International

Tottenham’s Son Heung-min says he faced racism as teen in Germany

AFP

Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung-min has revealed he faced racism as a teenage footballer in Germany and was happy to get “revenge” when South Korea knocked Germany out of 2018 World Cup.

Son, 29, became the first Asian footballer to win the Golden Boot for being top scorer in the English Premier League with 23 goals last season.

The South Korea football icon, the leading Asian goalscorer in English football’s top-flight history, was awarded the country’s highest sporting honour in June for his achievements.

But Son said his most memorable career moment had been South Korea’s stunning 2-0 victory over Germany four years ago, because of the racism he had endured in the country as a teenager after joining Hamburg in 2010.

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Son shared in public for the first time his experiences of racism, while speaking to fans at an event in Seoul on Monday.

“I moved to Germany when I was young, and went through so many really difficult, unimaginable moments,” said Son, who left Hamburg in 2013 for Bayer Leverkusen.

“I faced a lot of racism. And while going through such a really difficult time, I had a lot of thoughts on my mind I should get my revenge one day.”

Germany were the defending World Cup champions in Russia but the shock defeat to South Korea meant they finished bottom of their group, leaving many German fans in tears at the Kazan Arena.

Son, who scored the second goal in injury time to seal Germany’s early exit, said he had little sympathy.

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“When people cry, I’d (usually) want to comfort them and give them a hug,” he said. “But watching German people cry, (I felt) I was able to take revenge by doing something I like,” he added.

Son has also faced racism during his Premier League career in England since he moved to Spurs from Leverkusen in 2015.

Last year, eight men suspected of tweeting racist abuse at Son were arrested at addresses across England and Wales.

Son will join up with his Tottenham teammates when they arrive in South Korea for pre-season games against the K-League All-Stars in Seoul on July 13 and Sevilla FC three days later in Suwon, 45 kilometres south of Seoul.

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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.