Donald Trump on Sunday defended plans to receive a new Air Force One as a gift, after reports he will accept a luxury Boeing jet from Qatar despite strict rules on presents for US presidents.Calling the plane a “flying palace,” ABC News, which first reported the story, said the Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet gifted from the Qatari royal family would possibly be the most expensive gift ever received by the American government.The controversy around the jet — and Trump’s boast that it was coming “free of charge” — builds on questions the US leader is facing over potential conflicts of interest with his family businesses and use of public office.In a social media post late Sunday that made no mention of Qatar, Trump went on the offensive to claim the plane was a temporary “gift” that would go to the Defence Department, and would replace an existing four-decade-old model.Trump, 78, said the process was unfolding as a “transparent transaction” but did not specify whether any party was receiving something in return, and instead blamed Democrats for wanting to cash out on a new Air Force One unnecessarily.Qatar swiftly sought to downplay the uproar, saying reports describing the jet as a gift “are inaccurate.”- Ethical, legal questions -“The possible transfer of an aircraft for temporary use as Air Force One is currently under consideration between Qatar’s Ministry of Defense and the US Department of Defense,” said Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar’s media attache to Washington, stressing that no decision had been made.The US Constitution prohibits government officials from accepting gifts “from any King, Prince or foreign State,” in a section known as the emoluments clause.But Trump would skirt the law by handing the jet to his presidential library after he leaves office.The plan is to be announced as Trump travels to three Middle East countries this week, including Qatar, reported ABC and The New York Times.Acceptance of the gift has raised ethical questions from both sides of the political aisle as it appears to flout laws set up to stanch government corruption.Laura Loomer, a far-right ally of Trump, said accepting Qatar’s plane would be a “stain” on the administration.”We cannot accept a $400 million ‘gift’ from jihadists in suits,” she posted on X. “The Qataris fund the same Iranian proxies in Hamas and Hezbollah who have murdered US Service Members.”The White House and Department of Justice, however, believe the gift is legal and not a bribe because it is not given in exchange for any particular favor or action, sources told ABC.And it is not unconstitutional, they say, because it will first be passed to the US Air Force before being turned over to the presidential library, thereby never being gifted to an individual.- ‘Wildly illegal’ -The Democratic National Committee said the move was proof of Trump using the White House for personal financial gain.”While working families brace for higher costs and empty shelves, Trump is still focusing on enriching himself and his billionaire backers,” the DNC said in an email to supporters.Multiple Democratic lawmakers blasted the plan.Senator Chris Murphy called it “wildly illegal,” while Representative Kelly Morrison said such a gift amounts to “corruption in plain sight” and an unethical, unconstitutional “bribe.”The US president has long been unhappy with the Air Force One jets — two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft.Earlier this year Trump said his administration was “looking at alternatives” to Boeing following delays in the delivery of two new models.The aerospace giant agreed in 2018 to supply two 747-8 aircraft by the end of 2024 for $3.9 billion — both ready to transport whoever occupied the White House at that time.But a subcontractor went bankrupt and the coronavirus pandemic disrupted production, forcing Boeing to push back delivery to 2027 and 2028.Although the plane the Qataris are offering is reportedly over 10 years old, a new Boeing 747-8 costs around $400 million, experts said.The aircraft must additionally be outfitted with extensive communications and security upgrades before it becomes Air Force One.

