Environment

France are to ban all cars registered before 1997 from July 1st, under new rules aimed at curbing smog and traffic problems in Paris.  Old cars are to be banned from Paris during weekdays, and all motorcycles registered before 1999 are to be barred from the roads too. Theverge.com reports: The ban was announced last year as part of an anti-pollution measure that will become progressively stricter in coming years. By 2020, the ban will extend to cover cars that were registered prior to 2010. Those who violate the rule can face a fine of up to €35 ($39), or €78 as of January 1st, 2017.

Russia has given away free hectares of land to three families in the country’s Amur region. In an initiative to develop the country’s remote Far East the Russian government has approved the first applications under the country’s free land scheme. The region’s Arkharinsky district which borders China was chosen as the pilot area for the scheme where any Russian citizen could apply for a free tract of land. RT reports: “The first three applications were received from residents in the area, which for many years engaged in beekeeping.

Carl Icahn appears to be a big fan of Brent Saunders. After Icahn was instrumental in placing his favorite CEO at the top of Forest Labs before it was acquired by Actavis several years ago - a deal which made then Forest Labs investor Carl Icahn hundreds of millions in profit - the billionaire investor is now doubling down on Saunders, and moments ago the billionaire investor announced that he has acquired a "large position" in Allergan, and confirms he is "very supportive of CEO Brent Saunders."

Submitted by Michael Snyder via The End of The American Dream blog,

A group of doctors are challenging the theory that the Zika virus is responsible for birth defects in babies in Brazil, saying that Monsanto are responsible for microcephaly among newborns. A report from the Argentine doctors’ organisation, Physicians in the Crop-Sprayed Towns, says that a chemical larvicide that produces malformations in mosquitoes was introduced into the public drinking water supply in 2014. Healthynaturalcures.org reports: This poison, Pyriproxyfen, is used in a State-controlled programme aimed at eradicating disease-carrying mosquitoes.