International
A military judge sends the Supreme court trial against colonels accused of coup in Brazil
A military judge sent this Monday to the Supreme Court a process against four Army colonels accused of coup in Brazil for considering that the case is related to others already investigated by the highest court on the attempted coup d’état against President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
The federal military judge responsible for the case, Alexandre Augusto Quintas, considered that, because they are common crimes already investigated by the Supreme Court, the Military Justice has no competence in the process, the Military Court of Justice of the Union reported in a statement.
The four officers were accused of having written a letter at the end of 2022 to try to pressure their superiors, especially the Army command, to take measures to prevent the investiture of Lula, winner of that year’s presidential elections.
At the time, thousands of followers of the then Brazilian president and defeated in the elections, the far-right Jair Bolsonaro, camped in front of the barracks throughout the country with the intention of pressuring the Armed Forces to promote a coup.
The Army opened a military police investigation against the colonels for the authorship of the document, which concluded with the request for the opening of a trial against them for the crimes of incitement to disobedience and indiscipline.
According to the note, the process “noted that the officers participated in the authorship and review of the document, which consisted, in summary, of a public criticism of authorities and institutions, especially the commander of the Brazilian Army.”
According to Quintas, the facts investigated by the Military Justice have a connection with several investigated by the Federal Police in processes instructed by Magistrate Alexandre de Moraes, of the Supreme Court.
Such cases include the assaults against the headquarters of the Presidency, Congress and the Supreme Court on January 8, 2023 in which thousands of Bolsonaroists tried to force a coup d’état, and the alleged conspiracies of some members of the government of the far-right leader to try to prevent Lula’s investiture.
As part of one of such processes, the Federal Police requested last December the opening of a trial against 40 accused of plotting a coup d’état, including Bolsonaro and former Defense Minister Walter Braga Netto, who has been imprisoned since December.
According to the military judge, three of the colonels accused of drafting the coup letter are among the 40 investigated in the process for attempted coup d’état in Brazil, violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law and association to commit crime.
Quintas cited in his decision a sentence in which the Supreme Court determined as its competence to prosecute and judge all crimes related to coup acts, regardless of whether those investigated are civilians or military.
“Therefore, there is no competence of the Military Justice of the Union to prosecute or judge military personnel of the Armed Forces for the practice of crimes that occurred on January 8, 2023, especially those provided for in the Criminal Code such as terrorist acts, threat, persecution, incitement to crime, criminal association, violent abolition of the Democratic Rule of Law and coup d’état, all already under the appreciation of the Supreme Court,” the magistrate concluded.
International
Paris prosecutors alert U.S. over alleged deepfake strategy linked to Elon Musk
The Paris Prosecutor’s Office said on Saturday that it had alerted authorities in the United States over suspicions that tech entrepreneur Elon Musk may have encouraged the spread of sexualized deepfake content on the social platform X to artificially boost the company’s valuation.
According to prosecutors, the controversy surrounding explicit AI-generated videos—reportedly linked to Grok, the platform’s artificial intelligence system—may have been deliberately triggered to increase the market value of X and X AI.
The office added that the alleged strategy could be tied to the planned June 2026 public listing of a new entity formed through the merger of SpaceX and X AI.
French authorities said they contacted the U.S. Department of Justice as well as legal representatives at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) earlier this week to share their concerns.
Responding on X in French to a report about the case, Musk referred to French prosecutors using an offensive term.
When contacted, X’s legal representative in France did not immediately comment.
Grok, the platform’s AI system, has its own account on X, allowing users to interact with it or request content generation. For a period, users were able to tag the bot in posts to generate or edit images, a feature that may have facilitated the spread of such material.
International
Netanyahu vows to target Iran’s leadership after missile strikes in southern Israel
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed on Sunday to target Iran’s leadership directly, escalating rhetoric amid ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran.
Speaking during a visit to the southern city of Arad, which was struck by an Iranian missile a day earlier, Netanyahu said Israel would intensify its response against Tehran.
“We are going after the regime. We are going after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, that gang of criminals,” he told reporters while standing among the debris left by the தாக்க.
He added that Israel intends to strike “personally” at Iran’s leadership, as well as its facilities and economic assets.
In addition to Arad, Iranian missiles also hit the city of Dimona on Saturday. The area is widely believed to host Israel’s undeclared nuclear facilities. The strike caused significant damage following a direct impact.
Netanyahu also visited Dimona, where he urged residents to strictly follow military instructions and seek shelter whenever warning sirens are activated.
“The entire nation is a front line, and the home front is also a front line. And when we are on the front line, we follow these instructions,” he said.
International
US panel backs Trump-themed coin amid controversy
The United States Department of the Treasury confirmed to AFP that the Commission of Fine Arts approved the design of a new collectible coin featuring Donald Trump, with members of the commission appointed by the current administration.
According to the proposal, the coin will feature an image of Trump standing with clenched fists over a desk on the obverse, while the reverse will display an eagle, a traditional symbol of the United States.
The sale price of the collectible has not yet been disclosed, although the United States Mint typically offers similar items for more than $1,000.
“There is no more iconic portrait for the front of these coins than that of our president Donald Trump,” U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach said in a statement sent to AFP. He added that two additional coins — a $1 piece and a one-ounce gold coin — are also under consideration.
However, the Citizens Coinage Advisory Committee (CCAC), another body responsible for reviewing new coin proposals, declined to discuss the Trump design in late February.
“Only nations governed by kings or dictators place the image of a sitting leader on their currency,” said Donald Scarinciat the time. “No country in the world has minted coins featuring a democratically elected leader during their term in office,” he added.
When contacted by AFP, the Treasury Department did not immediately respond to requests for further comment.
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