International

Former Trump advisor Bannon charged with fraud in New York

AFP | by Nicolas Revise and Alex Kent

Donald Trump’s former advisor Steve Bannon was charged with fraud Thursday over a scheme that misappropriated millions of dollars donated for the construction of a wall between the United States and Mexico.

Bannon, 68, a far-right ideologue who was closely involved in Trump’s rise to the American presidency, turned himself in earlier in the day to face the charges in New York.

Standing outside the Manhattan prosecutor’s office, he accused the judiciary of “persecuting” him.

Bannon and a nonprofit organization called We Build The Wall were charged with money laundering, conspiracy and fraud over what prosecutors said was a year-long fundraising scheme that netted more than $15 million from donors based on false promises.

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“It is a crime to turn a profit by lying to donors, and in New York, you will be held accountable,” said Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg as he announced the charges at a news conference.

Federal fraud charges were brought against Bannon in 2020 over the same allegations, but he was pardoned by Trump before he could be brought to trial.

Building a wall along the US-Mexico border was a key campaign promise by Trump in his run for the presidency in 2016.

“There cannot be one set of rules for everyday people and another for the wealthy and powerful — we all must play by the same rules and must obey the law,” said Letitia James, New York’s state attorney general.

“Mr. Bannon took advantage of his donors’ political views to secure millions of dollars which he then misappropriated. Mr. Bannon lied to his donors to enrich himself and his friends.”

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‘Never shut me up’

CNN cited Bannon’s lawyer Robert Costello as saying the former advisor would plead not guilty.

Walking handcuffed through the corridor into the courtroom, Bannon vowed that “they will never shut me up.”

“They’ll have to kill me first.”

That mood echoed a statement he released Tuesday, in which he denounced “bogus lawsuits” against him 60 days before the November 8 midterm legislative elections.

He blasted “an armed partisan politicization of the criminal justice system.”

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The criminal indictment comes six weeks after Bannon was convicted in a federal court in Washington of obstructing the investigative powers of Congress.

He had refused to cooperate with the House committee investigating the January 6, 2021 assault on Capitol Hill by Trump supporters.

Even after leaving the White House in August 2017, Bannon had remained close to Trump, speaking with him the day before the Capitol riot.

Trump is himself at the center of multiple probes, including an investigation in New York into his business practices, legal scrutiny over his efforts to overturn results of the 2020 election, and in connection with the January 6 attack on the US Capitol.

The FBI is also investigating Trump’s handling of classified materials, following a raid on his Florida home.

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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.