International

US leads new pledges to fight child malnutrition

AFP

The United States on Wednesday led pledges for $280 million to fight childhood malnutrition through the supply of ready-to-eat packets in nations suffering from acute food shortages.

At an event on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, the US Agency for International Development promised $200 million of the total $280 million as part of an event with UNICEF to stop childhood wasting, the low weight-for-height caused by poor nutrition.

“The truth is, wasting is treatable,” USAID chief Samantha Power said.

“Complex cases require more specialized medical attention, but for straightforward cases caught early, treatment is cost-effective and can be done at home,” she said.

“Yet only a third of children suffering from wasting today receive the treatment they need. And with more funding, better delivery systems and improved access to health care, we can empower communities to save their children’s lives.”

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So-called ready-to-use therapeutic foods are pastes of high nutritional value that are given to children who suffer severe wasting.

Invented by French researcher Andre Briend, they can be consumed directly and have long shelf lives.

Power said that a full course of the therapeutic packets takes several weeks and requires monitoring by a health worker, with the treatment costing a little more than $100 per child.

The event, also organized with non-governmental organizations and Senegal, came hours after US President Joe Biden promised $2.9 billion in new funding to fight global food insecurity.

Food shortages have been worsened by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, a major grain exporter, with Somalia threatened by famine following successive failed rainy seasons.

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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.