Americans born in 1990 have double the risk of colon cancer and quadruple the risk of rectal cancer than those born around 1950, a new study suggests. The study found that colorectal cancer is on the rise among young and middle-aged adults in their early 50s. Rectal cancer is growing particularly fast among people younger than 55, with 30 percent of diagnoses in people under 55. “Trends in young people are a bellwether for the future disease burden,” said Rebecca Siegel, of the American Cancer Society and lead author of …

Humans are responsible for 84 percent of all wildfires in the United States, a new study suggests. Writing in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers from the University of Massachusetts Amherst say during 20 years, human-started fires have “tripled the length of the fire season and dominated an area seven times greater than that affected by lightning-caused fires.” The study looked at the years 1992 to 2012 and found that of the 1.5 million fires that were large enough to require fire fighting, humans were responsible for …

Tens of thousands of London private hire drivers could lose their licenses due to new English reading and writing requirements, taxi app Uber said on Tuesday at the start of a court battle to halt the plans. San Francisco-based Uber, which allows users to book journeys at the touch of a button on their smartphone, has grown rapidly in recent years but faced bans and protests around the world as regulators play catch-up with technology disrupting traditional operators. Uber launched legal action in August after public body Transport for London …

The U.S. economy grew at an anemic 1.9 percent rate in the fourth quarter, unchanged from an initial estimate, although consumers performed better than first thought. The Commerce Department says that the gross domestic product, the broadest measure of economic health, increased at an annual rate of 1.9 percent in the October-December quarter. That is a significant slowdown from 3.5 percent growth recorded in the third quarter.   The fourth quarter figure was unchanged from the first estimate a month ago, although some of the components were revised. The government …

President Donald Trump said he believes the extra $54 billion he has proposed spending on the U.S. military will be offset by a stronger economy as well as cuts in other areas. “I think the money is going to come from a revved up economy,” Trump said in a Fox News interview broadcast on Tuesday, hours before he was to address a joint session of Congress. “I mean you look at the kind of numbers we’re doing, we were probably GDP of a little more than 1 percent and if …

Billionaire investor Wilbur Ross easily won confirmation as U.S. commerce secretary on Monday, clearing President Donald Trump’s top trade official to start work on renegotiating trade relationships with China and Mexico. The U.S. Senate voted 72-27 to confirm the 79-year-old corporate turnaround expert’s nomination, with strong support from Democrats. Ross is set to become an influential voice in Trump’s economic team after helping shape the president’s opposition to multilateral free trade deals such as the now-scrapped Trans-Pacific Partnership. Ross drew votes from 19 Democrats and one independent, partly because of …

European Union chief executive Jean-Claude Juncker will propose to national leaders next month a handful of options for shoring up unity once Britain launches a withdrawal that some fear could trigger a further unraveling of the bloc. The European Commission president wants some states to be able to deepen cooperation further and faster without the whole bloc having to follow suit, but this idea has raised concerns, especially among poorer eastern countries, that their richer neighbors may use Brexit to cut EU subsidies to them. Juncker has said he will …

By using a common bacteria, scientists have figured out a way to potentially sterilize disease-carrying mosquitoes.  That could make it possible to control the mosquito that spreads Zika and Dengue. Wolbachia is a common bacteria that has the ability to infect up to 70 percent of the world’s insect species.   It has evolved in different ways — some insects even rely on it for their existence, but in others, it plays a parasitic role and can interfere with the viability of eggs. Two genes may hold the key Unfortunately, …

U.S. President Donald Trump has revived China’s fears by once again calling it a currency manipulator, weeks after many felt the issue had been shelved. Trump reemphasized his stand last week, hours after Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin indicated China would not be singled out for adverse treatment on the currency issue. “Well they, I think, they’re grand champions at manipulation of currency. So I haven’t held back,” Trump told Reuters, adding, “We’ll see what happens.” The U.S. Treasury Department is expected to make a call on the issue on April 15. …

The Oscar awarded to a documentary about the daily lives of volunteers of a Syrian search and rescue group called the “White Helmets” shows people care about its mission to help civilians caught in Syria’s civil war, the group said on Monday. The White Helmets operate a rescue service in rebel-held parts of Syria, which have been subjected to fierce bombardment by the government and Russia’s air force during the country’s civil war that has leveled whole city districts. Syria’s government under President Bashar al-Assad has accused the group of …

And the red carpet goes to … the women in red, for one, with equal accolades for shiny and shimmery gold worthy of the Oscars, this and all years.   Long sleeves and belts played major roles Sunday in Los Angeles at the Dolby Theatre, along with a beautiful Janelle Monae, transformed in Elie Saab Haute Couture into a busy but fabulous fashion city of black tulle, birds, lace, feathers, sequins, crystal stones and a head piece that served as the perfect topper.   There were some midnight blues, including …

Many dog and cat owners think they know what how their animals are feeling. While that may be true, an animal collar or jacket, equipped with sensors, could give them even more information about the emotional state of their pet. The sensors provide data on things like body temperature and heart rate. VOA’s Deborah Block has more. … From: MeNeedIt

