International

Queen Elizabeth II dies: Thursday’s timeline

AFP | by Helen ROWE

A rare palace announcement about Queen Elizabeth II’s health at 12:32 pm (1132 GMT) on Thursday prompted a dash to her country estate in Scotland by close members of the 96-year-old’s family.

A second statement at 6:30 pm announced her death.

Here is the day’s timeline:

Around noon (1100 GMT)

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Senior minister Nadhim Zahawi slips into the House of Commons, shortly after new Prime Minister Liz Truss finishes her first major policy announcement outlining a freeze on energy prices.

Keir Starmer, leader of the opposition Labour party, is on his feet responding to the announcement.

Zahawi sits next to Truss and hands her a note, sending ripples around the chamber. Starmer is handed his own note and both leaders leave.

12:32 pm

Buckingham Palace releases its statement.

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“Following further evaluation this morning, the Queen’s doctors are concerned for Her Majesty’s health and have recommended she remain under medical supervision,” it says.

“The Queen remains comfortable and at Balmoral.”

Commons speaker Lindsay Hoyle interrupts debate on the energy plan to relay the development to members of parliament, sending the House’s prayers to the royal family.

Truss says: “The whole country will be deeply concerned by the news from Buckingham Palace this lunch-time.”

12:39 pm

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The BBC interrupts scheduled programming with the announcement and launches rolling news coverage of developments.

Presenter Huw Edwards appears dressed in a dark suit, white shirt and black tie, in line with the BBC’s dress code for when a member of the royal family dies.

Just before 1:00 pm

The queen’s heir Charles, the Prince of Wales, and his wife Camilla have travelled to Balmoral, aides say.

Around 1:15 pm

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The queen’s grandson Prince William, who is second in line to the throne after Charles, is also travelling to Scotland to be with his grandmother, the Duke of Cambridge’s office says.

Around 1.35 pm

Princess Anne is at Balmoral, and Prince Andrew, Prince Edward and his wife Sophie are on the way to Scotland, the domestic Press Association (PA) news agency says of the queen’s three younger children.

1.55 pm

A spokesman for Prince Harry, Charles’s second son, and his wife Meghan says the US-based couple will be travelling to Scotland after breaking off engagements on a rare trip home.

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But in the end, only Harry makes the trip.

Around 4:00 pm

Princes Andrew and Edward, Sophie and Prince William arrive by plane in Aberdeen for the road journey to Balmoral.

People begin to gather outside Buckingham Palace in London, despite rain.

5:05 pm

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A car carrying a grim-faced Andrew, Edward, Sophie and with William at the wheel sweeps through the gates of Balmoral.

6.30 pm

Buckingham Palace announces: “The Queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon.”

“The King (Charles) and The Queen Consort (Camilla) will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow.”

Foreign tributes begin to pour in including from US President Joe Biden’s White House, Europe and the Commonwealth, which was headed by the late queen.

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Britain’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, who was only appointed on Tuesday in one of the queen’s last official acts, is expected to speak shortly.

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.