International
Venezuelan candidate Ecarri says that the electoral agreement opens a new democratic stage
The opposition Antonio Ecarri, candidate for the Presidency of Venezuela, said on Friday that the agreement to recognize the electoral result, proposed by the Government and signed on Thursday by eight of the ten candidates before the National Electoral Council (CNE), is the beginning of a “new democratic stage” in the country.
“Yesterday’s photo, for me, is the beginning of a new democratic stage, of coexistence of all sectors,” said the anti-chavista – who declares himself “independent” -, according to a press release from the Alianza Lápiz, the formation for which he is presented to the presidential elections.
Ecarri criticized the absence, at the headquarters of the CNE, of the candidates Enrique Márquez, from the Centrados party, and Edmundo González Urrutia, standard-bearer of the main anti-Chavista coalition, Plataforma Unitaria Democrática (PUD).
“It is an absurd and clumsy bad silt to play with the policies of absences in Venezuela,” Ecarri said.
Ecarri added that it is “unacceptable” to be the “guarantor of a change in peace, without being part of the agreements.”
“How are you going to lead the pacification of a country and a change in peace if you don’t go? Those absence policies, I particularly don’t like them, that absence has a swew of cowardice,” he said.
Eight of the ten candidates for the July 28 elections in Venezuela, including President Nicolás Maduro, signed on Thursday, before the CNE, an agreement that obliges them to recognize the result that the governing body of the elections announced after the count, leaving no room for claims.
Enrique Márquez said this Friday that the recognition agreement is “useless,” since it is “redundant” and “incomplete.”
Márquez also criticized, during a press conference, that the agreement is “unilateral,” having not been able to “give an opinion and discuss its content” all the candidates, as – he assured – was his case, which is why he refused to go to the CNE and sign the document.
Meanwhile, González Urrutia said on Thursday that he was not invited to sign the agreement, which he had previously rejected, saying that the recognition of the results is already contemplated in the Barbados Agreement, signed between the PUD and the Government in October.
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
-
Central America3 days agoFuneral turns tragic as armed attack leaves seven dead in Guatemala City
-
Central America3 days agoCosta Rica issues Yellow Alert and halts water activities over tsunami currents
-
Central America4 days agoPeru’s ambassador highlights “historic bonds” with El Salvador on Independence Day
-
International4 days agoU.S. and China push for extension of tariff truce after “constructive” talks in Sweden
-
International3 days agoThree salvadorans in Florida sentenced in $146 million construction tax fraud scheme
-
International4 days agoMedvedev warns Trump after new Ukraine ultimatum: ‘Russia is neither Israel nor Iran’
-
International3 days agoKremlin hails preparedness after Kamchatka quakes leave no casualties
-
International4 days agoTrump administration opens civil rights probe into duke university over alleged bias
-
International3 days agoU.S. launches ads urging undocumented migrants to self-deport via CBP Home App
-
International4 days agoArgentina requests reentry into U.S. Visa Waiver Program during DHS chief’s visit
-
Central America2 days agoDaniel Ortega’s last historic sandinista ally detained in Managua
-
Central America2 days agoHonduras sees ongoing killings of land defenders and attacks on press, warns NGO
-
International4 days agoPetro accuses Marco Rubio of undermining colombia’s sovereignty over Uribe comments
-
Central America2 days agoGuatemala transfers top gang leaders to maximum security prison after funeral home massacre
-
International2 days agoTrump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
-
International8 hours agoStudy finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
-
Central America8 hours agoCosta Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
-
International8 hours agoTrump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua