International
15 people killed in storm in Buenos Aires, Argentina
December 18 |
Argentine authorities confirmed Sunday that the death toll from the storm that has hit the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (AMBA) since the early hours of the morning has risen to 15.
These are a woman in the town of Moreno, who perished crushed by a tree branch, and another person in Coronel Rosales, who drowned after falling on the public road into a well full of water.
“From the municipality we deeply regret the death of a neighbor of Moreno Sur. She has not yet been identified. The scientific police is working at the scene,” said the Buenos Aires municipality of Moreno in a statement.
The storm broke out in the early hours of the morning and initially left 13 people dead, among them a minor, due to the collapse of part of the roof of the Bahiense del Norte club, in Bahía Blanca.
There have also been reports of roofs and billboards being blown off, trees and electricity poles falling, which have affected the power supply and land communication routes.
Another 13 people were hospitalized early Sunday morning “with polytraumatisms, skull traumatisms and thorax fractures” after the explosion of the tent of a bar and restaurant named “La Isla de Battuta”, located in the Palermo Racetrack.
Towards midday, police and Buenos Aires Government sources announced to local media that at least five of these people had been discharged.
It was also reported that three other people were slightly injured at a party held at the Geba club.
On this day, the Buenos Aires authorities met with the presence of the president, Javier Milei, to assess the damages that have occurred so far.
In this regard, the Minister of Health of the Province of Buenos Aires, Nicolás Kreplak, recommended citizens to keep themselves informed, avoid unnecessary traffic, stay in safe places and have at hand the emergency telephone numbers provided by the municipalities.
On the other hand, the territory’s Civil Defense director, Fabían García, assured that they have been working together since early morning with the Minister (of Security) Javier Alonso, and there are 300 police firefighters, Civil Defense, Rescue and other police squads to attend to emergencies.
Due to the storm, several local flights that were to depart or land at the Metropolitan Aeroparque or Ezeiza air terminal were suspended or delayed between 03H00 and 08H00 (local time) this Sunday.
Meanwhile, international flights scheduled to arrive between 07H00 and 08H30 (local time) at the same Aeroparque, were diverted.
The National Meteorological Service (SMN) announced that the storm will extend throughout Sunday, with wind gusts between 42 and 50 kilometers per hour.
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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