International

Three killed in clash over DR Congo gold mine

AFP

Three people died as rival militias clashed for a second day on Saturday for control of a gold mine in DR Congo’s troubled northeastern province of Ituri, the groups said.

Scores of armed groups roam Ituri and neighbouring North Kivu, many a legacy of two regional wars a quarter of a century ago.

Ituri and North Kivu have under an army-led “state of siege” since May 2021 in a bid to clamp down on the militias.

Fighting began Friday around the Tulabo mine in Irumu territory between the Patriotic Resistance Force of Ituri (FRPI) and the Patriotic and Integrationist Force of the Congo (FPIC), residents said.

“FRPI militiamen built a camp to exploit the Tulabo gold mine. It’s a provocation. During the fighting to drive them out, two were killed and one died on our side”, said Kabulano Nyamabo, an FPIC spokesman.

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An FRPI spokesman confirmed the two deaths.

“Some of our elements can end up exploiting gold illegally. But the FPIC attacked us for no reason,” the militia’s spokesman Muno Munobi told AFP.

The army claimed to have restored order.

“The regiment commander and his men arrived on the ground and the army imposed order. We are already putting in place a mechanism to control the natural resources” in this area, said Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, a spokesman for the army in Ituri.

The violence comes just weeks after the two groups signed agreements to stop fighting.

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Violence resumed in gold-rich Ituri in 2017 with the emergence of CODECO — the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo — militia.

CODECO is considered one of the deadliest of the militias operating in the east and blamed for a number of ethnic massacres.

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.