International

Argentine president Milei to visit Israel

Argentine President Javier Milei will visit Israel in June, deliver a speech before the Knesset (Parliament), and announce the inauguration of a new direct flight between Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv, Argentine Ambassador to Israel Axel Wahnish announced on Friday.

“There will be a direct Buenos Aires-Tel Aviv flight. Javier Milei will announce it during his upcoming visit to Israel. It is an honor and a pride to be part of this government,” Wahnish shared on his social media profile X.

In an interview with Argentine radio station Radio Mitre, the ambassador specified that Milei’s visit will take place between June 10 and 12 and will include an address to the Knesset, a rare occurrence for visiting international leaders in Israel.

During his visit, the far-right leader will receive the ‘Genesis’ award, also known as the ‘Jewish Nobel’, and will sign a “memorandum of freedom and democracy to combat terrorism and antisemitism” alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Milei will also give a lecture on economic policy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and announce the direct air route between Buenos Aires and Tel Aviv.

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According to Wahnish, the flight will be operated by Israel’s state airline El Al and has financial support from Netanyahu’s government.

The route will last between 15 and 16 hours and is expected to mark “a before and after” in bilateral relations, boosting economic, tourism, and cultural ties between the two countries, the ambassador added.

Milei’s upcoming trip will be his second visit to Israel since taking office in December 2023, following a first official visit in February 2024 when he reiterated his unfulfilled promise to move the Argentine embassy to Jerusalem.

Even before assuming office, Milei has positioned himself as a strong ally of Israel, which along with the United States, has been identified as one of his main foreign policy partners.

According to Argentine media, Milei’s visit to Israel will be part of a European tour including a stop in Rome to meet Pope Leo XIV for the first time.

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He is also expected to travel to Nice to attend the United Nations Conference on the Oceans and hold a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron.

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.