Self-employed people will soon have a mortgage The national housing agency is exploring ways to make it easier for entrepreneurs and new immigrants to buy a home by cutting some of the red tape required to prove they can afford to pay the mortgage. “Right now, under our mortgage insurance policies, you have to be…
Virtual Healthcare Vans Are Taking High-Quality Medical Technology to Rural Areas India has a dismal doctor-to-patient ratio – around 1:1,900, against the UN-prescribed 1:1,000. The disparity is especially high in rural areas, with about 70 per cent of the country’s population living there. The situation is especially worrisome as bad infrastructure and lack of facilities…
Funding trees for health suggest Nature Conservancy’s new report These leafy streets cannot afford to be seen as a luxury, argues a new report from The Nature Conservancy. Trees are sustainability power tools: They clean and cool the air, regulate temperatures, counteract the urban “heat island” effect, and support water quality and manage flow. Yes,…
This solar-powered cart is designed to change the African water delivery business Jose Paris used to design cars for a living. His next vehicle, though, is different: It doesn’t have a steering wheel or brakes or doors, and instead of carrying people, its sole purpose is to carry water, powered by a canopy of solar…
Canada becomes the tenth country to introduce gender neutral passports Canadians can now identify as gender neutral on passports after a third gender ‘X’ option was introduced to the application process on 31 August. The Canadian government says it hopes the measure will give people freedom to express their gender identity and help ease travel…
More people in the UK are successfully quitting smoking than ever E-cigarettes, legislation and cultural changes have led to record numbers of people successfully kicking the smoking habit in the UK, say UCL researchers Those trying to quit smoking in the UK are having more success than ever before, research by University College London has…
4 ways to help nature in your garden this autumn Welcome to Keats’ ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’: early autumn chills on hazy mornings, the smell of nature’s seasonal perfume of mulching vegetation and the first crunchy leaves underfoot. But, before succumbing to the hibernation urge, there are a few of things you can…
Quebec lumber and supplies headed for Puerto Rico and Southern U.S. A cargo ship will depart Baie-Comeau, Quebec on Sunday to deliver supplies to Puerto Rico, ravaged by the passing of Hurricane Maria. Most of the U.S. territory’s 3.4 million residents remain without power and are struggling to find clean water and fuel.Resolute Forest Products said an employee at…
Kenyan Girls to Fly to Google HQ After Inventing APP to End FGM Animated chatter spills out from a corner of tech giant Google’s Nairobi offices as five Kenyan schoolgirls discuss their upcoming trip to California where they hope to win $15,000 for I-cut, an app to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The five teenagers,…
In a country struggling with sexual harassment, these 5 initiatives are fighting rape culture The dramatic scenes that were televised on screens across the world showed a nation no longer willing to accept the abhorrent crimes against women that had been exposed in truly the most horrifying of ways. Since the end of 2012, many…