International
Russia protests before the US ambassador for a Ukrainian attack on Crimea with ATACMS missiles
Russia protested on Monday before the U.S. ambassador, Lynn Trace, for the use of ATACMS missiles with cluster bombs in the Ukrainian attack perpetrated on Sunday against the Crimean port of Sevastopol that resulted in four civilians killed.
“The United States (…) bears the same responsibility as the Kiev regime for this evil act,” the Russian Foreign Ministry denounced in a statement.
According to Russian diplomacy, the United States “is waging a hybrid war against Russia and has become part of the conflict by supplying the Ukrainian Army with the most modern weapons, including ATACMS missiles with cluster bombs used against the population of Sevastopol.”
He also denounced that “the choice of objectives and the creation of flight missions (of missiles) is carried out by US military specialists.”
Foreign Affairs declared to the ambassador that “these actions of Washington, which are intended to encourage the pro-Nazi authorities of Ukraine to continue the war actions until the last Ukrainian, by allowing Russian territory to be attacked, will not go unpunished.”
“We will respond without fail,” Russian diplomacy warned.
This Sunday, Ukrainian forces launched five ATACMS missiles against Sevastopol, the base of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, four of which were shot down by Russian air defenses.
The fifth deviated from its course, according to Defense, and exploded on the coast of the peninsula, killing four civilians and injuring more than 150.
According to Telegram channels, a missile exploded on a beach where a large number of people rested on Sunday, taking advantage of the summer heat.
The Russian Ministry of Defense immediately blamed Washington for the attack for supplying Kiev with the ATACMS missiles launched by the Ukrainian Army and authorizing their use against Russian territory.
“The responsibility for this deliberate missile attack against the civilian population of Sevastopol lies above all with Washington, which supplied these weapons to Ukraine, and also the Kiev regime, from whose territory this attack was launched,” he said on Telegram.
The government of US President Joe Biden gave Ukraine permission at the end of May to attack targets in Russian territory using weapons provided by the United States, but only if they were military targets in the Russian border area near the area of the northeastern Kharkov region.
However, this authorization, as confirmed to EFE by a US official, does not extend to long-range missiles such as the Army Tactical Missile System known as ATACMS and used on Sunday in Sevastopol, according to Russian authorities.
The counselor of the Ukrainian presidential office Mikhail Podoliak said today, regarding the death this Sunday of four civilians in a Ukrainian attack on Crimea, that the peninsula is “a foreign territory (for the Russians) occupied by Russia in which there are hostilities and a large-scale war.”
“There are no no ‘beaches’, ‘tourist areas’ and other fictitious signs of ‘peaceful life’ in Crimea. Crimea is definitely a foreign territory occupied by Russia, where there are hostilities and a large-scale war. The same war that Russia unleashed with genocidal and invading purposes,” Podoliak wrote on his social network account X.
The counselor of the Ukrainian presidency added that “Crimea is also a large military camp and warehouse with hundreds of direct military targets that the Russians try to hide and cynically cover with their own civilians.”
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.
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.
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.
Brazil offers to mediate Colombia-Ecuador tensions, calls for restraint
U.S. lowers travel advisory for much of Venezuela but keeps high-risk zones under warning
EU lawmakers move to ban AI tools that generate non-consensual nude images
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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