutor’s Office is in charge of coordinating the investigations, which means that the authorities still do not see enough clues to treat that attack as a terrorist.
As for the agent who shot him, he has been placed in police custody while the images of the events are being investigated and interrogated.
However, Teillet has anticipated that, after seeing the available images of the intervention, the policeman fired his weapon within the regulations.
According to the French press, the Police arrived at the synagogue of Ruan at 6:45 local time, alerted by the smoke coming out of it.
There they saw a man stationed on the roof of the building. Armed with an iron bar and a knife, he would have jumped on one of his agents, who responded with a shot.
The mayor of Ruán, the socialist Nicolas Mayer-Rossignol, has assured on social networks that there have been no other victim of this incident and that the fire is being controlled by firefighters.
“I fully support the Israeli community of Ruhan,” said Mayer-Rossignol.
France has the most numerous Jewish and Muslim communities in Europe. Since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic acts have multiplied in the country.
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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