International
COP16 recognizes the contribution of indigenous people to the care of biodiversity
The United Nations Conference on Biodiversity (COP16) approved in the early hours of Saturday by consensus the recognition of the contribution of Afro-descendant peoples and local communities to the care and preservation of biodiversity.
The approval was given at the last minute at the COP16 held in Cali and implies “the creation of a new subsidiary body of Article 8J” of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, according to the Colombian Foreign Ministry.
“Historical! We reached by consensus a great agreement on article 8J with 3 great achievements in COP16 Colombia,” said the Minister of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, Susana Muhamad, president of the meeting, in her account of X.
With T-shirts printed with images of birds from the region and phrases in which they invite you to take care of nature, more than 2,000 people gathered in the historic center of Cali, in southwestern Colombia, to say goodbye to the COP16 of Biodiversity, whose celebration was a success for the city.
The party, to the rhythm of salsa, was lit in the Plaza de Cayzedo, heart of the Green Zone, in which, according to figures from the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development of Colombia, more than 900,000 people attended the activities of the COP over 12 days.
“We leave the name of our city high before the planet, we fulfill Colombia and we fulfill the world. This is because we are united in reconciliation with each other and with nature,” said the mayor of Cali, Alejandro Eder.
Applause to Cali
The invitation included a massive applause tonight to Cali, Colombia’s third city, in recognition of its civility and commitment to COP16, considered the most important event held in that city.
“I want us not to forget this feeling we are feeling, this joy, this pride of being from Cali because just as Cali organized the largest COP in history, every year we will have the Biodiversity Week and we will continue to take it (the ball) out of the stadium,” Eder insisted.
The salsa of traditional orchestras of the city, such as the Niche Group and Guayacán, rumbled in the square, while two dance teachers led the crowd.
The challenge was to create the largest class of sauce in the world, however, due to “logistical problems”, the task was not achieved.
“It doesn’t matter, no one takes away what we danced and enjoyed. We are ready as Caleños to keep trying and invite all the inhabitants of the different continents to come to this city, a city that we love and that opens its doors for them,” Juliana Álvarez, attendee to the street party, told EFE.
A COP16 that leaves positive figures
During the two weeks that COP16 lasted – from October 21 until today – Cali had visitors from more than 190 countries around the world, hotel occupancy exceeded 91% and even several delegations had to stay in motels for couples.
The Mayor’s Office of Cali also indicated that more than 15,237 tourists arrived in the city that increased the sales of businesses adjacent to the Green Zone by 290%.
The National Government also indicated that Cali reached the level of attendance of the climate COPs, surpassing a call of over 30,000 people.
The official information added that 1,000 businessmen attended the COP15 in Montreal (Canada), while more than 3,000 from around the world arrived at the COP16 in Cali.
“The world press talked about Cali. More than 5,588 portals from 149 countries in 51 languages and more than 23,000 articles with 91,700 impressions confirm that Cali is where the whole world should be,” concluded Mayor Eder.
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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