International
A journalist will have to pay Giorgia Meloni 5,000 euros for making fun of her height
Journalist Giulia Cortese has been sentenced to pay compensation of 5,000 euros to the Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, for making fun of her height in a post on social networks, in which she defined her as “bodily shame.”
A court in Milan (north) considered “defamatory” two publications on the old Twitter network, currently X, which Cortese released in October 2021 and also fined her with the payment of 1,200 euros, although this second sanction was suspended, the local media report on Thursday.
The 36-year-old Milanese advertising journalist defined Meloni’s height as “body shame” in 2021. The Prime Minister was then in the opposition and slaied against Cortese after starring in a quarrel on social networks.
In the same verdict, however, the journalist was acquitted for a third post on Twitter on the same day, on October 12, 2021, in which she published a retouched photo of Meloni that portrayed her “in a private environment with the photograph of Benito Mussolini behind her” and the phrase: “Behind is her favorite matrix.”
According to the court, in the case of this tweet, which was the one that started the confrontation between the two on the networks, “the fact does not constitute a crime,” while it does consider it in the cases of the subsequent two and other phrases such as “You don’t scare me. In addition, you are one meter and 20” tall.
Cortese, who always refused to reach an agreement, can appeal the sentence.
It is not the first time that Meloni has brought journalists and writers to justice, as happened with the famous anti-mafia writer Roberto Saviano, who was sentenced in 2023 to pay a fine of 1,000 euros for insulting her on television in relation to the migratory position of the far-right leader.
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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