Malawi is the latest African country to look at legalizing cannabis – the plant that produces hemp and marijuana – after similar moves in Lesotho, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. As Malawi’s tobacco industry – the country’s biggest foreign exchange earner – has dwindled due to anti-tobacco campaigns, farmers are now …
your ad hereReport: ‘Radical Rethink’ Needed to Tackle Obesity, Hunger, Climate
To defeat the intertwined pandemics of obesity, hunger and climate change, governments must curb the political influence of major corporations, said a major report Monday calling for a ‘global treaty’ similar to one for tobacco control. But this will not happen unless ordinary citizens demand a “radical rethink” of the …
your ad here‘Black Panther’ Wins Top Honor at SAG Awards, ‘Maisel’ Soars
“Black Panther” took the top award at Sunday’s 25th Screen Actors Guild Awards, giving Ryan Coogler’s superhero sensation its most significant awards-season honor yet and potentially setting up Wakanda for a major role at next month’s Academy Awards. The two leading Oscar nominees – “Roma” and “The Favorite” – were …
your ad hereSenators Want Update on Progress of Universal Flu Vaccine
Maine’s independent U.S. senator says he’s joining a group of Senate colleagues to call on the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease to provide an update on research into a universal flu vaccine. Sen. Angus King says the initiative is about reducing “the relentless burden the flu places on …
your ad hereSouthern India Boasts World’s First Fully Solar Powered Airport
Entering or exiting Cochin International airport in India’s southern Kochi city, it is hard to miss the sea of solar panels glinting under the sun on a vast stretch of land on one side of the road and on top of a massive car park. Close by, a huge billboard …
your ad hereSouthern Indian city of Kochi Boasts World’s First Fully Solar Powered Airport
India’s southern Kochi city in Kerala state is among the world’s most innovative airports, completely powered by solar energy. Winner of the United Nations Champions of the Earth Award for Entrepreneurial Vision in 2018, the project is testimony to India’s ambitions of rapidly scaling up the use of solar power …
your ad hereSeattle’s Bullitt Center: A Green Building Inspiring Visitors
Called the “greenest office building in the world,” the Bullitt Center in Seattle, Washington, generates its own electricity and its own water, collected from rain falling on the roof. Opened on Earth Day in 2013, the Bullitt Center has been nicknamed a “Living Building.” Natasha Mozgovaya visited the green building …
your ad hereNYPD Officer and DJ: Community Policing Through Music
A New York disc jockey wearing a policeman’s uniform. The outfit is not a costume, it’s the work uniform of New York City Police officer who takes his hobby as a DJ seriously. Lieutenant Acu Rhodes says it started as a casual pastime, but quickly became a serious devotion. So …
your ad hereLeaders Skip Davos Amid Domestic Troubles, Anti-Globalist Backlash
The World Economic Forum summit in Davos, Switzerland, that wrapped up Friday, had some notable absentees, including U.S. President Donald Trump. With a backlash against a perceived ruling elite gaining ground in many countries, analysts say some leaders steered clear of a gathering often seen as an inaccessible club for the world’s super-rich. …
your ad hereGermany to Phase Out Coal by 2038
A government-appointed commission laid out a plan Saturday for Germany to phase out coal use by 2038. The commission — made up of politicians, climate experts, union representatives and industry figures from coal regions — developed the plan under mounting pressure on Europe’s top economy to step up efforts …
your ad hereFrench Composer Legrand Dies at 86
Prolific French composer Michel Legrand, who won three Oscars and five Grammys during a career spanning more than half a century, died Saturday aged 86, his spokesman said. Legrand lived in a musical whirlwind, with the same appetite for popular music to jazz, from conducting to film. “Since I was …
your ad herePope Urges Clergy to Keep Faith Despite Frustrations
Pope Francis celebrated Mass on Saturday in the centuries-old colonial Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria la Antigua, telling Panama’s priests and nuns to try to find joy in their work despite what he called “wounds of the church’s own sin.” He did not specify what he meant by that, …
your ad herePope Francis to Meet Student Priests in Panama
Pope Francis celebrates Mass Saturday in the centuries-old colonial Cathedral Basilica of Santa Maria la Antigua, Panama’s patron saint, as part of World Youth Day festivities. On the fourth day of his visit to Panama, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church is also to meet with student priests at …
