GINGER MAG

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

An angel resembling Italy's Meloni is painted over after an outcry from church and state

Green Magazine February 04, 2026

ROME (AP) — Call it divine intervention, or maybe just a hasty fix-it job to put an end to days of speculation and scandal. But the end result is that theAngel Meloniis no more.

A painting inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina in Rome that depicted a cherub bearing a striking resemblance to Premier Giorgia Meloni show signs of remaking, Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Stellacci)

A detail of a fresco inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, in Rome, shows a cherub bearing a striking resemblance to Premier Giorgia Meloni, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

People take pictures at a restored fresco to the memory of late Italy's King Umberto II depicting Angels inside the Basilica of St. Lawrence in Lucina in Rome, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

FILE --- A detail of a fresco inside the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, in Rome, shows a cherub, right, bearing a striking resemblance to Premier Giorgia Meloni, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

La primera ministra italiana Giorgia Meloni durante una conferencia de prensa por su primer año de gobierno, el viernes 9 de enero de 2026, en Roma. (AP Foto/Andrew Medichini)

Italy Meloni Painting

A painting of a cherub with a face bearing a remarkable resemblance to Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni had attracted large crowds to the Basilica of San Lorenzo in Lucina, one of the oldest basilicas in Rome. That angel's face was gone when the church opened its doors Wednesday: the cherub's body remains, but the face was erased with a sloppy slab of paint or plaster.

La Repubblica newspaper, which broke the story Saturday when it published the Meloni-esque angel on its front page, said the restorer responsible for making the Meloni cherub had covered it up overnight at the request of church authorities.

Restorer Bruno Valentinetti admitted to the paper that he had styled the angel on Meloni, but didn't say why.

The diocese of Rome and the Italian Culture Ministry had both launched investigations after the image of the cherub was first published.

The original painting only dated from 2000, so it wasn't a matter of damage to the church's historic patrimony. But Cardinal Baldassare Reina, the pope's vicar for Rome, insisted that a political figure had no place in church art.

The ruckus gave the basilica newfound celebrity status, with curious locals and tourists lining up to photograph the Meloni cherub, at times disrupting Mass.

In a statement Wednesday, the Culture Ministry set down the rules going forward: If the basilica plans to repaint the angel face, it needs prior authorization from the government which owns the church, the diocese of Rome which operates it and the culture ministry's special superintendency for Rome.

Lest there be any question, the Culture Ministry said that the request for permission must be "accompanied by a sketch of the image."

Valentinetti had first made the cherub in 2000, when one of the basilica's front chapels was renovated to include a bust of the last king of Italy, Umberto II. Included in the decoration was a cherub holding a map of Italy, seemingly kneeling down before the king.

The cherub was restored after water leaks damaged the basilica starting in 2023, and emerged with the face of Meloni.

The investigations that were launched were to identify how the original 2000 cherub looked, with the aim of restoring the painting to that image. The faceless cherub seen Wednesday appeared a temporary fix to erase Meloni's likeness from the work.

The Italian premier had made light of the whole thing. "No, I definitely don't look like an angel," Meloni wrote on social media on the weekend with a laughing/crying emoji alongside a photo of the work.

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP'scollaborationwith The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Russian comedian accused of telling offensive joke about Ukraine war veteran is jailed for nearly six years

Green Magazine February 04, 2026

MOSCOW, Feb 4 (Reuters) - A Russian stand-up comedian was convicted of inciting hatred and jailed for nearly six years on Wednesday over a joke ‌he made about a legless war veteran, which triggered outrage among ‌nationalists and military bloggers.

Russian comedian Artemy Ostanin reacts inside an enclosure for defendants as he attends a court hearing after his March 2025 arrest over a stand‑up performance, in Moscow, Russia, February 4, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova

Russian comedian Artemy Ostanin reacts behind a glass wall in an enclosure for defendants during a court hearing after his March 2025 arrest over a stand‑up performance, in Moscow, Russia, February 4, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova

Russian comedian Artemy Ostanin stands behind a glass wall in an enclosure for defendants during a court hearing after his March 2025 arrest over a stand‑up performance, in Moscow, Russia, February 4, 2026. REUTERS/Anastasia Barashkova

Russian comedian Ostanin accused of mocking war invalids appears in Moscow court

A Reuters reporter in court said that the comedian, Artemy Ostanin, had been handed a sentence of five years and nine months and a fine of ⁠300,000 roubles ($3,908).

It was ‌the latest in a series of rulings which have harshly punished people judged by the ‍authorities to have spoken rudely or falsely about the Russian army at a time when it is fighting in Ukraine.

Ostanin was also convicted of offending the feelings of Christians ‌with another off-colour joke he made about Jesus, which angered Orthodox nationalists.

