International

Venezuela opens probe into table-top mountain ‘party’

AFP

Venezuelan prosecutors are investigating an alleged party held on a table-top mountain in a protected Amazonian national park, an official said Thursday.

A group of revelers, including local celebrities, allegedly flew to Kusari Tepuy in the Canaima National Park by helicopter last Friday and threw a party, according to images shared widely on social media.

Tepuis are table-top mountains unique to Amazonian areas of Venezuela, Colombia and Brazil.

Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab said prosecutors are “investigating the damage done in the Canaima National Park by a party organized there by a company and a group of people.”

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The event prompted an irate response from environmental organizations, with the SOS Orinoco NGO saying that landing aircraft and holding gatherings in protected areas is against the law.

SOS Orinoco said the party was held to celebrate the birthday of a business chief whose company was hired by the government to promote tourism in Venezuela.

The Canaima National Park is home to the tepui — also spelt tepuy — that features the Salto Angel waterfall, the tallest waterfall in the world. The park has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1994.

“A natural park is an exceptional natural space that belongs to all Venezuelans, which, due to its great ecological and symbolic value, should be treated like a sacred temple of nature,” said the NGO.

SOS Orinoco said tepuis are considered sacred by the Pemon indigenous people that live in the region.

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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.