International
Death toll from storms in southern Brazil rise to 137
The number of deaths from the storms that hit southern Brazil causing floods never before seen in the region already has 137 victims, according to the latest report released by the Civil Defense.
At least 141 people are still missing, while more than 400,000 displaced, of which about 340,000 have had to take refuge in the homes of friends and family and about 71,000 in shelters improvised by the authorities.
In total, 444 cities affected and 1,950,000 people affected by the storms in the region.
The most dramatic situation is in Rio Grande do Sul, a state bordering Argentina and Uruguay, where at least 136 deaths and 756 injuries have been reported.
The other deceased was reported in the neighboring state of Santa Catarina, also affected by the catastrophe, but to a lesser extent.
The rains that had given a slight truce since Thursday resumed their intensity this Saturday, especially in the Taquarí Valley, one of the most affected regions in the last week, and in Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul.
The storms that have been punishing the region since the end of April have left a trail of chaos and destruction in which dozens of cities have been totally or partially under the waters, as is the case of Porto Alegre.
Hundreds of roads destroyed or hindered and the victims suffer from the lack of public services; hospitals are collapsed and without adequate conditions to care for patients.
The event has also hindered the work of the nearly 28,000 personnel – including firefighters, security forces and volunteers – who help in the rescues and distribute humanitarian aid.
In the last few hours, new cities were taken over by the waters after the overflow of the Lagoa dos patos, where the waters are already one and a half meters above normal.
The situation may get worse in the next few hours, where in addition to the heavy rains, strong winds and a drastic drop in temperature are expected.
Rio Grande do Sul, an important agricultural center and a fundamental sector for the growth of the country, will need at least 18,839 million reais (3.7 billion dollars or 3.4 billion euros) to recover from the floods, according to the calculations of the regional government.
At the moment, the Brazilian president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, announced an aid package of 50 billion reais ($9.8 billion) for that state, which includes direct assistance measures, subsidized credits for companies and aid for rural producers, among others.
International
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
U.S. tech giant Meta, the parent company of WhatsApp, said that Russia is seeking to ban the messaging app because it “challenges government attempts to violate people’s right to secure communication.”
Russian authorities have encouraged citizens to switch to state-backed applications, and in August they already blocked WhatsApp’s calling feature.
On Friday, the communications regulator Roskomnadzor claimed that the platform was being used to “organize and carry out terrorist acts in the country, recruit perpetrators, and facilitate fraud and other crimes.”
“If the messaging service does not comply with Russian law, it will be completely blocked,” the regulator warned.
WhatsApp remains one of Russia’s most widely used messaging services, alongside Telegram.
Moscow is pressuring both platforms to grant authorities access to user data upon request for investigations into fraud and activities the government labels as “terrorist.”
Human rights advocates fear the demand could be used to target critics of the Kremlin, President Vladimir Putin, or the war in Ukraine.
International
Archbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
The Archbishop of Miami, Thomas Wenski, has called for increased pressure on the U.S. Congress to advance comprehensive immigration reform and criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policies, arguing that they “do nothing to help.”
“We need to apply more pressure on Congress so lawmakers can make the necessary changes. It is also important for the Administration to listen to our voice. We do not want to be anyone’s enemy—we are Americans,” Wenski said in an interview with EFE.
The religious leader, who heads one of the dioceses with the largest Latino and Haitian populations in the United States, issued a call to defend the rights of migrants. He also emphasized that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has maintained a strong and public stance in favor of migrants for decades.
International
Trump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that his diplomatic team will resume meetings with delegations from Russia and Ukraine in an effort to pressure both sides to accept the peace plan proposed by Washington to end the war in Ukraine.
As part of this new round of talks, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Meanwhile, Army Secretary Dan Driscoll will hold discussions with Ukrainian representatives to narrow differences on the remaining points of the agreement.
Trump also confirmed his intention to meet personally with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and with Putin, though he emphasized that such meetings will only take place “when the agreement is fully finalized or in its final stage.”
The president claimed that his administration has made “tremendous progress” toward resolving the conflict and reiterated that the war “never would have started” if he had been in the White House at the onset of the crisis.
The U.S.-backed peace plan consists of 28 points and has been revised following feedback from both sides. According to Trump, only “a few points of disagreement” remain under active discussion.
One of the most controversial aspects of the proposal is the suggestion that Ukraine cede parts of the Donbas region to Russia and limit the size of its armed forces. Kyiv is working closely with Washington to soften these clauses in search of an arrangement that does not compromise its sovereignty or security.
With this diplomatic push, Trump aims to solidify his role as the main mediator in the conflict and steer the war toward a political resolution after years of devastation, humanitarian crisis, and rising global geopolitical tensions.
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