Holding an oversized carrot, a brawny, shirtless man promotes a supplement he claims can enlarge male genitalia — one of countless AI-generated videos on TikTok peddling unproven sexual treatments.The rise of generative AI has made it easy — and financially lucrative — to mass-produce such videos with minimal human oversight, often featuring fake celebrity endorsements of bogus and potentially harmful products.In some TikTok videos, carrots are used as a euphemism for male genitalia, apparently to evade content moderation policing sexually explicit language.”You would notice that your carrot has grown up,” the muscled man says in a robotic voice in one video, directing users to an online purchase link.”This product will change your life,” the man adds, claiming without evidence that the herbs used as ingredients boost testosterone and send energy levels “through the roof.”The video appears to be AI-generated, according to a deepfake detection service recently launched by the Bay Area-headquartered firm Resemble AI, which shared its results with AFP.”As seen in this example, misleading AI-generated content is being used to market supplements with exaggerated or unverified claims, potentially putting consumers’ health at risk,” Zohaib Ahmed, Resemble AI’s chief executive and co-founder, told AFP.”We’re seeing AI-generated content weaponized to spread false information.”- ‘Cheap way’ -The trend underscores how rapid advances in artificial intelligence have fueled what researchers call an AI dystopia, a deception-filled online universe designed to manipulate unsuspecting users into buying dubious products.They include everything from unverified — and in some cases, potentially harmful — dietary supplements to weight loss products and sexual remedies.”AI is a useful tool for grifters looking to create large volumes of content slop for a low cost,” misinformation researcher Abbie Richards told AFP.”It’s a cheap way to produce advertisements,” she added.Alexios Mantzarlis, director of the Security, Trust, and Safety Initiative at Cornell Tech, has observed a surge of “AI doctor” avatars and audio tracks on TikTok that promote questionable sexual remedies.Some of these videos, many with millions of views, peddle testosterone-boosting concoctions made from ingredients such as lemon, ginger and garlic.More troublingly, rapidly evolving AI tools have enabled the creation of deepfakes impersonating celebrities such as actress Amanda Seyfried and actor Robert De Niro.”Your husband can’t get it up?” Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, appears to ask in a TikTok video promoting a prostate supplement.But the clip is a deepfake, using Fauci’s likeness.- ‘Pernicious’ -Many manipulated videos are created from existing ones, modified with AI-generated voices and lip-synced to match what the altered voice says.”The impersonation videos are particularly pernicious as they further degrade our ability to discern authentic accounts online,” Mantzarlis said.Last year, Mantzarlis discovered hundreds of ads on YouTube featuring deepfakes of celebrities — including Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, and Mike Tyson — promoting supplements branded as erectile dysfunction cures.The rapid pace of generating short-form AI videos means that even when tech platforms remove questionable content, near-identical versions quickly reappear — turning moderation into a game of whack-a-mole.Researchers say this creates unique challenges for policing AI-generated content, requiring novel solutions and more sophisticated detection tools.AFP’s fact checkers have repeatedly debunked scam ads on Facebook promoting treatments — including erectile dysfunction cures — that use fake endorsements by Ben Carson, a neurosurgeon and former US cabinet member.Yet many users still consider the endorsements legitimate, illustrating the appeal of deepfakes. “Scammy affiliate marketing schemes and questionable sex supplements have existed for as long as the internet and before,” Mantzarlis said.”As with every other bad thing online, generative AI has made this abuse vector cheaper and quicker to deploy at scale.”

A renewed push in Texas to ban Chinese and other non-citizens from purchasing property is almost across the finish line, prompting protests by opponents who claim the measure will stoke discrimination against minorities.The legislation previously failed in 2023, but has gained new steam in the Republican-led state since President Donald Trump’s return to office on a stark anti-immigration and anti-China agenda.The Texas bill, SB 17, bans most non-citizens from countries deemed by the United States to be national security threats from purchasing any property.That list currently includes China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, but a recent amendment allows Governor Greg Abbott — a close Trump ally — the freedom to add other countries.A sponsor of the bill, State Representative Cole Hefner, claimed the push “is about securing Texas land and natural resources… (from) adversarial nations and oppressive regimes that wish to do us harm.”Hundreds of protesters on Saturday took to the streets in the capital Austin, carrying posters reading “stop the hate” and “housing is a human right.””If you make a law targeting certain people just because of their origin, their country where they come from, that’s racist. This is a racist bill,” said Alice Yi, co-founder of Asian Texans for Justice.”This is our country too,” the 68-year-old added.According to US Census data, Asians represented roughly six percent of the Texas population in 2023 — 1.7 million people out of 31.3 million — but were the fastest growing group in the state.”Not everybody is a spy, not everybody here is associated with… the home country,” said Eileen Huang, 42, with the Texas Multicultural Advocacy Coalition.”A lot of people, they flee from the home country. Why? Because they don’t agree” with the country’s leadership, she added.The top Democrat in the Texas House, Representative Gene Wu, argued that exemptions for lawful permanent residents did not go far enough.”They’ve accepted green card holders and citizens, but the problem is you cannot become a green card holder or a citizen if you do not have a way to show that you can live here permanently,” he told AFP.Wu, who was born in China, said “people don’t know the difference between Asian people, they just see an Asian face.””What this will mean is across the board discrimination against all Asians.”SB 17 passed the House on Friday with several amendments, and must now be passed again in the Senate.With mounting political and economic tensions between Washington and Beijing in recent years, similar bans targeting Chinese land ownership have popped up in multiple other states.Texas itself passed a law in 2021 to bans companies from several nations, including China, from connecting to the power grid.The legislation was passed to block Chinese mogul Sun Guangxin from building a large wind farm in the state.