FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Germany (AFP) — Shares in German chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Bayer plunged as markets opened Wednesday, after a second US jury ruled that blockbuster pesticide Roundup — made by recently-acquired Monsanto — causes cancer. The Leverkusen-based group’s stock toppled 11.6 percent to 61.60 euros ($69.88) at around 09:40 am in Frankfurt (0840 GMT), making it the worst performer on the DAX index of blue-chip German shares. On Tuesday a California jury […]
Health
Short walk once-a-week can lower risk of death: study
PARIS, France (AFP) — A brisk stroll once or twice a week is enough to reduce the risk of dying from heart attack, stroke or cancer, according to a statistical study of nearly 90,000 people released Tuesday. People who walked or gardened 10 minutes to an hour each week had an 18-percent lower risk of death from any cause compared to full-on couch potatoes, researchers reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Two-and-a-half to […]
New data in eternal debate over eggs, heart health
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The debate over whether eggs are good for you is age-old: while a good source of protein, they also contain potentially harmful cholesterol. Now, a new study — published Friday by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) — has weighed in. After analyzing 30,000 Americans from six separate studies, researchers concluded that eating an extra half-egg a day increased the risk of cardiovascular disease (six percent) and premature […]
WHO urges enforcement of tobacco ad bans at sporting events
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization called Thursday for better enforcement of bans on tobacco advertising at sporting events, after tobacco companies discretely reentered sponsorship deals with Formula 1 teams. “WHO is urging governments to enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship at sporting events, including when hosting or receiving broadcasts of Formula 1 and MotoGP events,” the UN health agency said in a statement. It also called on “all sporting bodies, […]
Madagascar battles killer measles outbreak
by Tsiresena MANJAKAHERY ANTSIRANANA, Madagascar (AFP) — Frangeline is aged two but weighs no more than a four-month-old — the terrible result of her battle with measles, which is cutting a deadly swathe through Madagascar. Widespread malnutrition and low rates of immunisation on the Indian Ocean island have ramped up the killing power of the highly infectious virus. In the last six months, nearly 1,000 children have been killed by a resurgent disease that vaccination […]
Japanese woman confirmed as world’s oldest living person aged 116
TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — A 116-year-old Japanese woman who still enjoys studying math and playing board games has been recognised as the world’s oldest person, the Guinness World Records said Saturday. Kane Tanaka was born on 2 January 1903, the year when the Wright brothers launched humanity’s first powered flight, according to Guinness. Tanaka’s recognition was celebrated at the nursing home where she lives in western Japan’s Fukuoka by city mayor Soichiro Takashima and […]
Manila Doctors Hospital introduces new technology to fight cancer with better precision
Manila Doctors Hospital recently introduced its latest technology in cancer care that is aimed to deliver powerful cancer treatments with pinpoint accuracy and precision. In a media conference, it was announced that the VitalBeam™ radiotherapy system is the first and the most advanced in the country. The new equipment “uniquely integrates imaging and treatment technologies within a sophisticated architecture that makes it possible to deliver image-guided treatments very quickly, opening the door to new possibilities […]
Facebook launches offensive to combat misinformation on vaccines
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Facebook launched an offensive Thursday to suppress the spread of misinformation about vaccines on the 2.3-billion-member social network. The company has faced pressure in recent weeks to tackle the problem, amid outbreaks of measles around the United States attributed to growing numbers of parents who refuse to vaccinate their children. US lawmakers have decried the higher incidences of preventable diseases in the wake of a movement against child vaccination, in […]
Large study again confirms MMR vaccine doesn’t cause autism
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A study following more than 650,000 Danish children for over a decade has led researchers to the same conclusion as previous efforts: the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine does not increase a child’s risk of autism. The study, which followed all Danish children born between 1999 and 2010 until 2013, compared the number of vaccinated and unvaccinated kids who were diagnosed with autism, and found no difference “We found no […]
‘London patient’: second case ever of HIV remission
by Marlowe HOOD and Patrick GALEY Agence France Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — A second person is in sustained remission from HIV-1, the virus that causes AIDS, after ceasing treatment and is likely cured, researchers said Tuesday in what was hailed as proof that the condition could one day be cured. Ten years after the first confirmed case of an HIV-infected person being rid of the deadly disease, a man known only as the “London […]
UN warns of ‘complacency’ as measles cases soar worldwide
PARIS, France (AFP) — Just 10 countries were responsible for three-quarters of a global surge in measles cases last year, the UN children’s agency said Friday, including one of the world’s richest nations, France. Ninety-eight countries reported more cases of measles in 2018 compared with 2017, and the world body warned that conflict, complacency and the growing anti-vaccine movement threatened to undo decades of work to tame the disease. “This is a wakeup call. We […]
Study finds potential new weapon in fight against malaria
by Sara HUSSEIN Agence France-Presse TOKYO, Japan (AFP) — For years, insecticide-soaked mosquito nets have helped dramatically lower malaria infections, but insecticide resistance has driven a search for alternatives and a new study may have uncovered one option. The weapon is a familiar one: an anti-malarial drug already used by humans to prevent them contracting the disease, and researchers now envisage using it on netting like insecticides. Their research shows the drug works on mosquitoes, […]