Kamala Harris UN Debut

US Vice President Kamala Harris will speak at the virtual 65th Commission on the Status of Women on March 16; an annual United Nations meeting on the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. This will be her first appearance at a UN meeting as US Vice President.

Mexico to Legalize Marijuana

Mexico is one step closer to paving the way to one of the world’s largest markets for cannabis. The health and justice committees of Mexico’s Lower House of Congress approved a draft bill to legalize marijuana, moving it forward to the full chamber.

Japan Recalls Fukushima Disaster

This week marks ten years since a huge earthquake and tsunami hit Japan on March 11, 2011, which triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, killing nearly 20,000 people. Japan is again debating the role of nuclear power in its energy mix, as it aims to achieve net carbon neutrality by 2050 to fight global warming.

Pfizer Shot Neutralizes Brazil Strain

According to a study conducted at the University of Texas, the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was able to neutralize the rapidly spreading Brazil variant, known as P.1. Scientists said the vaccine's neutralizing ability was roughly equivalent to its effect on a previous less contagious version of the virus from last year.