International

WHO launches call to speed up genomics tech development

AFP

Countries should step up their work on genomic technologies to combat diseases, and share that technology more quickly with developing nations, a new WHO report argued Tuesday.

Genomics — the study of DNA sequences and gene functions — could make a vast contribution to improving human health, said the World Health Organization’s Science Council.

“Genomic technologies are driving some of the most ground-breaking research happening today,” said WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan.

“The benefits of these tools will not be fully realised unless they are deployed worldwide.”

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The report included a series of recommendations designed to help make that happen.

Genomics is the study of the total or part of the genetic sequence information of organisms and attempts to understand the structure and function of those sequences.

Its supporters hope it will provide efficient, cost-effective and robust means of preventing, diagnosing and treating major diseases.

– ‘Enormous contribution’ –

The Science Council was set up in April last year to advise WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on advances in science and technology that could directly improve global health.

Made up of nine leading scientists and public health experts, it is chaired by Professor Harold Varmus, a 1989 Nobel laureate and a former director of the US National Institutes of Health.

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The council chose to focus on genomics because of its successes in confronting infectious diseases, cancers, and other chronic diseases.

Genomics uses biochemistry, genetics, and molecular biology to understand and use biological information in DNA and RNA, with benefits for medicine and public health.

“Genomics can make enormous contributions to human health, from surveying populations for infectious agents, such as the virus that causes Covid-19, to predicting and treating a wide variety of diseases, such as cancers and developmental disorders,” said Varmus.

Genome sequencing data became the basis of global monitoring of both how the SARS-CoV-2 virus was evolving, and the emergence of new Covid variants. It was also used in the development of vaccines.

– Bringing down costs –

It is not ethically or scientifically justifiable for less well-resourced countries to gain access to such technologies long after wealthy nations do, the council’s report argued.

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It advocated expanded access to genomic technologies — particularly outside the richest countries — by addressing shortfalls in financing, laboratory infrastructure, materials, and highly trained personnel.

The costs of establishing and expanding genomic technologies were declining, said the report — but they could be brought down further.

Tiered pricing, shared intellectual property rights and investing profits from one area into another could all help make genomic technologies more affordable, it argued.

Ministries should collaborate with scientific organisations on using genomics, building technical capacity and pooling resources with others, the report added.

But it also said that oversight and adherence to international standards was critical in promoting the ethical and legal use of information obtained with genomic methods.

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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.