WHO committee calls for sharing of gene-editing tools with poorer nations
A World Health Organization (WHO) committee said on Monday that human genome editing technologies to treat serious disease should be shared more generously, to allow poorer nations to benefit from the highly dynamic scientific field.
"WHO should work with others to encourage relevant patent holders to help ensure equitable access to human genome editing interventions," the 18-member committee said in a report.
Established in late 2018 after a Chinese scientist said he had edited the genes of twin babies, the committee of gene-editing experts was asked to make recommendations on national and international governance mechanisms for human genome editing.
Underlining the WHO's existing stance, the report strongly opposed making modifications to the genetic code in humans that would be passed on to future generations, known as heritable germline genome editing.
"No-one in their right mind should contemplate doing it because the techniques are simply not safe enough or efficient enough and we're not ready in terms of looking at all the ethical considerations," said Robin Lovell Badge of Britain's Francis Crick Institute, a committee member.
IN DEPTH
Blair and Lucki offer new details, deny interference in RCMP N.S. mass shooting investigation
Emergency Preparedness Minister Bill Blair and RCMP Commissioner Brenda Lucki took turns Monday denying pressuring the RCMP, or interfering in the police investigation into the Nova Scotia mass shooting, saying that their approaches were appropriate and warranted, given the unprecedented nature of the situation.
Inflation rate will remain 'painfully high' all year, Bank of Canada governor anticipates
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's inflation rate is set to remain 'painfully high' for the rest of the year. In an exclusive interview with CTV News, Macklem says the path to a 'soft' economic landing is 'narrowing' but at this point the central bank is not projecting a recession.
Where do the inquiries into the 'Freedom Convoy' protests and use of Emergencies Act stand?
Five months ago, the first 'Freedom Convoy' trucks rolled into Ottawa. After the federal government took the unprecedented step of invoking the Emergencies Act to end the protests, a series of inquiries and probes have been initiated. With the nation's capital bracing for more protests over the Canada Day weekend, CTVNews.ca takes a look at where the main commissions and studies stand.
What key legislation passed, what's in limbo after Parliament breaks for summer
Now that the House and Senate have adjourned for the summer, CTVNews.ca breaks down what key pieces of legislation passed in the final days of the spring session, and what key government bills will be left to deal with in the fall.
Where the five Conservative leadership candidates stand on key policy issues
The Conservative Party leadership race is well underway as contenders hold rallies, duke it out in debates, and slowly release more details of their policy platforms. Here's a snapshot of where the five candidates stand on the economy, housing, climate, defence and social issues.
Opinion
OPINION | Don Martin: The fall of Justin Trudeau has begun
'After a weeks-long survey of just about everyone I've met ... the overall judgment on Justin Trudeau is one of being a political write-off,' writes Don Martin in an opinion column for CTVNews.ca. 'He’s too woke, too precious, preachy in tone, exceedingly smug, lacking in leadership, fading in celebrity, slow to act, short-sighted in vision and generally getting more irritating with every breathlessly whispered public pronouncement,' Martin writes.
OPINION | Don Martin: It's time for the whiners to win and the government to unclog the airports
It's time for the whiners to win and the government to reopen the skies, a return to those glory times of flying when the biggest complaints were expensive parking, a middle seat and stale pretzels, commentator Don Martin writes in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
OPINION | Don Martin: A basic Doug Ford takes a middle-of-the-road victory lap in Ontario election
In an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca, Don Martin says Doug Ford coasted to majority re-election victory in Ontario by sticking to the middle of the road: 'Not too progressive. Not too conservative.'
OPINION | Don Martin: Premier Jason Kenney deserved a better death
There's a lesson for Canada's political leaders in the short life and quick death of Jason Kenney as premier of Alberta, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
OPINION | Don Martin: Ford on cruise control to victory in Ontario while Alberta votes on killing Kenney as UCP leader
It's becoming a make-or-break week for two Conservative premiers as their futures pivot on a pair of defining moments, writes Don Martin in an exclusive opinion column for CTVNews.ca.
ANALYSIS & INSIGHTS
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian army veteran charged with murder after mass shooting in Belize nightclub
A Canadian Armed Forces veteran has been charged with murder in connection to a mass shooting in Belize that left two people dead and eight others injured.
More Canadians report strong attachment to their language than to Canada: poll
A new survey finds more Canadians report a strong attachment to their primary language than to other markers of identity, including the country they call home.
B.C. actress hit in the chest by bullet in L.A. shooting last month
A B.C. performer is recovering after taking a bullet to the chest in Los Angeles last month.
