International
Salem ‘witch’ to be pardoned thanks to US teens
AFP
A woman convicted of witchcraft during the 17th-century Salem trials is expected to be pardoned thanks to a group of campaigning US schoolchildren.
Elizabeth Johnson Jr. was sentenced to death in 1693 as mass hysteria about witches swept colonial Massachusetts.
She was granted a reprieve and died in her late 70s in the 1740s but, unlike other convicted witches, has never been exonerated.
When eighth graders at North Andover Middle School, near Salem, learned about her plight during their civics class, they decided to take action.
They did extensive research, studying primary sources to understand that Johnson was targeted because she was unmarried and possibly mentally disabled.
“Part of our introduction to the civics class overall is based on the idea of identity, values, stereotypes and civil discourse,” teacher Carrie LaPierre told AFP.
“So looking at the situation regarding Johnson from this lens helped students develop perspective and empathy for her case,” she added.
The 13- and 14-year-olds couldn’t understand how Johnson was overlooked for a pardon: she had no immediate descendants lobbying for it.
They began writing letters to local representatives and helped state senator Diana DiZoglio draft a bill that will clear Johnson’s name.
DiZoglio recently introduced the legislation, which isn’t expected to face any opposition.
More than 150 people, mostly women and including Johnson’s mother, were accused of witchcraft between 1692 and 1693 as Massachusetts was gripped by fear, paranoia and superstition.
Thirty, including Johnson, were found guilty, 19 of whom were hanged. Massachusetts has formally exonerated the other 29, according to DiZoglio.
“It is simply time to finish the job and clear the name of Elizabeth Johnson Jr. once and for all,” she told AFP.
The students are receiving updates as their bill moves through the legislature and are enjoying the press coverage they are getting, including in The New York Times.
“In light of the present-day events that have consumed the attention of most over this past year, this project may seem insignificant, but the kids’ efforts righted a long-standing wrong, and I want them to be proud of that,” said LaPierre.
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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