Ostanin, who had apologised to anyone whose feelings he had hurt, denied wrongdoing and said that the joke he made about the war veteran had made ⁠no mention of the conflict in Ukraine.

His arrest and treatment were punishment enough for any offence he had caused, Ostanin said during his trial.

Russia passed sweeping ‍censorship laws in ⁠2022 shortly after it went to war in Ukraine. Pro-Kremlin figures and organisations have since publicly ⁠denounced people they deem to have broken those laws, and have ‌reported them to the authorities.

($1 = 76.7500 roubles)

(Reporting by ‌Andrew OsbornEditing by Mark Trevelyan)

Family Saves Baby from Burning Building by Lowering Car Seat from Second Floor Window

Green Magazine February 04, 2026

A family saved a baby from a burning building in Milwaukee on Sunday, Feb. 1

Front right of Fire Engine setting up for a structure fire. Getty

NEED TO KNOW

Neighbor Anthone Medina waited on the ground to catch the baby as he was lowered to safety in a car seat carrier held up by what appeared to be a tow strap
The Milwaukee Fire Department saved eight people from the building, which reportedly had no sprinklers built in to fight fires

A family saved a baby from a burning building in an unconventional way in Milwaukee on Sunday, Feb. 1.

The Milwaukee Fire Department responded to the scene as the infant was lowered to safety in a car seat carrier held up by what appeared to be a tow strap, local ABC affiliateWXOWreported. "We knew there were a lot of people potentially still inside. We had people hanging from outside of windows," Milwaukee Fire Department Battalion Chief Nickolas Trost told the outlet.

The fire happened occurred near 77th and Green Tree Avenue,ABC 7 Chicagoreports. Neighbor Anthone Medina told the outlet that he assisted in the rescue, waiting on the ground to catch the baby as the flames grew.

"Since they didn't arrive immediately, we tried to save the baby's life by lowering him down with a blanket to get him to safety," Medina told ABC 7 in an interview translated from Spanish to English.

ABC 7 reports that the building had no sprinklers, citing the MFD.

Two people suffered leg injuries after jumping from the building, WXOW reports, citing the MFD.

"The heaviest part of the fire was on the first floor, in the hallway. That was a big part of this story," Trost told WXOW, while noting that residents had to use alternate escape routes due to the size of the fire. Firefighters rescued eight people, all who are expected to survive, per the outlet.

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Dramatic cell phone video footage obtained by local ABC affiliateWISNshowed heavy smoke filling the building. The bulk of the fire began on the first floor, the outlet reports.

Milwaukee Fire Chief Aaron Lipski told ABC 7 Chicago that several city departments are actively working to create a database that will notify dispatchers of which buildings do not have sprinkler systems to fight fires.

PEOPLE has reached out to the MFD for further comment, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.

Read the original article onPeople

Nelson Peltz breaks his silence on Brooklyn Peltz Beckham's explosive posts

Green Magazine February 04, 2026

Nelson Peltzis speaking out about his son-in-lawBrooklyn Beckham'sexplosive allegations against his parentsfor the first time.

When asked about whether he's offered his family advice about "negotiating high-stakes situations, particularly playing out in public view" at the WSJ Invest Live event on Feb. 3,Peltz joked, "Has my family been in the press lately? I haven't noticed that at all."

Thebillionaire investorthen told The Wall Street Journal's lead deals reporter Lauren Thomas, "I do. And sometimes they give me advice. My advice is to stay the hell out of the press. I mean, how much good did that do?"

The 83-year-old, a cofounder of multibillion-dollar investment firm Trian Fund Management, went on to praise his 31-year-old daughter,Nicola Peltz Beckham, and her husband.

From left, Nelson Peltz, Elon Musk, Nicola Peltz Beckham and Will Peltz attend the premiere of

"My daughter and the Beckhams are a whole other story," Peltz continued. "That's not for coverage here today, but I'll tell you my daughter's great, my son-in-law Brooklyn is great, and I look forward to them having a long, happy marriage together."

Three years after the Peltz Beckham's 2022 wedding at Peltz's Palm Beach, Florida estate, the businessmanofficiated the couple's vow renewal ceremony.

Brooklyn Peltz Beckham, the eldest son of David and Victoria Beckham, took to Instagram on Jan. 19 to break his silence about his relationship with his parents after years of speculation of family turmoil.

The 26-year-old wrote in a string of lengthy Instagram Stories that he does "not want to reconcile with my family" and made claims about the way his family, specifically his mother, have treated his wife Nicola Peltz Beckham.

"My wife and I do not want a life shaped by image, press, or manipulation," he said. "All we want peace, privacy and happiness for us and our future family."

Scroll through to revisit their relationship and marriage through the years.