International

Blinken calls for an end to the war and addresses the reconstruction of Gaza with Saudi Arabia

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, asked on Wednesday from Saudi Arabia to “end the war in Gaza and release all the hostages,” while also addressing with the Saudi authorities the reconstruction of the punished Palestinian enclave once the conflict ends.

The head of US diplomacy stressed with his Saudi counterpart, Faisal bin Farhan, “the importance of ending the war in Gaza and releasing all hostages,” according to a statement issued by the US Department of State at the end of the meeting held between the two politicians in Riyadh.

For its part, the official Saudi news agency SPA limited itself to reporting that the meeting “the evolution of regional events was analyzed, especially the situation in Gaza and Lebanon,” in addition to the joint efforts that are being made to stop the escalation in the Middle East.

According to the US department, Blinken and Bin Farhan also “continued talks on how to establish security, governance and reconstruction in the post-conflict period” in the Gaza Strip, completely devastated after more than a year of war, which has caused the death of about 43,000 Palestinians.

A “diplomatic solution” in Lebanon

On the other hand, they stressed the need for “a diplomatic solution in Lebanon,” where Israel began a massive bombing campaign on September 23 and, a week later, began a land invasion in the south of the Mediterranean country that has been condemned by much of the international community.

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Subsequently, Blinken met with the Saudi crown prince, Mohamed bin Salman, with whom he addressed “the efforts made to stop military operations and face the humanitarian and security repercussions” of the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, according to a statement from Saudi Foreign Affairs.

In a previous phone call with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, Blinken addressed ways to implement UN Security Council resolution 1701, which ended the war that Israel and the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbula fought in 2006.

Eleventh Middle East tour

The head of US diplomacy landed this Wednesday in Saudi Arabia as part of his eleventh tour of the Middle East since the outbreak of the war in Gaza, on October 7, 2023, although so far his visits to the countries of the region have not given tangible results for the resolution of the conflict and prevent its expansion in the area.

Yesterday, Blinken highlighted in Israel the need to take advantage of the death last week in a confrontation in southern Gaza by Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, to reach an agreement that allows the release of the hostages.

In addition to Israel and Saudi Arabia, Blinken will travel to Qatar and the United Kingdom until October 25 to “analyze the importance of ending the war in Gaza” and plan “the post-conflict period,” as well as to reach a diplomatic resolution in Lebanon, according to the US Department of State.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.