International

The US Supreme Court will address the reduction of spending limits of parties in campaigns

The US Supreme Court announced on Monday that it will address a challenge presented by the Republican Party and supported by the Government of President Donald Trump to reduce the limits that have been imposed for decades on the expenses that political parties can make in a coordinated manner with individual campaigns.

The challenge was filed by the Republican national committees of the two Houses of Congress and two campaigns for the 2022 legislative elections, that of the current vice president, JD Vance, who ran as a senator for Ohio, and former congressman Steve Chabot, who lost the re-election of his seat, also for Ohio, in the House of Representatives.

In turn, the initiative has the support of the Federal Electoral Commission, currently under the direction of the Trump Administration, which has refused to defend the current legislative framework indicated that the restrictions in force violate the first amendment of the Constitution, which affects, among others, religious freedoms, of expression, press or assembly.

This leaves the Democratic National Committee and other related committees as the only advocates of these restrictions.

According to the current law, approved in 1971 and modified over the years by the Supreme Court and Congress, parties can invest money unlimitedly if they do so independently to support a candidate, but instead there are limits to the amounts if those expenses are made in a coordinated manner with the candidate’s campaign.

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The challenge is the latest in a long series of cases that have sought to dynamite the restrictions on campaign financing agreed by Congress almost 55 years ago.

Already in 2010 the Supreme Court ruled in favor of not putting limits on expenses implemented independently by external entities.

The highest US court will attend to the oral arguments and issue a ruling in its next session, which begins in October.

International

IEA warns Middle East conflict could spark worst energy crisis in decades

The ongoing conflict in the Middle East could trigger the worst energy crisis in decades, warned Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency (IEA), who described the situation as “very serious.”

Speaking at the National Press Club in Canberra, Birol compared the current scenario to the oil crises of the 1970s, noting that during those events the world lost around five million barrels of oil per day in each crisis.

“Today, we have lost 11 million barrels per day—more than the two major oil shocks combined,” he said.

The Turkish economist referred to the conflict that began on February 28, following attacks by the United States and Israel against Iran, which have significantly disrupted global energy markets and driven oil prices higher.

Birol warned that the global economy is facing a “very, very serious threat” and expressed hope that the crisis will be resolved soon.

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“No country will be immune to the effects of this crisis if it continues in this direction. Global efforts are urgently needed,” he emphasized.

International

Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashes during takeoff with troops onboard

A Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force was involved in a “tragic accident” while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, in the Putumayo department of southern Colombia, as it was transporting troops, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez reported on Monday.

The minister stated on social media that the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined. He also extended his condolences to the families affected and urged the public to avoid speculation until official information is confirmed.

“This is a deeply painful event for the country. Our prayers are with the victims and their families,” Sánchez said, adding that emergency protocols have been activated and an investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, President Gustavo Petro expressed hope that there would be no fatalities in what he described as a “horrific accident that should not have happened.”

Petro also highlighted ongoing efforts to modernize the country’s air fleet and reiterated the need to acquire new helicopters and transport aircraft to strengthen military mobility, particularly in remote regions.

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According to local media reports, approximately 110 soldiers were on board the aircraft. So far, at least 20 injured military personnel have been rescued.

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.