Paris, France | AFP | By 2030 life expectancy for South Korean women could top nine decades, an average lifespan long thought to be out of reach, researchers said Wednesday. South Korea is not only the first country in the world where women may live past 90 on average, it …
Read More »Swedish town councillor proposes sex breaks on work time
Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Swedes should take a one-hour paid break from work to go home and have sex with their partners, a local councillor suggested in a proposal Tuesday aimed at improving people’s personal relationships. “There are studies that show sex is healthy,” Per-Erik Muskos, a 42-year-old city …
Read More »Nigeria’s Buhari to stay in London for ‘further rest’
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari needs “further rest” so will extend his month-long medical stay in London, but there is “no cause” for worry over his health, his office said Tuesday. “During his normal annual checkup, tests showed he needed a longer period of rest, necessitating …
Read More »Smartphones are revolutionizing medicine
Boston, United States | AFP | Smartphones are revolutionizing the diagnosis and treatment of illnesses, thanks to add-ons and apps that make their ubiquitous small screens into medical devices, researchers say. “If you look at the camera, the flash, the microphone… they all are getting better and better,” said Shwetak …
Read More »Aid for Sudan to drop despite US easing sanctions
Khartoum, Sudan | AFP | Global financial support for humanitarian work in conflict-riven Sudan is expected to drop this year despite improved aid access and the easing of US sanctions, the top UN aid official in the country said. “Sudan is taking some very positive steps which are recognised, and… …
Read More »India Vice President Ansari to visit Uganda, Rwanda
India’s Vice President Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari will be in Uganda for a three-day official visit, part of an effort to boost ties on the continent. “The forthcoming visit of the Vice-President is part of the conscious broadening of India’s diplomatic footprint in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially in the Great Lakes …
Read More »A month later, Nigerian president Buhari absent but ‘healthy
Abuja, Nigeria | AFP | The leader of Nigeria’s Senate on Thursday said President Muhammadu Buhari was well after visiting him in London, trying to dispel rumours about the state of his health. Bukola Saraki on Wednesday travelled to the British capital with the majority leader in the Senate, Ahmed …
Read More »Bird-flu deaths rise in China, shutting poultry markets
Beijing, China | AFP | China is experiencing its deadliest outbreak of the H7N9 bird-flu strain since it first appeared in humans in 2013, killing 79 people in January alone and spurring several cities to suspend live poultry trade. The National Health and Family Planning Commission said on Wednesday that …
Read More »Mangoes to heal cancer and diabetes
The most precious fruit in the world, mangoes are a whole lot more than just a delicious, refreshing treat produced by nature. As evidenced by copious scientific research, mangoes are also a powerful medicinal food, as they contain nutrients that can help clear up skin, promote eye health, stave off …
Read More »Data guru Hans Rosling dies at 68
Stockholm, Sweden | AFP | Data guru Hans Rosling, a Swedish public health expert famous for combating scientific ignorance with catchy YouTube videos in his mission to promote a “fact-based world”, has died at the age of 68, his foundation announced. Rosling, who described himself as an “edutainer”, was diagnosed …
Read More »