International

The United States accuses a man linked to the Iranian government of plotting a plan to kill Trump

The United States Department of Justice accused on Friday a man linked to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard of plotting a plan to assassinate the then Republican candidate Donald Trump before the elections.

In a statement, Attorney General Merrick Garland explained that the Iranian regime commissioned the accused to “direct a network of criminal partners to promote Iran’s assassination plots against its targets, including President-elect Donald Trump.”

The accused of the plan against Trump

The main defendant is Farhad Shakeri, 51, described in the lawsuit as an Afghan resident in Tehran who spent a decade in prison in New York, where he met his partners, before being deported – he is now supposed to be in Iran – and who is an “active” member of the Revolutionary Guard.

The Department of Justice assures that Shakeri voluntarily participated in a telephone conversation with the FBI, to whom he assured that on October 7 he was commissioned to prepare a plan to kill Donald Trump the following week, but that he never thought of preparing that plan “within the time frame proposed by the Revolutionary Guard,” without that contradiction being very clear.

Iranian link

If Shakeri did not have that plan ready at the time, as he assured that was his case, the Iranian militia would pause its mission until after the elections because they believed that Trump would lose them and that “later it would be easier” to kill him, he adds.

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The accusation comes after the Trump campaign said in September that US intelligence officials had warned the then candidate “about real and specific threats from Iran with the aim of assassinating him.”

FBI director Christopher Wray said in the note that the lawsuit “exposes Iran’s flagrant attempts against US citizens, including President-elect Donald Trump, other government leaders and dissidents who criticize the Iranian regime.”

International

Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint

The government of Brazil has offered to mediate in the ongoing tensions between Colombia and Ecuador, while calling on both nations to exercise restraint.

In a statement released Wednesday, Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the parties involved to act with moderation and seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute.

“Brazil encourages all sides to act with moderation in order to find a peaceful solution to the controversy. It stands ready to support dialogue efforts aimed at preserving peace and security in the region,” the statement said.

Brazil also expressed “serious concern” over reports of deaths in the border area between Colombia and Ecuador, noting that the circumstances surrounding the incidents have not yet been clarified.

The diplomatic move comes amid rising tensions between the neighboring countries, increasing regional concern over stability and security along their shared border.

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International

U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning

The U.S. Department of State announced on Thursday that it has lowered its travel advisory for much of Venezuela to Level 3 (“Reconsider Travel”), reflecting what it described as improved security conditions in parts of the country.

However, the agency will maintain the highest Level 4 warning (“Do Not Travel”) for several regions, including the states of Táchira, Amazonas, Apure, Aragua and Guárico, as well as rural areas of Bolívar, citing ongoing risks such as crime, kidnapping and terrorism.

The updated advisory marks a shift from December, when the United States raised the alert for Venezuela to Level 4 nationwide, warning of severe security threats.

Despite the partial downgrade, U.S. authorities continue to urge caution, emphasizing that conditions remain volatile in certain areas and that travelers should carefully assess risks before planning any trips to the country.

International

EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images

Members of the European Parliament are pushing to ban across the bloc artificial intelligence services that allow users to digitally “undress” people without their consent.

The proposal, adopted on Wednesday at committee level, aims to prohibit applications that generate non-consensual explicit images. Irish lawmaker Michael McNamara, one of the sponsors, said the measure seeks to stop tools that “have caused significant harm for the benefit of a few.”

Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak welcomed the move, calling it “a major victory, especially for women and children in Europe.”

The amendment, part of broader EU legislation on artificial intelligence, was approved by the Parliament’s civil liberties and internal market committees. It specifically targets systems that use AI to create or manipulate sexually explicit or intimate images resembling identifiable individuals without their consent.

The proposal will be put to a full vote in the European Parliament on March 26. If adopted, lawmakers and European Union member states will need to agree on a final version before it can take effect.

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Separately, representatives of the 27 EU countries recently backed a Franco-Spanish amendment seeking to ban AI services used to generate non-consensual sexual images or child sexual abuse material.

The initiative follows controversy surrounding a feature introduced in Grok, developed by xAI, which allowed users to create simulated nude images from real photos. The tool sparked widespread criticism and prompted an EU investigation.

In response, xAI restricted image generation features in mid-January to paying subscribers and stated it blocks the creation of sexualized images in jurisdictions where such content is illegal.