International

Argentina prepares for World Cup winners’ welcome home party

Photo: TOMAS CUESTA / AFP

| By AFP | Barnaby Chesterman |

Argentines waited eagerly to welcome home their World Cup heroes on Monday as the capital prepared for a massive street party after the national team’s remarkable shoot-out victory over France.

“Crowned with glory,” read a banner on a newspaper kiosk in Buenos Aires, while Clarin and La Prensa dailies both sent a huge “Thank you” to Lionel Messi and his team-mates for winning the country’s third world title, and first in 36 years.

Argentina won the final in Qatar 4-2 on penalties after a thrilling 3-3 draw over 120 minutes of unparallelled drama.

The party that began after Sunday’s final was briefly on pause as local city workers continued to clean up the debris from the celebrations when millions took to the streets in jubilation.

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The team is guaranteed a white-hot reception when they land at the Ezeiza airport in Buenos Aires, at 2:25 am (0525 GMT) Tuesday.

“I’m going to greet them at the airport. Now that they have been crowned we have to greet them and thank them,” Jose Luis Quinoga, 56, told AFP at the Obelisk memorial in central Buenos Aires, where the night before more than a million people celebrated.

A private reception at a VIP suite in the airport has been arranged to greet the returning players and the Argentine football association said they will celebrate with fans at the Obelisk on Tuesday.

“I will leave work and the first thing I will do is come here,” Julieta Rosel, 23, told AFP at the monument.

Local media speculated about whether the players would also head to the presidential palace, with politicians concerned about being accused of trying to capitalize on sporting success.

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Almost ‘no incidents’

Messi finally crowned his record-breaking career with football’s biggest prize as he produced one of the greatest World Cup final performances, scoring a first-half penalty and netting again in extra time.

France had fought back from 2-0 down in the last 10 minutes of the match as Kylian Mbappe scored twice to equalise and force extra time in a pulsating match watched by an 89,000 crowd in Lusail Stadium.

Messi seemed to have decided the match in extra time with his second goal of the game before his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Mbappe completed only the second World Cup final hat-trick in history to bring the score to 3-3 and force penalties.

Gonzalo Montiel swept home the decisive spot kick to win the shootout 4-2 for Argentina.

And while the players were able to celebrate with an estimated 40,000 fans inside the stadium on Sunday, 45 million people back home are eager to share the moment with them.

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“It’s what we’re all waiting for,” teacher Veronica Silva, 44, told AFP from the Plaza de Mayo in central Buenos Aires on Sunday.

Despite the huge numbers of revelers “people acted in a very positive way,” a spokesperson for the municipality said.

Fewer than 20 people were arrested for isolated incidents of violence or theft.

There were some signs of vandalism with smashed shop windows near the Obeslik, which also suffered some damage to cameras and an internal stairwell after people tore down protective barriers and broke open a door, a worker clearing debris told AFP on Monday.

Normal Monday morning life seemed to have resumed with street vendors selling their regular wares rather than football jerseys and flags.

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‘I can’t ask for more’

The disappointed France players became the last team to leave Qatar on Monday and after some confusion over their plans agreed to go and greet their fans in central Paris.

Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said the team planned to go to the Place de la Concorde in Paris after their plane touches down.

And although the chief of France’s football federation (FFF), Noel Le Graet, initially appeared to contradict the minister, the FFF later released a statement confirming the event would take place after the players’ plane lands at around 8:00 pm (1900 GMT).

The captivating final rounded off one of the most controversial World Cups in history.

Qatari organisers faced persistent questions about the country’s treatment of migrant workers and its laws on homosexuality.

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Football’s world governing body FIFA said the tournament attracted more than 3.4 million spectators, making it one of the most watched ever.

FIFA said more than one million visitors travelled to Qatar to watch the matches, in line with predictions from the Gulf state that people would not be dissuaded by the negative publicity over its rights record.

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.