your ad hereCommission: Put People First in Drive to Automate Jobs
The world of work is going through a major transformation. Technological advances are creating new jobs and at the same time leaving many people behind as their skills are no longer needed. A new study by the International Labor Organization’s Global Commission on the Future of Work addresses the many …
your ad herePhotographer Captures Beauty, Determination of Breast Cancer Survivors
When thinking about people with cancer, the images that first come to mind are usually dark, sad and depressing. But that’s not what photographer Linda McCarthy sees. With her “Survivors” project, her goal was to put a face on breast cancer, photographing women who survived or are being treated for the disease. …
your ad hereFDA: More Blood Pressure Drugs May Have Shortages After Recalls
Additional shortages of blood pressure drugs in the United States are possible following recent recalls related to traces of a probable carcinogen found in some versions a particular class of hypertension medicines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Friday. The drugs, including valsartan, belong to a class of widely-used …
your ad hereSundance Is Homecoming for Julianne Moore and Husband
For director Bart Freundlich and Julianne Moore, having their film “After the Wedding” premiere opening at the Sundance Film Festival holds a special significance. Moore and Freundlich came to the festival 22 years ago with another film, “The Myth of Fingerprints,” before marriage, children and everything else. “In between there …
your ad hereFor 25 Years, SAG Awards Have Been ‘the Actors’ Party’
The Screen Actors Guild turns 25 years old Sunday, and executive producer Kathy Connell has shaped every one. And while the milestone anniversary offers a chance to reflect on the show’s growth and impact, Connell says not to expect too many flashbacks on the telecast, which will be broadcast on …
your ad hereJudge Approves Changes to Weinstein’s Legal Team
A judge signed off Friday on changes to the legal team representing Harvey Weinstein in his rape and sexual assault case, allowing the film producer to swap out his bulldog New York City defense attorney for a four-person team that’s full of courtroom star power. The disgraced Hollywood mogul was …
your ad hereAt Davos, Nearly half WTO Members Agree to Talks on new e-Commerce Rules
Impatient with the lack of World Trade Organization rules to cover the explosive growth of e-commerce, 76 countries and regions agreed on Friday to start negotiating this year on a set of open and predictable regulations. The WTO’s 164 members were unable to consolidate some 25 separate e-commerce proposals at …
your ad hereMicrosoft’s Bing Blocked in China for Two Days
Chinese internet users lost access to Microsoft’s Bing search engine for two days, setting off grumbling about the ruling Communist Party’s increasingly tight online censorship. Microsoft Corp. said Friday that access had been restored. A brief statement gave no reason for the disruption or other details. Comments on social media …
your ad hereUS House Republican Introduces Bill to Grant Trump More Tariff Power
A Republican U.S. representative on Thursday introduced White House-drafted legislation that would give President Donald Trump more power to levy tariffs on imported goods in an effort to pressure other countries to lower their duties and other trade barriers. The measure offered by Representative Sean Duffy, which has been touted …
your ad hereNetflix Criticized for Using South Sudan Flag
The very first image in Netflix’s new film Close is South Sudan’s flag billowing in the wind. Shot in Morocco, the opening scene introduces the main character, a professional bodyguard named Sam, played by actress Noomi Rapce, who accompanies two journalists across war-torn terrain in a vehicle that is ambushed by …
your ad hereFew Responsible for Most Twitter Fakery, Study Finds
A tiny fraction of Twitter users spread the vast majority of fake news in 2016, with conservatives and older people sharing misinformation more, a new study finds. Scientists examined more than 16,000 U.S. Twitter accounts and found that 16 of them — less than one-tenth of 1 percent — tweeted out …
your ad hereChefs, Truck Drivers Beware: AI Is Coming for Your Jobs
Robots aren’t replacing everyone, but a quarter of U.S. jobs will be severely disrupted as artificial intelligence accelerates the automation of existing work, according to a new Brookings Institution report. The report, published Thursday, says roughly 36 million Americans hold jobs with “high exposure” to automation — meaning at least …
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