Hard Numbers: Italy taps first female PM, judge sentences Bannon, UN sanctions “Barbecue,” Secret Mar-a-Lago papers

Italy's first female PM Giorgia Meloni
Italy's first female PM Giorgia Meloni
Reuters

1: Giorgia Meloni was named Italy’s first female prime minister on Friday after receiving the mandate to form a government. The far-right head of the Brothers of Italy takes the helm amid worsening economic and energy crises. All eyes will be on her ability to keep together a discordant coalition.

4: Former Trump aide Steve Bannon was sentenced on Friday to 4 months in jail and fined $6,500 for contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena from the House committee overseeing the Jan. 6 investigation. Bannon remains free while the case goes to appeal. This comes as the committee on Friday also dealt former President Trump a subpoena to testify.

16: The UN agreed on Friday to sanction Haitian gang lord Jimmy Chérizier, known as Barbecue, for “severe human rights abuses.” The resolution, sponsored by the US and Mexico, says that Chérizier has contributed to severe economic and political crises currently plaguing the country, including a cholera outbreak that has killed at least 16 people in recent weeks.

13,000: At least some of the 13,000 documents seized from former President Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate contained secret information relating to US intelligence gathering on China and Iran, including Tehran’s nuclear program, according to a new Washington Post report. The Department of Justice continues to investigate the case.

More from GZERO Media

Luis Fernando Cerimedo, advisor of Presidential candidate Nasry Asfura of the National Party of Honduras (PN), speaks during a press conference after the general election, in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, December 1, 2025.
REUTERS/Jose Cabezas

There are close presidential races, and then there’s the one in Honduras, where just 515 votes separate the top two candidates following Sunday’s election in the Central American nation.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky inspects a guard of honor by the Irish Army at Government Buildings during an Irish State visit, in Dublin, Ireland, on December 2, 2025.
REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne

Even though an energy corruption scandal is roiling his leadership, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky isn’t necessarily in a rush to accept a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war – especially if the terms are unfavorable.

In this episode of Tools and Weapons, Microsoft Vice Chair and President Brad Smith sits down with Ed Policy, President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers, to discuss how purpose-driven leadership and innovation are shaping the future of one of the world’s most iconic sports franchises. Ed shares how technology and community-focused initiatives, from Titletown Tech to health and safety innovations on the field, are transforming not just the game of football, but the economy and culture of Green Bay itself. He explains how combining strategic vision with investment in local startups is keeping talent in the Midwest and creating opportunities that extend far beyond Lambeau Field.

Subscribe and find new episodes monthly, wherever you listen to podcasts.

The Gen Z group led by Miraj Dhungana escalates their ongoing demonstrations, confronting police outside the prime minister's official residence in Kathmandu, Nepal, on Nov. 26, 2025.
Sanjit Pariyar/NurPhoto

Youth unemployment is making headlines from China to Canada, with many countries’ rates at historic highs. The fallout is fueling Gen Z discontent, creating migration pressures, and threatening social unrest in nations around the globe.

People stay at a school, which is functioned as the temporary shelter at flooded area, on November 30, 2025 in Sumatra, Sumatra. The authorities in Indonesia were searching on Sunday for hundreds of people they said were missing after days of unusually heavy rains across Southeast Asia that have killed hundreds and displaced millions.
Photo by Li Zhiquan/China News Service/VCG

800: The death toll from the tropical storm that battered parts of Southeast Asia is now close to 800.