International
Queen Elizabeth II resumes public duties after hospital stay
AFP
Queen Elizabeth II resumed public duties on Tuesday for the first time since spending a night in hospital last week, holding video calls with incoming ambassadors.
The 95-year-old monarch’s overnight hospital stay, which royal officials said was for practical reasons following “some preliminary investigations”, has raised fears over her health, given her age.
She has also been seen using a walking stick for the first time at a major public event this month.
The Queen, who is currently living at Windsor Castle, held video calls to receive new ambassadors from South Korea and Switzerland, Buckingham Palace said in a statement Tuesday.
She was shown smiling as she spoke on a screen, wearing a yellow dress and pearls.
Her last public event was a busy Windsor Castle reception for attendees of the government’s global investment summit on October 19.
Doctors subsequently ordered her to rest and she cancelled a visit to Northern Ireland later in the week.
She then went to King Edward VII’s Hospital in London for tests Wednesday and stayed overnight.
It was her first hospital stay since 2013.
The Sunday Times quoted a source close to the Queen as saying “she is knackered” after attempting to keep busy following the death of her husband Prince Philip in April.
Sources told the paper the Queen has a “constant flow of lunches and dinners with family and friends” because she does not want to eat alone.
The Sunday Telegraph reported this month that the monarch is determined to stay well for her Platinum Jubilee next year.
The paper said she had recently been advised by doctors to give up drinking her regular tipples — gin and Dubonnet before lunch, and gin and vermouth before dinner.
The head of state, who has been on the throne since 1952 and is Britain’s longest-serving monarch, is due to attend the UN climate summit next week in Glasgow.
The Sunday Times reported that she is “saving her energy” for the event. Prince Charles, Prince William and other senior royals are all due to attend as well.
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.
Honduras’ China–Taiwan Future Hinges on Sunday’s Presidential Election
Meta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication
Trump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
-
International5 days agoTrump relaunches diplomatic push to finalize U.S.-Backed peace plan for Ukraine War
-
Central America1 day agoTrump Pardons Former Honduran President Hernández and Warns of Aid Cuts Ahead of Election
-
International5 days agoBolsonaro misses appeal deadline, faces imminent prison order by Brazil’s Supreme Court
-
Central America3 days agoPanama reinforces security with new helicopters and Super Tucano Aircraft purchases
-
International5 days agoMan pleads not guilty in Liverpool parade incident that injured more than 130
-
International5 days agoMacron to announce new voluntary military service amid rising security concerns in Europe
-
Central America3 days ago
Trump urges hondurans to back conservative candidate Nasry Asfura in november elections
-
International3 days agoArchbishop Wenski criticizes Trump’s deportation policies, calls for stronger push for reform
-
Central America3 days agoWashington calls for oversight as Honduras faces allegations of electoral interference
-
Central America11 hours agoHonduras’ China–Taiwan Future Hinges on Sunday’s Presidential Election
-
International1 day agoMeta Says Russia Seeks to Ban WhatsApp for Defending Secure Communication