“炸弹旋风”将影响美东4千万人
来自大西洋的一场特大风暴“炸弹气旋”星期四横扫美国东海岸地区，多达4千万人将深受影响。
“炸弹气旋”令美国通常气候温暖的东南部地区也开始降雪。
麻萨诸塞州的波士顿的积雪可能会高20多厘米。当地的学校星期四都停课。
波士顿市长马迪·沃尔什说：“我们的工作重点是清理便道、主要干线和道路，并对公共安全需要及打电话求助的民众做出反应。在我们应对人民需要的时候，我请大家要耐心”。
今年入冬以来，美国大片地区都一直处在严寒之中，而这场暴风雪将给新英格兰地区以及加拿大带来飓风级的大风。
气象预报说，美国大部分地区本周末将迎来另一波严寒天气，然后气温才会逐渐回暖。
"Bomb cyclone" affecting forty-million people along the U.S. East Coast
Forty-million people along the U.S. East Coast are bracing themselves for what weather forecasters are calling a "bomb cyclone" - a massive winter storm blowing through the Atlantic Ocean.
The brutal winter weather has already brought snow to the southeastern United States, which is not used to dealing with wintry conditions.
The approaching storm could dump more than 20 centimeters of snow on Boston, Massachusetts where schools are closed Thursday.
"Our prime focus will be cleaning sidewalks and main arteries, roadways and responding to public safety requests... and responding to people who call in... as we move forward I'm asking people to be patient, " Boston mayor, Marty Walsh said.
The frigid conditions already gripping a large swath of the United States will get a jolt from the storm, which is expected to bring hurricane-force winds to the New England coast and into Canada.
Forecasters say much of the country can expect another wave of dangerously-cold weather later this week before temperatures moderate.
澳大利亚为医用大麻出口提供方便
澳大利亚将医用大麻合法化一年之后，将允许国内种植者出口他们生产的大麻。
澳大利亚卫生部长亨特星期四说，澳大利亚政府希望进入医用大麻这个日益兴起的全球市场，目标是成为全世界头号医用大麻出口国。
加拿大和以色列等国家以及美国一半以上的州已经将医用大麻合法化，原因是减轻长期疼痛等大麻的治疗效果越来越广泛地被接受。设在美国的一家研究公司曾预测，全球医用大麻的市场价值到2025年时将达560亿美元。
亨特说，允许澳大利亚国内医用大麻生产者出口他们的产品将确保澳大利亚医药界能有稳定的医用大麻供应。
Australia Gives Green Light to Exports of Medicinal Cannabis
Just one year after legalizing the use of medical marijuana, the Australian government will allow domestic growers to export their crops.
Health Minister Greg Hunt said Thursday the government wants Australia to enter the emerging global market for medical marijuana with the goal of becoming "the world's number one exporter of medicinal cannabis."
Several countries, including Canada and Israel, as well as more than half of the 50 U.S. states, have legalized the use of marijuana for medicinal reasons, due to the growing acceptance of its therapeutic benefits, such as managing chronic pain. A U.S.-based research firm has forecast the global medical marijuana market will reach nearly $56 billion by 2025.
Hunt says allowing domestic farmers and producers of medicinal cannabis to export their products will ensure an robust supply of medicinal cannabis products for the Australian medical community.
