International
Hezbulá announces a “specific” reprisal to the “Israeli massacre” against its militiamen in Lebanon
The Lebanese Shiite group Hezbulá promised on Wednesday that it will give a “specific” response to the “Israeli massacre” caused among its ranks by the simultaneous and massive explosion of thousands of searchers in the hands of its members in Lebanon and Syria, which caused a dozen deaths and thousands of injuries of varying severity.
In a message issued this morning, the armed formation indicated that despite the attack received, it will continue its support for the “resistance of Gaza and its people” and will continue to defend “Lebanon, its people and its sovereignty.”
The group added that Tuesday’s “massacre” will have a “hard punishment” and “specific accountability.”
“What happened yesterday will fill us with will and insistence on following the path of resistance and struggle and we totally trust in the divine promise with the victory of the faithful patient fighters,” the formation said in the statement.
Hizbulá also expressed his “most sincere blessings and condolences” to the families of those killed and injured “in the treacherous attack.”
Already last night, both Hizbulah and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lebanon individually attributed to Israel the massive explosion of the searchers, which they condemned as a “criminal aggression that also targeted civilians and killed several people.”
“This serious and deliberate Israeli escalation coincides with Israeli threats to expand the war against Lebanon and with its uncompromising stance that calls for more bloodshed, destruction and sabotage,” the Lebanese Government denounced in a statement.
Around 15.30 on Tuesday (12.30 GMT), thousands of searchers in the hands of members of Hezbula exploded simultaneously in various parts of Lebanon, mainly in the south of the country and the southern suburbs of Beirut, controlled by the Shiite formation.
The Lebanese Minister of Public Health, Firas Abiad, said on Wednesday that the death toll from the chain explosion increased this Wednesday to twelve, while about 1,800 of the more than 2,800 injured required hospitalization.
According to Abiad, most of the injured were registered in Beirut and its suburbs, while in the south of the country about 750 people were injured and, in the eastern Bekaa Valley, another 150.
“There were more than a hundred hospitals that helped us receive the injured, all hospitals in all areas, including the north. The medical teams stayed all night and even today they are still working in the Eye and Ear units of the Hotel Dieu and the Roum,” he said in statements to the press during a visit to hospitals.
The Lebanese authorities received 15 tons of supplies on Wednesday and also medical personnel provided by Jordan, Iran and Iraq to help treat the victims, while Egypt, Syria or Turkey have also offered their help to Lebanon, according to Abiad.
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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