Ressa loses appeal

Philippine Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa lost her appeal against a conviction for cyber libel, her news website Rappler said yesterday, in the latest blow for the veteran journalist. Ressa, 58, and her former colleague Rey Santos Jr face lengthy jail sentences, but the company said they will "avail of all legal remedies available to them", including taking the case to the Supreme Court. The ruling comes less than two weeks after Philippine authorities ordered Rappler to shut down ahead of former president Rodrigo Duterte's last day in office. Rappler yesterday described the decision to uphold the 2020 conviction as "unfortunate", saying it "weakens the ability of journalists to hold power to account". "What is ultimately at stake is our democracy whose strength rests on a media that is not threatened by the state nor intimidated by forces out to silence critical voices," Rappler said. Ressa, who is also a US citizen, is fighting at least seven court cases.