International
Argentina Pride march hails progress, calls for more rights laws
AFP
Thousands of people on Saturday celebrated the progress made in Argentina by LGBTQ and women’s rights groups with hours of music and marches in downtown Buenos Aires.
The demonstration had a festive atmosphere, but the head of the state anti-discrimination office, Ornella Infante, told reporters: “We celebrate the victories obtained, but we also demand Congress deal with” trans rights and anti-discrimination bills that have been proposed.
The square in front of Congress and the historic Plaza de Mayo were packed with activists for the 30th Pride march.
People danced in the streets, musicians performed, and people in elaborate costumes held a parade of floats to celebrate a wide range of identities.
“We ask for the law as historical reparation. We have elderly women who have been persecuted. They have not been able to study or access health care,” Mary Robles, 60, a leader of the Association of Transsexual and Transgender Transvestites of Argentina (ATTTA), told AFP.
“They are 30 years of struggles, resistance, achievements such as the equal marriage law and gender identity law,” said Marcela Romero, another ATTTA leader.
People at the march also carried signs that read “Missing Teruel,” referring to Tehuel de la Torre, a 22-year-old trans man who disappeared in March when he left home for a job interview.
Marchers demanded more information on his whereabouts.
Argentine President Alberto Fernandez also took part in the march, writing on Twitter, “The LGBTI+ flag flies all over the country with great reasons to celebrate. A collective that has our commitment to continue working for a more just, free and equal society.”
His government also set up a truck from the health ministry to give out Covid-19 vaccines to marchers. Argentina has recorded 5.2 million cases of the coronavirus with more than 116,000 deaths.
Of its 45 million people, 35 million have received at least one vaccine, and 26 million are fully vaccinated.
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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