International
Every four minutes a boy or girl dies in the world from an act of violence, says Unicef
At least one boy or girl dies in the world every four minutes from an act of violence, revealed the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at the World Ministerial Conference to end violence against children, which will culminate this Friday in Bogotá.
“Every year, violence claims the lives of an average of 130,000 children and adolescents under the age of 20,” Unicef said in a statement.
According to figures from this organization, at least 90 million children alive have suffered sexual violence, while 650 million women were victims of abuse in their childhood, of which more than 370 million suffered rape or sexual assault.
Unicef also warned that almost 50 million teenage women (between 15 and 19 years old) have been victims of physical or sexual violence by their spouses or romantic partners in the last year.
Children, victims of episodes of violence
“Between 410 and 530 million male and male children (approximately 1 in 7) suffered episodes of sexual violence in childhood, including between 240 and 310 million (about 1 in 11) who were sexually raped or assaulted,” the organization added.
Likewise, about 1.6 billion boys and girls suffer violent punishments at home on a regular basis and two out of three of them suffer physical and psychological aggressions.
“We are the first generation fully aware of the incidence, causes and costs of violence against children, and the first to know the solutions that give results,” said Unicef’s director of Child Protection, Sheema SenGupta.
Prevention measures
He added that if the world invests “in prevention measures, education and support services,” it can “break the cycle of violence and build a world in which children are safe.”
That is why UNICEF believes that this ministerial conference is an opportunity to intensify efforts to end violence against children.
From Thursday until this Friday, a hundred ministers and representatives from around the world are meeting in Bogotá to talk about topics such as bullying, digital violence, corporal punishment, recruitment or abuse.
This conference is organized by the governments of Colombia and Sweden; the World Health Organization (WHO); the Special Representative on Violence against Children, and Unicef and it is the first time that so many countries meet to talk about this topic.
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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