International

Zelensky wants Russia expelled from UN agriculture agency

AFP

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday called for Russia to be expelled from the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization, blaming Moscow for spurring the global grain crisis by invading his country.

“There can’t be any discussion on prolonging Russia’s membership in the FAO,” Zelensky told delegates at a Paris meeting of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by video link.

Active in 130 countries worldwide, the FAO’s mission is to “achieve food security for all”.

“What is there for Russia to do (in the FAO) if they are causing hunger for at least 400 million, or potentially more than a billion people?” Zelensky added.

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Ukraine’s Black Sea ports usually export millions of tonnes of grain each year but have been blocked since Moscow’s late February invasion.

Along with western sanctions on Russia, which prevent Moscow selling much of its grain abroad, the blockade has sent food prices soaring and triggered warnings of famine in the Middle East and Africa.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov claimed at UN-backed talks in Turkey on Wednesday that Moscow was ready to grant safe passage to ships transporting Ukrainian corn and wheat.

Ukraine says it is open to resuming shipments but needs concrete security guarantees from Russia, an FAO member since 2006.

“The United Nations’ mediation efforts are significant steps, and I think, unfortunately, the only ones,” Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi told Thursday’s OECD meeting.

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“We have to offer President Zelensky the assurances he needs that the ports will not be attacked.”

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.