International
The Pentagon reaches an agreement with LGTBIQ veterans discharged for their sexual orientation
The Pentagon announced on Monday that it reached an agreement with a group of five plaintiffs, representing more than 30,000 LGTBIQ veterans who unsubscribed because of their sexual orientation, according to US media reports.
Veterans who sued the Department of Defense were fired when a controversial measure was in force – known as ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ or ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ in English – that forced LGBTQ people to hide their sexuality in order to be military.
The agreement streamlines the process so that these veterans can eliminate references to their sexual orientation in the discharge documents and the Department of Defense records.
“When I was discharged because of my sexual orientation, I felt that my country was telling me that my service was worthless, that I was ‘less than’ for the person I loved,” Sherrill Farrell, a veteran of the US Navy and one of the five people who filed the lawsuit, said in a press release.
“Today, once again I feel proud to have served my country by defending veterans like me and ensuring that our honor is recognized,” she added.
In the lawsuit, the veterans alleged that the Pentagon violated their rights by not granting them “honorable” casualties or removing references to their sexual orientation from their record after the discriminatory policy was removed in 2011.
The government tried to dismiss the lawsuit and a federal judge in California allowed the class action to take course in June, concluding that the army’s decision to leave the discharge documents of LGTBQ veterans unchanged “was motivated by a discriminatory intention.”
The ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy came into effect in 1993 and allowed sexual orientation to be indicated as the main reason for the dismissal of the military.
Some of the veterans discharged under this restriction lost access to benefits such as military discounts, college tuition assistance, loan programs, and more.
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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