Chemists demand clarity on cannabis-related goods
Cannabidiol (CBD) is not marketed as medicinal cannabis. It does nott have a psychoactive element, and some studies indicate that it helps to control childhood epilepsy. Other people think it helps them too. Non-medicinal CBD is now on sale in High Street shops and chemists. Pharmacists are calling for better regulation of products supposed to contain CBD, saying that there needs to be clearer information and better checks on content. Currently, customers buying such products have no guarantees that they are safe, or even if they contain CBD oil at all. The oil is being added to water, chocolate, make-up, tea and coffee. It is illegal to print health claims on these products, but it is a grey area as to who checks the ingredients, or the amount of CBD oil actually in each item, many of which can be very expensive. UK sales are currently £300m.
Christians urged to 'work within their means' this Christmas
A study by the British Retail Consortium predicts an additional £2billion in seasonal shopping compared to last year, and expects the average household to spend over £500 this Christmas. Becky Denharder, for Care for the Family, says that Christmas does not have to be an expensive occasion, and urges Christians not to get ‘carried away’ over the festive season. Although it is ‘fun to spend money’ on our families, it all ‘adds up’, so she encourages us to ‘work within our means.’ ‘I think sometimes parents feel pressure to buy for their kids and we feel pressure to buy for colleagues and lots of different people,’ she added. ‘There are more long-lasting ways to bless our families. We don't often remember our Christmas gifts, but we do remember the memories. We remember the traditions that we take part in, and those are the memories that stick.’
Britain needs its own report on Russian ‘interference’
Investigative journalists who explored Russian influence on US politics say Britain’s political system is also compromised, stating that it is time our institutions and media woke up to that fact. In 2016 the UK and US were targets of Russian efforts to swing votes to weaken the alliances that had constrained Putin’s ambitions for the EU and Nato. Many believe Conservative-leaning media in the UK and US see little mileage in exposing meddling that helped their own side. The Mueller report found that Russia engaged in a sweeping and systematic campaign to elect Trump. Britain’s official response to meddling accusations was largely denial. Consumed by bitter Brexit divisions and public spending, it took longer than it should have for parliament to conduct an investigation of Russian penetration of British politics. Their findings are suppressed until after the election. Meanwhile UK media has started to look into these issues, shedding light on the actions of Russian-backed groups.
Greece: ‘Two different hells’
Arash Hampay arrived in Greece in 2016, escaping persecution in Iran and crossing the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast. After spending 18 months on the island of Lesbos, he now lives in Athens, where he works with homeless asylum-seekers. ‘It is two different hells’, Hampay, now a registered refugee and activist, said, referring to the struggles people face in both places. Greece promised to move 20,000 asylum seekers from overcrowded island reception centres to the mainland by early 2020, following a surge in refugee arrivals this summer. Since October 9,500 asylum-seekers have been moved, sparking anti-refugee protests in affected areas. Meanwhile, some 17,500 people have arrived from Turkey, and overcrowding is now worse on the islands, where 38,800 asylum seekers now reside.
