International

Abortion rights groups face new wave of Meta censorship across the Americas

Suddenly, every woman who wrote to the WhatsApp number of one of Mexico’s largest abortion information organizations received the same response: silence. The account had been blocked.

Weeks later, a Colombian collective experienced the same thing.

Organizations across the Americas that provide abortion support are denouncing a new wave of censorship on Meta’s platforms — including in countries where abortion is legal. They suspect a combination of factors: changes in Meta’s content policies and coordinated reporting campaigns by anti-abortion groups targeting their posts.

The censorship is not limited to Instagram and Facebook; it also affects verified and business WhatsApp accounts, which are crucial tools for providing thousands of women with information on sexual and reproductive rights — rights recognized by the World Health Organization.

Among the affected organizations is MSI Foundation (formerly Marie Stopes), part of an international network that has been active in Mexico for over 25 years. Its WhatsApp account was suspended in February. Colombia’s Oriéntame, a group with decades of work in reproductive health, was also targeted — labeled a “dangerous organization” by Instagram in April.

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Meta often cites violations of its policies to justify account blocks, but has also admitted to errors in some cases. Since January, the company has introduced a new content moderation system based on user comments, claiming it would reduce mistakes and promote greater freedom of expression.

Former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the policy shifts likely resulted from his criticism of the “left-leaning bias” in fact-checking mechanisms.

While conservative sectors have applauded the changes, pro-abortion organizations argue that these rules are often enforced too aggressively, possibly driven by AI-based flagging systems. As a result, many of their posts are disproportionately blocked — a trend they say has worsened since the beginning of Trump’s second term.

“It’s not always intentional censorship,” said Martha Dimitratou, co-founder of Repro Uncensored, an organization that monitors and works to bypass digital censorship of sexual and reproductive health topics. “But the outcome is still more censorship for us.”

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International

U.S. Senate Rejects Budget, Bringing Government Closer to Shutdown Amid DHS Dispute

The U.S. Senate voted on Thursday against a budget proposal in a move aimed at pressuring changes at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), following the killing of two civilians during a deployment of immigration agents in Minneapolis.

All Senate Democrats and seven Republican lawmakers voted against the bill, which requires 60 votes to advance, pushing the country closer to a partial government shutdown that would cut funding for several agencies, including the Pentagon and the Department of Health.

The rejection came as Senate leaders and the White House continue negotiations on a separate funding package for DHS that would allow reforms to the agency. Proposed measures include banning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing face coverings and requiring them to use body-worn cameras during operations.

The vote took place just hours after President Donald Trump said he was “close” to reaching an agreement with Democrats and did not believe the federal government would face another shutdown, following last year’s record stoppage.

“I don’t think the Democrats want a shutdown either, so we’ll work in a bipartisan way to avoid it. Hopefully, there will be no government shutdown. We’re working on that right now,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House.

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International

Trump Says Putin Agreed to One-Week Halt in Attacks on Ukraine Amid Extreme Cold

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he secured a commitment from Russian President Vladimir Putinto halt attacks against Ukraine for one week, citing extreme weather conditions affecting the region.

“Because of the extreme cold (…) I personally asked Putin not to attack Kyiv or other cities and towns for a week. And he agreed. He was very pleasant,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast by the White House.

Trump acknowledged that several advisers had questioned the decision to make the call.
“A lot of people told me not to waste the call because they wouldn’t agree. And he accepted. And we’re very happy they did, because they don’t need missiles hitting their towns and cities,” the president said.

According to Trump, Ukrainian authorities reacted with surprise to the announcement but welcomed the possibility of a temporary ceasefire.
“It’s extraordinarily cold, record cold (…) They say they’ve never experienced cold like this,” he added.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky later commented on the announcement, expressing hope that the agreement would be honored.

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International

Storm Kristin Kills Five in Portugal, Leaves Nearly 500,000 Without Power

Storm Kristin, which battered Portugal with heavy rain and strong winds early Wednesday, has left at least five people dead, while nearly half a million residents remained without electricity as of Thursday, according to updated figures from authorities.

The revised death toll was confirmed to AFP by a spokesperson for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANPEC). On Wednesday, the agency had reported four fatalities.

Meanwhile, E-Redes, the country’s electricity distribution network operator, said that around 450,000 customers were still without power, particularly in central Portugal.

Emergency services responded to approximately 1,500 incidents between midnight and 8:00 a.m. local time on Wednesday, as the storm caused widespread disruptions.

The Portuguese government described Kristin as an “extreme weather event” that inflicted significant damage across several regions of the country. At the height of the storm, as many as 850,000 households and institutions lost electricity during the early hours of Wednesday.

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Several municipalities ordered the closure of schools, many of which remained shut on Thursday due to ongoing adverse conditions.

Ricardo Costa, regional deputy commander of the Leiria Fire Brigade, said residents continue to seek assistance as rainfall persists.
“Even though the rain is not extremely intense, it is causing extensive damage to homes,” he noted.

In Figueira da Foz, a coastal city in central Portugal, strong winds toppled a giant Ferris wheel, underscoring the severity of the storm.