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July 20, 2015 US HEADLINES

Cuban flag raised over Washington embassy as ties restored

The Cuban flag was raised over Havana’s embassy in Washington on Monday for the first time in 54 years as the United States and Cuba formally restored relations, opening a new chapter of engagement between the former Cold War foes. Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez presided over the reinauguration of the embassy, a milestone in the diplomatic thaw that began with a breakthrough announcement by U.S. President Barack Obama and

July 20, 2015 US HEADLINES

Clinton's capital gains tax plan to urge focus on long-term growth

Presidential contender Hillary Clinton’s proposed plan to overhaul capital gains taxes aims to foster long-term growth by taxing some short-term investments at higher rates, an aide for her campaign said on Monday. Under her proposal, first reported by the Wall Street Journal, the maximum capital gains tax rate on investments held at least a year, currently 23.8 percent, would rise to at least the 28 percent proposed by President Barack

July 20, 2015 HEALTH (MSM)

Republican Jeb Bush backs federal hiring freeze, lobbying rules

(Reuters) – U.S. Republican presidential candidate Jeb Bush said on Monday he would overhaul Washington’s culture with a federal balanced budget amendment, a freeze on government hiring and a longer ban on former members of Congress becoming lobbyists. “We need a president willing to challenge the whole culture in our nation’s capital – and I mean to do it,” Bush, the former Florida governor, said in remarks posted on his

July 20, 2015 HEALTH (MSM)

Coffee drinking may lower inflammation, reduce diabetes risk

By Kathryn Doyle (Reuters Health) – Coffee drinkers in a long-term study were about half as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those who didn’t drink coffee, and researchers think an inflammation-lowering effect of the beverage might be the key. “Extensive research has revealed that coffee drinking exhibits both beneficial and aggravating health effects,” said Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos of the department of Nutrition and Dietetics at Harokopio University in

July 20, 2015 HEALTH (MSM)

Global conference pushes plain cigarette packaging

Ministers from 10 countries gathered in Paris Monday to launch a common drive to introduce plain cigarette packaging with the aim of stubbing out high smoking rates among young people. Representatives from nations as far afield as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and Uruguay issued a joint statement saying that “significant scientific proof justified … plain cigarette packaging”. The ministers said plain packaging had been shown to “reduce the attractiveness

July 20, 2015 HEALTH (MSM)

Last four Ebola cases in Liberia discharged from clinic

The last four cases of Ebola in Liberia were discharged from a treatment clinic in the capital Monrovia on Monday, meaning there were no more confirmed carriers of the deadly virus in the West African country. More than 11,200 people have died from Ebola since an epidemic broke out in December 2013 in neighbouring Guinea. Liberia was declared Ebola-free on May 9 but reported a new case nearly two months

July 20, 2015 HEALTH (MSM)

Bristol-Myers' Opdivo found effective in kidney cancer

(Reuters) – Bristol-Myers Squibb Co said a late-stage trial of its drug, Opdivo, was stopped early after the immunotherapy was found to be effective in patients with the most common form of kidney cancer. The U.S. drugmaker said on Monday the study, Checkmate-025, was stopped early after an independent data monitoring committee concluded that Opdivo provided a survival advantage over the cancer drug, everolimus, among patients with advanced or metastatic