It was a big night for actress Viola Davis, who won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress in “Fences”. Her crowning achievement comes after a long and illustrious career filled with numerous awards and three Oscar nominations. Her win also highlights Hollywood’s growing interest in complex minority characters. VOA’s Penelope Poulou has more. … From: MeNeedIt

It was a big night for actress Viola Davis, who won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for “Fences”. Her crowning achievement comes after a long and illustrious career of numerous awards and three Oscar nominations. The Oscar nod also highlights Hollywood’s interest in complex minority characters. For those who watched Denzel Washington’s film drama “Fences”, about the intricate family dynamics in a 1950’s African American household, it is difficult to forget Davis’ powerhouse performance. She plays Rose, the introspective wife who stands by her man, aware of his imperfections. …

Here are the winners of some of the major categories for the 2017 Academy Awards … From: MeNeedIt

Neither Batman nor Dinesh D’Souza could finagle their way out of a Razzie.    The annual Golden Raspberry Awards bestowed a tying four “honors” to both D’Souza’s documentary Hillary’s America: The Secret History of the Democratic Party and the superhero blockbuster Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice.   D’Souza’s film was named the worst picture of the year on Saturday, and the conservative author got both worst director (with co-director Bruce Schooley) and worst actor for playing himself. Worst actress went to Rebekah Turner who played Hillary Clinton.    “This …

Each year, the European Union names two cities as European Capitals of Culture, and they sponsor a year-long series of cultural events. Aarhus, Denmark is one of those cities, where a sculpture exhibition portrays real-life women from different cultures. … From: MeNeedIt

Students are growing their own organic food at Latin America’s first sustainable public school, just outside Uruguay’s capital, Montevideo. Made of recycled items and powered by clean energy, the school teaches children how to live in harmony with nature. Faith Lapidus reports. … From: MeNeedIt

President Donald Trump’s administration will begin rolling back Obama-era environmental regulations in an “aggressive way” as soon as next week, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency said Saturday — adding that he understood why some Americans wanted to see his agency eliminated. “I think there are some regulations that in the near term need to be rolled back in a very aggressive way. And I think maybe next week you may be hearing about some of those,” EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. …

Launching a startup is no easy feat. Launching one outside your native country is even harder. But for certain French startups, the French government is there to help. A government-sponsored competition that began last year offers startups marketing and promotional assistance.   The Creative Next Challenge is a series of competitions sponsored by Business France, the nation’s international business development agency. Each competition offers French entrepreneurs working abroad the chance at official endorsement and international exposure.   French startup founders who have set up shop outside of France (prior winners …

Using sweet treats and months of patient coaching, scientists in England have taught a group of bumblebees how to play soccer. The 18-month study at Queen Mary University of London saw scientists train 50 bees to move a small yellow ball to a circled location in order to score a goal and receive a sugary food reward. The first group of bees then showed others in the colony how to play, with the second group impressing scientists by expanding the game. “The bees solved the task in a different way …

Facing pushback from industry and Republicans in Congress, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency delayed Friday a proposal that would require mining companies to show they have the financial wherewithal to clean up their pollution so taxpayers aren’t stuck footing the bill. Contaminated water from mine sites can flow into rivers and other waterways, harming aquatic life and threatening drinking water supplies. Companies in the past avoided cleanup costs in many cases by declaring bankruptcy. Newly sworn-in EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, a longtime critic of the agency during his previous position …

This is Black History Month in the U.S. A dance school in the nation’s capital has been making history for more than 75 years with its commitment to high-quality dance training. The school, which started at a time when African-American dancers had few opportunities to study classical ballet, is thriving. VOA’s June Soh introduces us to Jones-Haywood Dance School in Washington. Carol Pearson narrates. … From: MeNeedIt

“I wanted something that looked like a fairy tale,” says German-born Canadian filmmaker George Mendeluk, describing what compelled him to tackle one of the darkest chapters in Ukrainian-Russian relations. Opening with a picturesque scene of a Ukrainian village in the 1930s, the historical juxtaposition is stark: Bitter Harvest, a historical drama that weaves a love story around cataclysmic events surrounding the Holodomor — the devastating state-sponsored famine in Ukraine that killed millions — can’t help but draw comparisons with today’s news coverage of nearby regions. Released worldwide Friday, Mendeluk’s first full-length …

NASA is weighing the risk of adding astronauts to the first flight of its new megarocket, designed to eventually send crews to Mars. The space agency’s human exploration chief said Friday that his boss and the Trump administration asked for the feasibility study. The objective is to see what it would take to speed up a manned mission; under the current plan, astronauts wouldn’t climb aboard until 2021— at best. The Space Launch System, known as SLS, will be the most powerful rocket when it flies.         …

Republicans in the U.S. Congress are working to overhaul the nation’s health care laws in their effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, considered by some to be one of former President Barack Obama’s most significant legislative achievements. U.S. media outlets reported details Friday of potential replacements for the health care law, frequently referred to as Obamacare. The details were obtained from draft legislation circulating among lobbyists and congressional staff. One proposal would cap the amount of money the federal government gives to states for Medicaid, the government …