Hospital mistakenly amputates legs from toddlerNovember 29th, 2009 JOHANNESBURG - Staff at a Johannesburg hospital unnecessarily amputated the legs of a 2-year-old girl who had been admitted for treatment of burns on her hands, local authorities admitted. "The toddler ...
Pope urges prayer, action to comfort AIDS sufferers on World AIDS day, prays for end to HIVNovember 29th, 2009 Pope urges prayer, action to comfort AIDS patientsVATICAN CITY — Pope Benedict XVI is calling for prayers and concrete action to comfort all those who are suffering from AIDS. Benedict issued the appeal during his weekly Sunday blessing ahead of World AIDS Day on Tuesday.
No wandering hands: Etiquette adviser says mistletoe kiss on cheek not lips to avoid swine fluNovember 23rd, 2009 more images
more imagesChristmas kissing: On the cheek to avoid swine fluLONDON — Britain's authority on etiquette says it's more hygienic to exchange kisses on the cheek than to shake hands — so the swine flu pandemic should not make people afraid of kissing under the mistletoe this holiday season. But Debrett's warns people to observe proper etiquette by kissing others on the cheek instead of the lips and to avoid touching the person being kissed except on the shoulder or the upper arms.
Movie popcorn + soda = calorie bombNovember 20th, 2009 LONDON - If you think having a medium popcorn and soft drink while watching a movie won't add much to your weight, then it's time to get a reality check, suggests a new study. The study by the Center for Science and Public Interest (CSPI) found that consuming the popcorn and drink means taking in three days worth of an adult's recommended allowance of fat.
UN urges help for 1 billion deprived children and hundreds of millions affected by violenceNovember 19th, 2009 more images
more imagesUN urges help for 1 billion deprived childrenUNITED NATIONS — UNICEF urged the world to help the 1 billion children still deprived of food, shelter, clean water or health care — and the hundreds of millions more threatened by violence — two decades after the U.N. adopted a treaty guaranteeing children's rights.
One in seven US households hit by hunger in 2008November 16th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Nearly one in seven US households did not always have enough food last year as the country's deep recession struck even the most basic of needs for survival, according to government data released Monday. At 14.6 percent, the 2008 hunger rate is at its highest level since records began in 1995 and is up from 11.1 percent in 2007, the US Department of Agriculture said.
Bill and Melinda Gates highlight success of US spending to save children's livesOctober 27th, 2009 more images
more imagesBill Gates urges more spending on global healthWASHINGTON — The billionaire co-founder of Microsoft is touting what he sees as an investment with enormous returns — the money spent to improve health care in poor countries and the millions of lives saved because of it. "Global health money improves lives more effectively than any other spending," Bill Gates told a roundtable discussion Tuesday on a new initiative called The Living Proof Project that's being launched by Gates and his wife, Melinda.
Rachida Dati's 'psychiatric hospital threat' to brother over 'tell-all' bookOctober 1st, 2009 LONDON - Former French justice minister Rachida Dati threatened to have her brother, a convicted drugs dealer, "sent back to the psychiatric hospital" if he came out with a critical "tell-all" tome, claims his lawyer.owever, keeping the alleged threat aside, Jamal Dati, one of the former minister's 11 siblings and who spent a year in prison for drug dealing, is coming out with In the Shadow of Rachida on October 7. In its preface, Mr Dati's lawyer, Frédéric Berna, claims his phone calls were tapped, the book contract stolen and recounts how his sister summoned him to the justice ministry in place Vendôme, reports The Telegraph.
'Consciousness is brain's Wi-Fi network'October 1st, 2009 WASHINGTON - Your fingers start to burn after picking up a hot plate; should you drop the plate or save your meal? New research suggests it is your consciousness that resolves these dilemmas by serving as the brain's Wi-Fi network. "If the brain is like a set of computers that control different tasks, consciousness is the Wi-Fi network that allows different parts of the brain to talk to each other and decide which action 'wins' and is carried out," said Ezequiel Morsella.
Lead poisoning, 120 kids ill in ChinaSeptember 27th, 2009 XIAMEN - More than 120 children have fallen ill due to lead poisoning in southeast China's Fujian province, authorities said. Of the 287 children aged under 14 tested in Longyan city, 120 were found to have excessive levels of lead in their blood.
Carla Bruni felicitated for fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malariaSeptember 23rd, 2009 NEW YORK - French first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy has been honoured for her humanitarian efforts in fight against AIDS. The 41-year-old beauty was felicitated for her work for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria at a Midtown bash on Monday.
Alzheimer's is major threat, warns reportSeptember 22nd, 2009 TORONTO - Alzheimer's disease is on the rise worldwide, warns a new report that says dementia cases will double every 20 years to reach 65.7 million in 2030 and 115.4 million in 2050. More than 35 million people worldwide will have dementia in 2010, says the report by Alzheimer's Disease International (ADI).
Antioxidant in melon relieves stressSeptember 19th, 2009 LONDON - A dietary ingredient derived from a melon, rich in an antioxidant, has been shown to relieve stress. Researchers found that the supplement cut down the signs and symptoms of perceived stress and fatigue in healthy volunteers.
Brain's 'alert status' opens up new ways of treating coma: StudySeptember 15th, 2009 WASHINGTON - An 'alert status' area in the brain potentially opens up new ways of treating insomnia, excessive sleepiness, reversible coma or loss of consciousness, says a new study. Hebrew University professor of pain research Marshall Devor, graduate student Ruth Abulafia and research associate Vladimir Zalkind discovered how a brain area participates in the control of "alert status".
Amnesty urges Dominican Republic not to ban abortionSeptember 15th, 2009 LONDON - Amnesty International (AI) has warned that the proposed changes to the Dominican Republic's constitution could lead to a ban on abortions that would put "the lives of women and girls at risk". The text of Article 30 would establish the inviolability of life from conception to death, wording that would almost certainly lead to a total prohibition on abortion, AI said in a statement.
