International
The trial against Sarkozy opens for financing his campaign with Gaddafi money
The Paris Correctional Court began on Monday the trial against former French President Nicolas Sarkozy and twelve other men for the alleged irregular financing of the 2007 electoral campaign with money from the Libyan regime of Muammar Gaddafi.
Sarkozy, who turns 70 at the end of the month, did not want to make statements to the press before the start of the hearing, to which he presented himself in a dark suit and black tie.
In the brief interrogation to which the president of the court, Nathalie Gavarino, subjected all the defendants present (some did not attend, there is one who is considered probably dead and another is in Lebanon, in search and capture), the former head of the French State between 2007 and 2012 recalled that his current profession is a lawyer.
Before the hearing began, Sarkozy was talking in the courtroom with several lawyers and with the other three of the main defendants, former ministers Claude Guéant, Brice Hortefeux and Éric Woerth, as well as with his brother Guillaume.
In this process, which will last until April 10, the French president between 2007 and 2012 is accused of crimes that, if found guilty, could lead to a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and fines of up to 375,000 euros.
Sarkozy’s convictions
The former conservative president has already been convicted on two occasions, and one of them is definitive, after the opinion a month ago of the Supreme Court, with a firm sentence of one year in prison for a case of corruption and influence peddling, which he can serve under house arrest with an electronic bracelet.
In addition, Sarkozy has been sentenced in the first instance for the irregular financing of his failed presidential election campaign of 2012 (he lost to the socialist François Hollande), to a sentence of one year in prison, half exempt from compliance and the other half under house arrest.
The appeal trial has already taken place and the decision will be known during this year.
The first hearing this Monday will be dedicated to procedural appeals that try to annul the process.
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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