Global Breaking News - Sunday, December 22, 2024
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[Misc] (HL-20190512~20190518) Weekly Headlines
최고관리자 | 19-05-10 10:57
(Mon) Philip Morris gets FDA nod for iQOS smoking device
필립 모리스의 아이코스, FDA 판매 승인
There's a new way to smoke tobacco in the U.S. - and that's a big victory for Philip Morris. The company's pen-like iQOS product was cleared for sale by the Food and Drug Administration Tuesday, giving Philip Morris another tobacco product to push outside of traditional cigarettes. Rather than burn with a match, iQOS sticks simply heat in these cases, and generate an aerosol containing nicotine rather than smoke. E-cigarettes, by contrast, vaporize a nicotine-filled liquid with no tobacco involved. iQOS had been under review for two years by the FDA, which concluded they were 'appropriate for the protection of public health' because they produce 'fewer or lower levels of some toxins' than combustible cigarettes. But they must carry the same warning labels as traditional cigarettes, at least for now. The FDA is still mulling Philip Morris's request to claim that iQOS poses less of a health risk than their cancer-causing predecessors. iQOS is currently available in Japan and throughout much of Europe. Altria Group, which sells Marlboros, will market the devices in the U.S. as part of a licensing agreement with Philip Morris. iQOS rolls out this summer, beginning in Atlanta.
(Tue) Color-changing bench detects dirty air
공기 오염도에 따라 색이 변하는 벤치
It's not every day you take advice from a bench. But this one's trying to protect your health. Sensors inside change color depending on the air quality around it. Green means take a seat, the air is relatively clean. Amber means maybe don't stay too long. While red means air pollution is too high, and you should stay indoors. Ironically, it was invented by two coal miners in southern Poland. "For the sake of our children, we wanted to create a product that could easily show us which places we could go for a walk in and in which places it would be better to stay at home." As well as warning about dirty air, it's actively cleaning it with an in-built purifier. "The purifying system which has been installed in the benches cleans 860 cubic meters of air per hour, which allows it to purify the air in a room which measures 80 square meters." There's currently just one bench installed in the city hall of the maker's hometown, but they have hopes to expand production. It's a small step towards solving a much bigger problem. In 2016, 33 of the 50 most-polluted places in the European Union were in Poland, according to the World Health Organization. Around 80 percent of the country's power currently comes from coal. It aims to halve that by 2040, with renewable energy and nuclear power providing most of the shortfall.
(Wed) U.S. measles outbreak hits 25-year-high
미국 홍역 25년래 최대 확산
The measles outbreak is getting worse. The number of new cases in the United States has now reached a 25-year high. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Monday reporting there are now 704 confirmed measles cases. Health officials are blaming the outbreak on misinformation about vaccines, calling it – completely avoidable. “Immediacy of action is critical.” The current outbreak has been concentrated in New York, where Rockland County declared a state of emergency last month. And officials on Monday, called on the public to heed the warnings: “Vaccination hesitancy is one of the greatest threats to public health throughout the world. ...So we’re here today pushing legislation to remove all non-medical exemptions for children attending school in New York state.” The CDC is also recommending people - already vaccinated - who are living in or traveling to outbreak areas should consider getting a new dose. For those not vaccinated or too young to get a vaccine, the disease is highly contagious, and — according to the CDC — can be fatal, killing one or two of every 1,000 children who contract it. But so far - There have been no fatalities in the recent outbreak.
(Thu) Coworking company WeWork files for IPO
공유오피스 회사 위워크, 주식 상장 신청
WeWork, which provides shared working space for startups and independent workers, has filed for an initial public offering, according to a statement from its parent We Company on Monday. The New York based company could be the second-biggest U.S. market listing of the year after Uber which is expected to debut on the stock market next week. In its latest funding round in January, WeWork, which counts SoftBank as a major investor, was valued at $47 billion dollars. SoftBank is also an investor in Uber. And like the many high-profile tech companies with big valuations, including Uber, WeWork is grappling with steep losses with little sign of turning a profit anytime soon. In the first three quarters of 2018, WeWork posted a net loss of about $1.2 billion dollars on revenue of nearly the same. The company started as a co-working space in Manhattan eight years ago and continues to expand fast into new markets.
(Fri) Ford is subject of DOJ criminal probe
미 법무부 범죄 조사를 받고 있는, 포드사
Ford Motor revealed Friday it's the subject of a Justice Department criminal probe. The automaker's emissions certification process coming under scrutiny by the nation's top legal authority. Earlier this year, Ford voluntarily revealed to regulators that there may be errors in the calculations used to translate test results into the mileage and emissions data it submitted. Ford has hired outside experts to review its vehicle fuel economy and testing procedures after concerns were brought to light by employees. Regulators have been cracking down on emissions cheating following the major 2015 Volkswagen scandal. The German automaker used cheating devices to make diesel engines appear to comply with emissions standards. In fact the automobiles were pumping out far more pollution than Volkswagen led regulators to believe. Ford reiterated Friday that it is not using so-called defeat devices to cheat on emissions standards.
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Samsung CEO confirms imminent launch of Galaxy Fold after fixing flaws
Samsung Electronics will soon announce a rescheduled plan for the launch of its Galaxy Fold smartphone in the United States after resolving reported issues involving its main display, CEO Koh Dong-jin said Thursday. The South Korean tech giant’s mobile business chief told The Korea Herald, “(The company) has reviewed the defect caused from substances (that entered the device), and we will reach a conclusion in a couple of days (on the launch).” Based on Koh’s comments, Samsung appears to be coming close to a final decision on the US launch, although the company has been working on rescheduling the US launch of the Galaxy Fold devices with enhanced display protection in a conservative manner, considering the time needed for necessary steps including radio certification and device testing procedures by US mobile carriers.
S. Korean woman freed after kidnapping in Africa remains in good health
A South Korean woman, who was rescued by the French military after nearly a month of captivity in the western African country of Burkina Faso, remains in good health, Seoul's foreign ministry said Sunday. The Korean woman in her 40s was one of the four hostages freed from a militant group in the African nation after being held hostage for 28 days. Two French tourists and the Korean national were airlifted on a special plane and arrived in Paris on Saturday. Two French soldiers died in the rescue operation. ~~~~~~~ The Korean government has issued a "red" travel warning for the northern part of Burkina Faso, under which people are advised either not to travel to or to leave the country where the warning is imposed.
Middle schoolers to receive jail term for bullying classmate to death
Four teenagers accused of causing the death of a classmate during a bullying incident were sentenced to prison terms Tuesday. In the final trial, Incheon District Court sentenced the defendants to terms ranging from a minimum of 18 months to four years. Two of the defendants, who admitted to the charge of causing bodily injury resulting in death were each sentenced to 18 months to three years, and two years to four years, respectively. Under local criminal law, jail terms for juveniles are given with short- and long-term durations. A juvenile prisoner may be released once the short-term sentence has been served. Two other defendants who denied the charges were sentenced to three years to six years and four years to seven years, respectively. For juveniles, the highest prison term for such a crime is five to 10 years.
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