Ishinomaki, Japan (AFP) March 4, 2021 Yuto Naganuma looks silently as the cold sea breeze sweeps over the crumbling walls of the school where his little brother was lost in Japan’s devastating 2011 tsunami. Ten years on, Naganuma and others like him form a generation whose young lives were shaped by what is known in Japan as the triple disaster: a powerful earthquake that sparked … Continue reading Japan’s children of the tsunami shaped by tragedy

Now that so many people work from home, ergonomic workspaces, furniture, and design have become a key concern when setting up a home workplace or company offices of the future. Alongside this demand is an escalation of online sales in the home furnishings industry. The E-Commerce Times spoke with several ergonomic and e-commerce experts to get their perspective on this trend.http://dlvr.it/Rtwxbv Continue reading WFH Era Puts Emphasis on Ergonomics

Paris (AFP) March 2, 2021 The world appears to have finally woken up to the existential threat of global warming, and the drive to fix the problem is accelerating across the board. The planet’s biggest carbon polluters – China, US, EU – vow carbon neutrality by mid-century; solar and wind power continued to surge even as global GDP shrank five percent last year; two-thirds of … Continue reading Social tipping points: slouching toward climate salvation

Baghdad (AFP) March 2, 2021 Seeing authorities in a rush to beautify streets and cities to host Pope Francis this week, young Iraqis took to social media on Tuesday to throw in some extra requests. Using the hashtag “Ask the Pope,” users are sardonically asking Francis to help improve Iraq’s notoriously poor infrastructure and public services. “I ask the Pope to go around the hospitals, … Continue reading From clean WCs to new roads, Iraqis make papal wishlist

Washington DC (UPI) Mar 2, 2021 More people are birding than ever before, and conservationists want to take advantage of that widespread enthusiasm by turning birders on to bird-friendly coffee. According to a new paper published in the journal People and Nature, most birders don’t know what bird-friendly coffee is and how it can help bird populations. “We know bird-watchers benefit from having healthy, diversehttp://dlvr.it/Rtrym5 Continue reading Conservationists aim to turn birders on to shade-grown coffee

Stockholm, Sweden (SPX) Mar 02, 2021 Pursuant to the engineering coordination permit from the Municipality of Tel-Aviv Jaffa (permit number 2020-3249) Eco Wave Power (EWPG Holding AB, Stock Symbol: ECOWVE) is pleased to announce that it officially commenced preparation works for installation of floaters on the sea wall of the Port of Jaffa, Israel. The works will include clearing the top cement layer of the … Continue reading Work on sea wall begins for One Wave Energy project

London (AFP) March 1, 2021 One-third of Britain’s biggest listed companies are not cutting carbon emissions by enough to help meet global climate goals, despite pledges to become far more green, according to a survey. A total 31 companies on London’s FTSE 100 index – and not only oil and mining giants – are emitting levels of carbon dioxide that tally with global temperature increases … Continue reading UK top firms not cutting carbon emissions enough: survey

Baghdad (AFP) March 1, 2021 Pope Francis is to start the first-ever papal visit to Iraq on Friday, an act of solidarity with an ancient but dwindling Christian community and a symbolic outreach to Muslims. The trip comes as Iraq, ravaged by decades of conflict, faces a second deadly wave of coronavirus infections and renewed violence. Persecution has already slashed the country’s Christian community – … Continue reading Francis prepares first-ever papal visit to Iraq

Karamlesh, Iraq (AFP) March 1, 2021 From Mosul’s rubble-strewn streets to ancient churches at Karamlesh, badly damaged by the Islamic State group, Archbishop Najeeb Michaeel is preparing for the first-ever papal visit to Iraq. Amid the cleanup and reconstruction, the priest has ensured some scars of war from IS’s brutal campaign remain – a broken chalice, a smashed cross on a church bell tower – … Continue reading Amid scars of war, Iraqi archbishop readies for pope

Hong Kong (AFP) March 1, 2021 Hundreds of democracy supporters gathered outside a Hong Kong courthouse on Monday chanting slogans and flashing protests symbols as some of the city’s best-known dissidents were expected to appear in the dock later charged with subversion. Beijing is battling to stamp out dissent in semi-autonomous Hong Kong after swathes of the population hit the streets in 2019 in huge … Continue reading Crowds gather outside court after Hong Kong dissidents charged