International

Belarus expels majority of Ukrainian diplomats

AFP

Russia’s ally Belarus said Wednesday it will expel most Ukrainian diplomats working in the country, accusing Kyiv of “interference” in its domestic affairs.

“Belarus has decided to reduce the number of Ukrainian diplomats on its territory. This measure is aimed at stopping the non-diplomatic activities of several staff members of Ukraine’s diplomatic institutions,” Belarusian foreign ministry spokesman Anatoly Glaz said.

Only Ukraine’s ambassador and four other diplomats will continue working in Minsk, compared to over 20 people currently staffing the embassy.

Belarus said it will also close the Ukrainian consulate in the western city of Brest “due to the effective absence of staff”.

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Belarus had already withdrawn its diplomatic staff from Ukraine after the start of Russia’s military operation there.

“Since 2020, Belarus has seen many unfriendly actions of Ukraine aimed at the irresponsible destruction of interstate relations with our country, business contacts and long-established ties,” Glaz added.

“It has reached a point where the Ukrainian authorities have begun directly and indirectly interfering in our internal affairs and paused contacts between our states. As of 2021, they have called Belarus an enemy country,” he said.

Ukraine said it considered the move a “hostile act.”

“We consider these acts by Belarus as a new hostile step, unprovoked, towards Ukraine,” Kyiv’s foreign ministry spokesman Oleg Nikolenko said in a statement.

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He said 12 Ukrainian diplomats were ordered to leave Belarus “within 72 hours.”

“Ukraine will not leave these acts by Belarus unanswered,” he added.

President Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled the ex-Soviet country since 1994, allowed Russian troops to use Belarusian territory to enter Ukraine from the north.

Belarus has hosted several rounds of ceasefire talks between delegations from Moscow and Kyiv.

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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.