International
New Syrian leader addresses with the United States the lifting of sanctions for reconstruction
The new leader of the Syrian administration, Ahmed al Sharaa, has addressed with the US diplomatic mission that visited Damascus yesterday the need to lift the sanctions imposed against Syria in order to rebuild the country after the fall of the regime of Bashar al-Assad, on December 8.
The Syrian administration welcomed the mission, to which it assured that “the Syrian people need great support to achieve recovery and rebirth at all levels,” and called for the “lifting of the sanctions imposed” against Syria, according to a statement issued in recent hours by the political office of the new Syrian authorities.
He also stressed the importance “of giving the Syrian people the opportunity to rest from the misfortunes of war and conflicts.”
He presented to the US mission “a development and institutionalization program that will be launched in the new Syria.”
Also, Al Sharaa discussed the need to “persecute war criminals and symbols of the old regime” who must “be accountable to justice,” the note points out.
He affirmed “Syria’s role in achieving regional peace and building strategic relations with the countries of the region” of the Middle East.
American visit mission in Syria
Yesterday, a US mission headed by the Middle East manager of the United States State Department, Barbara Leaf, the advisor on Middle East affairs Daniel Rubinstein and the main negotiator of the Executive for the release of hostages, Roger Carstens, met with Al Sharaa and other leaders of the new Syrian administration, as well as with civil society, among others.
Withdrawal of the reward
Leaf announced yesterday that they have withdrawn a reward of 10 million dollars for information that can lead to his whereabouts, which has been in force for years.
This reward for his information was taken when Al Sharaa was known by the war name Abu Mohamed al Yolani and headed the Al-Nusra Front, the Syrian subsidiary of Al Qaeda.
However, in 2017 he formed the Levant Liberation Agency (Hayat Tahrir al Sham or HTS, in Arabic) that he now leads and which is a split from the Al Qaeda subsidiary.
One of the priorities of the new Syrian administration, which overthrew former President Bashar al-Asad on December 8 in an insurgent offensive that lasted only twelve days, is the reconstruction of the country, destroyed by almost fourteen years of war and by the sanctions imposed by the US and other countries, as well as the return of the more than 6 million refugees.
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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