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The Prime Minister of Lithuania asks by surprise for the resignation of the head of Defense

The Minister of Defense of Lithuania, Arvydas Anusauskas, announced this Saturday that he has resigned at the request of the Prime Minister, Ingrida Simonyte, just two months before the presidential elections and seven of the legislative elections, a demand that caught him by surprise in the midst of tensions with neighboring Russia.

Anusauskas himself explained this Saturday that the day before he received a “somewhat unexpected” offer from Simonyte, which was that he leave his position to another politician from next week and that he assume the presidency of a committee in the Seimas (Parliament), something he initially rejected.

After talking to the Prime Minister herself, she decided within the framework of “this difficult moment for the work of the Ministry of National Defense and the strengthening of the Army, and in a context in which threats do not decrease,” to write her letter of resignation to maintain political support for the head of the Government.

Symonite wrote on his Facebook account that the minister’s resignation “is not related to any sudden change in the Lithuanian state of national security, changes in threats or any negative news about the ministry’s activities.”

“I was worried about the expectation of making Lithuania feel safe for the rest of the mandate and that the Government would do even more and faster than it has done so far,” he explained, however.

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“A lot has been done, but the remaining nine months are a short time, and this session of the Seimas is very important to make decisions in which maximum participation is required,” he added, referring to the legislative elections on October 13 in Lithuania.

In addition, the country will hold presidential elections on May 12, in which the current head of state, Gitanas Nauseda, who leads the polls with 28.5%, the highest percentage since October 2022, will be presented again.

He is followed by the lawyer and right-wing politician Ignas Vėgėlė with 13.4% and the Christian Democrat Simonyte, economist and prime minister since 2020.

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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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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.

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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.

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