Social media model arrested in Hawaii on murder charge
Law enforcement in Hawaii on Wednesday arrested social media model Courtney Clenney on a charge of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
Well-known Brampton, Ont. real estate agent, media personality savagely attacked outside home
A well-known real estate agent and media personality in Brampton, Ont. was viciously attacked in broad daylight in his own driveway by three men, two of whom appeared to be wielding an axe and a machete.
Saskatoon mother accused of faking death says she 'was left with no choice'
A Saskatoon mother who stands accused of faking her own death, as well as her son's, and illegally entering the U.S. is defending her actions.
Russia seemingly struggles to replenish its troops in Ukraine
As Russia continues to suffer losses in its invasion of Ukraine, now nearing its sixth month, the Kremlin has refused to announce a full-blown mobilization — a move that could be very unpopular for President Vladimir Putin. That has led instead to a covert recruitment effort that includes using prisoners to make up the manpower shortage.
Mint to unveil coin commemorating Canadian jazz legend Oscar Peterson
The Royal Canadian Mint is launching a special coin celebrating late music legend Oscar Peterson.
Dutch farmer protests and what's happening in Canada, explained
The ongoing protests in the Netherlands, by farmers opposed to their government’s plan to slash nitrogen oxide emissions by 50 per cent by 2030, have drawn attention to Canadian farmers’ concerns over an emissions reduction target set by the Canadian government. But the policies set out by the Dutch government and the Canadian government are fundamentally different, experts say.
Canada
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More Canadians report strong attachment to their language than to Canada: poll
A new survey finds more Canadians report a strong attachment to their primary language than to other markers of identity, including the country they call home.
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Canadian army veteran charged with murder after mass shooting in Belize nightclub
A Canadian Armed Forces veteran has been charged with murder in connection to a mass shooting in Belize that left two people dead and eight others injured.
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Aid shipment to Afghanistan cancelled due to anti-terrorist law
Two containers of food bound for Afghanistan have been cancelled by a Canada-based aid agency because of a law banning any dealings with the Taliban.
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Police seize handguns, drugs in alleged Ontario, U.S. criminal takedown
Police in Ontario say they have taken down a criminal network they allege trafficked cocaine and fentanyl and smuggled guns into Canada from the U.S.
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Saskatoon mother accused of faking death says she 'was left with no choice'
A Saskatoon mother who stands accused of faking her own death, as well as her son's, and illegally entering the U.S. is defending her actions.
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Canadian parents among least likely to take active role in protecting kids from cyberbullying: global survey
A new global study by computer security software company McAfee has found that 60 per cent of Canadian children as young as 10 have experienced some form of cyberbullying.
World
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Donald Trump's bond with GOP deepens after primary wins, FBI search
The GOP response to the FBI's search of Donald Trump's Florida estate this week was an especially stark example of how the party is keeping Trump nearby.
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Russia seemingly struggles to replenish its troops in Ukraine
As Russia continues to suffer losses in its invasion of Ukraine, now nearing its sixth month, the Kremlin has refused to announce a full-blown mobilization — a move that could be very unpopular for President Vladimir Putin. That has led instead to a covert recruitment effort that includes using prisoners to make up the manpower shortage.
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Trump says he took the Fifth in New York civil investigation
Former U.S. President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination as he testified under oath Wednesday in the New York attorney general's long-running civil investigation into his business dealings.
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Social media model arrested in Hawaii on murder charge
Law enforcement in Hawaii on Wednesday arrested social media model Courtney Clenney on a charge of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon.
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Iranian operative charged in plot to murder former Trump adviser
An Iranian operative has been charged in a plot to murder former U.S. national security adviser John Bolton in presumed retaliation for a U.S. airstrike that killed the country's most powerful general, offering US$300,000 to 'eliminate' the Trump administration official, the Justice Department said Wednesday.
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Blinken in Rwanda to discuss Congo tensions, human rights
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is in Rwanda, the last stop on his three-nation tour of Africa where he has articulated Washington's new strategy for engaging with sub-Saharan African nations as 'equal partners.'
Politics
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Poilievre preferred among Conservatives, but Charest favoured by Canadians: poll
Ontario MP Pierre Poilievre remains the heavy favourite to be the next Conservative party leader but he trails opponent Jean Charest for support among Canadians as a whole.
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Scientists to present 60-metre-long open letter to feds demanding raise
Hundreds of scientists and researchers are expected to gather on Parliament Hill today to call for a raise.
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Plastics producers ask court to quash planned federal ban on single-use straws, cups
More than two dozen plastic makers are asking the Federal Court to put an end to Ottawa's plan to ban several single-use plastic items but Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault says he's confident the attempt will fail.
