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Scottish govt proposes to make drug possession legal
Scotland, which has one of the highest drug death rates in Europe, is seeking to decriminalise all drugs for personal use, according to a policy paper published Friday.
Nobel winner Vargas Llosa recovers from Covid: son
Nobel literature laureate Mario Vargas Llosa has been discharged from the Madrid hospital where he was admitted at the weekend for complications linked to Covid-19, his son said Friday.
US makes new Alzheimer's drug more widely accessible
The US drug regulator gave full approval to a new Alzheimer's medicine on Thursday, a move that makes it more widely available to the public through government-run health insurance for the elderly.
Study highlights limitations of BMI in predicting death
People classified as overweight though not obese are not at a higher risk of death, according to a new study Wednesday that underscores the clinical limitations of body mass index (BMI), long a standard medical metric.
As Olympics brace for Seine dip, rogue swimmers say water's fine
While the 2024 Olympics will stage events in the Seine river from the ornate Alexandre III bridge, a proud declaration of the waterway's environmental renewal, many swimmers in the capital are already defying decades-long bans to take the plunge.
UN warns world to prepare for El Nino impact
The United Nations on Tuesday warned the world to prepare for the effects of El Nino, saying the weather phenomenon which triggers higher global temperatures is set to persist throughout 2023.
Zulu king undergoes tests following adviser's sudden death: spokesman
South Africa's Zulu king, head of the country's most influential traditional monarchy, has undergone "thorough" medical examinations following the sudden death of a close adviser, a spokesman said Sunday, amid suspicions he was poisoned.
Zulu king's entourage denies rumours he is ill
Uncertainty reigned on Sunday over the health of South Africa's Zulu king, the head of the country's most influential traditional monarchy, with his spokesman denying reports he had been hospitalised.
Foreign firefighters come to the rescue in Canada's wildfires
Hundreds of international firefighters who are helping overwhelmed Canadians battle unprecedented wildfires face a complex task in the heart of the boreal forest scorched by uncontrolled blazes.
UK health outcomes a 'serious concern': report
The UK's performance on key health metrics is a "serious concern" and lags comparable countries, according to a report released to mark the 75th anniversary of the National Health Service's (NHS).
Superstar yogi Sadhguru: 'The age of yoga has come!'
Superstar yoga teacher Sadhguru has more than 10 million followers online and he sees no limit to how many people will become adherents in the coming years.
Hospital doctors in England to stage five-day strike
Hospital doctors in England on Friday announced the longest strike in the history of the state-funded National Health Service (NHS), in an ongoing row over pay.
US e-cigarette sales jumped from 2020 to 2022
E-cigarette sales in the United States spiked between 2020 and 2022, especially among flavors that appeal to youth users, according to a study from health authorities released Thursday.
'Just the beginning': US anti-abortion camp expands fight
Activist Lydia Heykamp goes door-to-door in a quiet Virginia suburb with a pressing message: now that the constitutional right to abortion has been overturned, the state must ban it outright.
US judge scraps law banning gender transition treatment in minors
A US federal judge on Tuesday struck down a law prohibiting minors from gender transition treatment in Arkansas, the first time such a restriction has been overturned as similar laws are enacted in Republican-led states.
Fentanyl pill surge worries New York drug prosecutor
As America's illegal drug market continues to expand, from heroin and fentanyl to the "zombie drug" known as tranq, AFP spoke with New York's special narcotics prosecutor Bridget Brennan.
Evox Therapeutics Acquires Exosome AAV Technology and Intellectual Property
IP bolsters Company’s already dominant and broad position with respect to exosome therapeutics
'Not based on science': US confronts abortion 'reversal' myths
Wracked by guilt after taking an abortion pill, a sobbing woman calls a US hotline. It recommends a "reversal" treatment to save the fetus -- despite medical warnings that it is potentially life-threatening.
English protesters demand end to criminalisation of abortion
Thousands of protesters on Saturday marched through London demanding that abortion be decriminalised after a woman was handed a 28-month jail sentence for a late abortion.
Night owls die earlier due to drinking and smoking: study
People who tend to stay up late are not more likely to die younger than early risers -- as long as they don't use those longer nights for drinking and smoking, a 37-year-long study suggested on Friday.
Rubbing vaginal fluid on C-section babies boosts development: study
Babies born by cesarean section don't acquire the same healthy bacteria as those delivered vaginally, a setback to the development of their immune system thought to increase their risk of certain diseases later in life.
Applying vaginal fluid to C-section babies boosts neurodevelopment: study
Babies born by cesarean section don't acquire the same healthy bacteria as those delivered vaginally, a setback to the development of their immune system thought to increase their risk of certain diseases later in life.
One vision: the surgeon, the millionaire and 500,000 eyes
She never dances with her husband, but when the bandages were peeled from her eyes after a double cataract operation to cure her blindness, Nepali farmer Santi Maya leapt up to clasp his hands.
France to 're-shore' production of 50 key medicines: Macron
France will bring home production of around 50 crucial medications for which it currently depends on imports, President Emmanuel Macron said Tuesday, hoping to battle shortages of items like antibiotics and paracetamol.
Biden root canal forces abrupt postponement of NATO meeting
President Joe Biden underwent a dental root canal Monday with little public warning, forcing postponement of all scheduled events, including a meeting with the NATO secretary general.
First Covid vaccine side-effect claims land in German courts
Vaccine-maker BioNTech faced Monday its first legal claim in its home country of Germany over adverse effects allegedly suffered by some users of its Covid vaccines, more than two years after one of the world's fastest and most extensive inoculation campaigns.
First post-Covid jab claims land in German courts
German courts will from Monday begin examining a series of claims over adverse effects suffered after coronavirus vaccinations, more than two years after one of the world's fastest and most extensive innoculation campaigns.
Pope thanks well-wishers, resumes work from hospital
Pope Francis thanked those who have sent him get-well wishes following his hernia surgery, as the Vatican said Friday he was back at work from his hospital room.
Former footballers three times more likely to suffer dementia, study finds
Former professional footballers are almost three-and-a-half times more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than the general population, according to a study commissioned by the English Football Association (FA) and Professional Footballers' Association (PFA).
Toxic smoke dissipates over northeastern US
Residents of northeastern United States were breathing more easily Friday as smoke from Canadian fires gradually cleared after blanketing several cities in a noxious haze this week.
Smoke from Canadian wildfires detected in Norway
Smoke from Canadian wildfires has been detected thousands of kilometres away in Norway this week, the Scandinavian country's Climate and Environmental Research Institute NILU said on Friday.
In haze-filled Washington, tourists are undeterred
On many ordinary days, one can gaze down the National Mall from the Washington Monument and clearly see the dome of the US Capitol offset by blue sky.