International
UN peacekeepers denounce that Israeli soldiers shot at an UNFI post
The UN peacekeeping mission in southern Lebanon (UNFINUL) denounced this Friday that on October 22 a group of Israeli soldiers “shot” at a blue helmet observation post in the village of Dhayra, in southern Lebanon.
In a statement, UNFIN denounced that while Israeli soldiers were carrying out “operations to clean up homes near their post in Dhayra, they targeted the position of UN troops, who had to retreat “to prevent them from being shot.”
The UN mission denounced that the Israeli Army “has repeatedly demanded that UNFINUL vacate its positions along the Blue Line,” the dividing line between Lebanon and Israel and where the blue helmets are highlighted to monitor the border strip.
He also repeated that Israel “has deliberately damaged camera, lighting and communications equipment in some of those positions,” while insisting that, “despite the pressure exerted on the mission” the FIUL troops “continue to be in their posts and fulfilling their task.”
Subsequently, the UN mission said in another statement that on October 23 “a medical center in a FINUL position in Beit Leif was hit by a projectile or rocket of unknown origin, which caused damage to the buildings.”
Incidents “of unknown origin”
In addition, he listed a series of incidents “of unknown origin” in which “no member of the peace forces was injured.”
Since the beginning of the land invasion of Israel’s southern Lebanon, the blue helmets have observed clashes in the villages of Alma al Shaab, Aitaroun, Bint Jbeil, Hanin, Houla, Kunin, Labbouneh, Markaba, Maroun al Ras, Meiss al Jabal, Ras Naqoura and Yaroun, the note added.
“We will continue to fulfill our surveillance and information tasks,” added the mission, currently commanded by Spain, which reminded the Israeli Army and “all actors” – in reference to the Shiite group Hezbula – of their obligations to guarantee the security of United Nations personnel and property.
In addition, he insisted that “any deliberate attack against them constitutes a serious violation of international humanitarian law and resolution 1701” of the UN Security Council, which ended the one-month war fought in 2006 between Israel and Hezbulah.
On October 20, FINUL again accused Israel of “deliberately” demolishing an observation tower and the perimeter fence of one of its positions in the south of the country, on the border with Israel, actions that have been repeated since the Israeli Army began its land invasion at the beginning of the month.
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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