Health
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Doctors call for action as growing number of Canadians dying from common food preservative
Doctors are among those calling for tighter regulation of sodium nitrite as a growing number of Canadians are dying after intentionally ingesting unsafe quantities of the common food preservative in its pure form.
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London kids to be offered polio shot after more virus found
Children ages 1-9 in London were made eligible for booster doses of a polio vaccine Wednesday after British health authorities reported finding evidence the virus has spread in multiple areas of the city but found no cases of the paralytic disease in people.
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Nebraska woman charged with helping daughter have abortion
A Nebraska woman has been charged with helping her teenage daughter end her pregnancy at about 24 weeks after investigators obtained Facebook messages in which the two discussed using medication to induce an abortion and plans to burn the fetus afterward.
Sci-Tech
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Scientists to present 60-metre-long open letter to feds demanding raise
Hundreds of scientists and researchers are expected to gather on Parliament Hill today to call for a raise.
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Social media offers parents more controls. But do they help?
As concerns about social media's harmful effects on teens continue to rise, platforms from Snapchat to TikTok to Instagram are bolting on new features they say will make their services safer and more age appropriate. But the changes rarely address the elephant in the the room -- the algorithms pushing endless content that can drag anyone, not just teens, into harmful rabbit holes.
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WhatsApp will start rolling out two big changes to all users this month
Two new features being introduced on WhatsApp, which will let you choose who can see when you're active, and to leave groups silently, will start rolling out to all WhatsApp users this month.
Entertainment
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Mint to unveil coin commemorating Canadian jazz legend Oscar Peterson
The Royal Canadian Mint is launching a special coin celebrating late music legend Oscar Peterson.
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Houshang Ebtehaj, prominent Iranian poet, dies at 94
Houshang Ebtehaj, a distinguished Iranian poet whose small but influential body of work made him a major figure in his own country and in world literature, died on Wednesday in Cologne, Germany. He was 94.
Business
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Metro faces ongoing worker shortage, higher overtime pay to keep grocery stores open
Workers at Metro Inc. are putting in overtime to keep stores open as the company grapples with an ongoing labour crunch, the Montreal-based grocery and drugstore retailer said Wednesday.
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World shares mostly gain after Wall Street hits 3-month highs
World shares were mixed Thursday after Wall Street benchmarks closed at three-month highs as investors cheered a report showing inflation cooled more than expected in July.
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OCS to resume cannabis deliveries after cyberattack on logistics partner
The Ontario Cannabis Store says its distribution centre is resuming service after a cyberattack on one of its logistics partners caused the provincial pot wholesaler to halt deliveries this week.
Lifestyle
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Beaned Little League batter rises to console upset pitcher
A Little League batter rose from a beaning to console the upset pitcher in a dramatic scene at a Little League regional tournament game Tuesday in Waco, Texas.
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'I think we can retire': Toronto man wins $6 million in Lotto 6/49 draw
A Toronto man who’s been playing the lottery since the late '70s is set to retire after he won big in a recent Lotto 6/49 draw.
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Meet Wyatt Sharpe, 13, journalist who's interviewed some of the biggest names in Canadian politics
At the age of 13, Wyatt Sharpe has interviewed the prime minister, a premier, party leaders and cabinet ministers -- and he's not even in high school yet.
Sports
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'Thank you. I love all of you': Serena Williams plays final match in Canada
Serena Williams exited the National Bank Open on Wednesday night with a 6-2, 6-4 loss to Belinda Bencic.
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Canadian tennis star Leylah Fernandez out of National Bank Open
Canada's Leylah Fernandez was eliminated from the National Bank Open following a 7-6 (4), 6-1 loss to Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia on Wednesday.
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Toronto Maple Leafs great Borje Salming diagnosed with ALS
Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Borje Salming announced on Wednesday he has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Autos
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Bolivia's 'Death Road' once haunted drivers. Now it's a wildlife haven
Bolivia's decision to open an alternate route to its historic 'Death Road' - a serpentine dirt path across the towering Andes hills known for its deadly cliffs - has led to a resurgence of wildlife in the area, according to an environmental group.
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Some gas stations run out as prices drop across B.C.
Drivers were so eager to fill up before gas prices rise again that some stations across British Columbia ran out.
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Pandemic fuels sports biking boom in cycling nation China
Bicycles have long been a means of transport in China and once outnumbered cars on city streets. Now cycling is increasingly also seen as a sport by an urban middle class that has benefited from China's growth into the world's second largest economy.
