International
Blinken regrets in a call with Egypt that Hamas did not release the hostages to achieve a truce
US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, spoke this Sunday on the phone with his Egyptian counterpart, Badr Abdel Aty, and accused Hamas of not wanting to release hostages in order to achieve a truce with Israel, the State Department reported on Monday.
Blinken regretted that the Islamist group “has refused to release even a limited number of hostages to ensure a ceasefire and relief for the people of Gaza,” according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
Blinken discusses Lebanon’s situation in the call with Egypt
“The importance of establishing a path for the post-conflict period that provides governance, security and reconstruction was discussed,” Miller added about the call that both diplomats had on Sunday.
In the call they also talked about the situation in Lebanon and Abdel Aty delved into the need to find a diplomatic solution that allows civilians to return to their homes, while Blinken pointed to the void in the Presidency and the need for it to be filled.
This day, the Egyptian Foreign Minister spoke with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araqchí, and conveyed the need for “all parties” to act to avoid the scald in the Middle East and strengthen “without external interference” the institutions of the Lebanese Government.
Tension between Israel and Iran increases
Tension has been escalating in recent months between Israel and Iran, which has threatened to respond “fiercely” to the Israeli attack just over a week ago against military targets in the territory of the Islamic Republic, which caused five deaths.
With that attack, Israel responded to the launch of Tehran, on October 1, of 180 missiles against the Jewish state in retaliation for the recent murder of the top leaders of the Lebanese Shii group Hezbula in Israeli attacks in Beirut, and of the head of the Hamas political office, Ismael Haniyeh, last July in Tehran, and which was attributed to Israel.
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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