International
Rapper Diddy appeals the judge’s decision to keep him in custody until the trial
Rapper Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs appealed on Wednesday the decision of Judge Robyn Tarnofsky to keep him in custody in a detention center until the trial is held on the charges of sex trafficking, human trafficking and organized crime conspiracy for which he was charged on Tuesday in New York.
At an appeal hearing held today, District Judge Andrew L. Carter rejected the defense’s proposal, which called for Combs to be released on $50 million bail, and agreed with the prosecution that he should remain in a detention center until the trial.
Carter said the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence to show that Combs is a danger to society and that in his case there is a high risk of obstructing justice and harassing witnesses.
Combs is currently in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, where he was transferred after his appearance yesterday in a Manhattan court, where he pleaded not guilty to all three charges.
Judge Tarnofsky already rejected the request of Combs’ lawyers yesterday and argued that the accused could commit the crimes “behind closed doors, even when the preventive detention services are watching.”
Tarnofsky also said there is a high risk that Diddy will obstruct justice, since he has repeatedly contacted victims and witnesses to try to manipulate them.
The rapper’s lawyer, Marc Agnifilo, stated in a letter presented today in court that his client is “trustworthy” and again asked for release on bail, endorsed by Combs, his mother, his sister, his three adult children and the mothers of two of his daughters.
The defense also proposed limiting women’s visits to the rapper’s home and frequently subjecting him to drug tests.
Agnifilo defended his client by indicating that when he learned that he would be charged he left his home in Miami and traveled to New York, “where prosecutors and agents are investigating him.”
In addition, he alleged that the rapper has been wanting to sell his private plane for some time, with which he ruled out that there was a risk of escape.
The prosecutor’s office yesterday accused the musician of continuously participating “in a widespread scheme of abuse of women and other people” and revealed that Combs regularly organized forced sexual encounters between women and sex workers.
Combs is accused of being the head of a criminal company, Combs Enterprise, whose members were involved in sex trafficking, forced labor, human trafficking, drug-related crimes, kidnapping, arson, bribery and obstruction of justice, among others.
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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