Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that fake images of her generated by artificial intelligence were circulating online, warning that such false photos could deceive the public and target people unable to defend themselves.

Meloni said in a statement that several fake photos of her had been created with AI and passed off as real by political opponents.

She posted one such image appearing to show her sitting on a bed wearing underwear. The original post included an outraged comment that the photo was shameful and unworthy of an Italian prime minister.

“I must admit that whoever created them, at least in the attached case, has also improved me quite a bit,” Meloni said, adding that the episode showed how “anything at all” was now being used to attack people and spread falsehoods.

“The point, however, goes beyond me,” she said. “Deepfakes are a dangerous tool because they can deceive, manipulate, and strike anyone. I can defend myself. Many others cannot.”

Meloni urged people to check the authenticity of online content before accepting or sharing it.

“One rule should always apply: verify before believing, and think before sharing,” she said.

Meloni launched a libel suit two years ago against a man from Sardinia who is accused of making deepfake pornographic images using her face and posting them online. The case continues.

• CM accuses election commission of bias.
• Banerjee’s term as CM set to end on Thursday.
• Commission calls CM’s allegations ‘baseless’.
  

An Indian chief minister who was swept from power by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in state elections said on Tuesday that she had “not been defeated” and would not resign, in an unprecedented political twist.

Modi’s BJP defeated Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been in power in West Bengal state since 2011, securing more than two-thirds of the 294 seats when votes were counted on Monday.

BJP has never ruled West Bengal, a populous eastern state that borders Bangladesh, and its victory is considered a political milestone as the party now controls almost all states in eastern India.

The TMC tally fell to 80 seats from its earlier 215, with Banerjee herself losing her seat.

Banerjee said about 100 seats were “forcibly taken” from her party, which also had to contend with a “biased” Election Commission. She did not back her accusation with evidence.

“I will not resign, I did not lose… officially, through the Election Commission, they (the BJP) can defeat us, but morally, we won the election,” she told a news briefing.

West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal termed the allegations “baseless”. The BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari, who defeated Banerjee, said “everything is mentioned in the constitution”.

Banerjee can appeal result in court

According to the Indian constitution, the state’s governor can demand Banerjee’s resignation or wait for her term to expire, after which newly elected lawmakers would be sworn in and the process of forming a new government would begin.

Banerjee’s term is set to end on Thursday.

A defeated candidate in an Indian state election can challenge the result in court on grounds including corrupt practices, improper acceptance or rejection of nominations or votes, candidate disqualification, or non-compliance with election laws that affected the outcome.

Banerjee did not say if she would go to court.

Modi, his closest aide and Home Minister Amit Shah, and several senior BJP leaders campaigned for weeks in the state, focusing on what they called illegal immigration from Bangladesh and the weak local economy under Banerjee.

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf has warned that the ongoing situation in the Strait of Hormuz is becoming “unbearable” for the United States, while Tehran has “not even started yet.”

In a post on X on Tuesday, Qalibaf asserted that a “new equation” is being established in the strategic waterway.

“The security of shipping and energy transit has been endangered by the United States and its allies through the violation of the ceasefire and the imposition of a blockade,” Qalibaf wrote. “Of course, their evil will be diminished.”

He emphasized that Iran is fully aware of the pressure mounting on the US.

“We know very well that the continuation of the current situation is unbearable for the United States, while we haven’t even started yet,” he added.

The remarks come as Washington has escalated its adventurism in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, where the US military presence continues to threaten regional stability and international energy routes.

Iranian forces have repeatedly warned US warships against approaching the strategic waterway, with the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) maintaining firm control and showcasing its advanced asymmetric capabilities through regular missile and drone exercises.

No commercial transits have been reported in recent hours as Iran firmly asserts its sovereign rights over these vital sea lanes.

On Monday, the Iranian Navy fired missiles and drones as a clear warning to US warships that ignored repeated calls not to approach the strait. The Navy stated it was compelled to launch cruise missiles, combat drones, and rockets near the encroaching US vessels to defend Iran’s sovereign waters.