Paris, France | AFP | People, it seems, have never been so afraid of their food -– and, say some experts, an obsession with healthy eating may paradoxically be endangering lives. Twenty-nine-year-old Frenchwoman Sabrina Debusquat recounts how, over 18 months, she became a vegetarian, then a vegan — eschewing eggs, dairy …
Read More »MEPs urged to probe Monsanto influence on research
Brussels, Belgium | AFP | A US firm pursuing a lawsuit against Monsanto is urging the European Parliament to examine its claims that the agro giant has hidden the dangers of its weedkiller, according to a letter obtained by AFP on Thursday. The letter from the Los Angeles-based firm comes amid …
Read More »HEALTH: Showering twice daily?
If answer is yes, then here is why you could be doing more harm than good |THE INDEPENDENT | You finally have an excuse for not showering every day. Just inform the haters that you’re looking after your microbiome. Then explain to any bemused looks that it refers to the …
Read More »Cholera outbreak in Kasese, three dead
Kasese, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A cholera outbreak has hit Kasese district in the past week and has so far killed three people in Nyakiyumba subcounty. The Ministry of Health has confirmed that up to 73 suspected cases have been handled so far by local health officials, with 53 of …
Read More »Fight to control national drugs body
Executive Director Kusemererwa’s troubles raise questions about why NDA’s top job has always been controversial Kampala, Uganda | FLAVIA NASSAKA | “I talk to you as who?” asked Donna Asiimwe Kusemererwa before denying the Independent an interview appointment. The Executive Director at National Drug Authority was probably still getting …
Read More »Madagascar plague kills 24, triggering WHO fears
Antananarivo, Madagascar | AFP | The World Health Organisation said Sunday it was boosting its response to a plague outbreak in Madagascar that has killed 24 people, as the government banned public meetings to reduce infections. In a televised address Saturday, Prime Minister Olivier Mahafaly Solonandrasana said no public meetings or …
Read More »Don’t bathe more than once a week says designer Westwood
Paris, France | AFP | Flamboyant fashion designer Vivienne Westwood revealed the secret of her eternal youth Saturday — only taking a bath once a week. The 76-year-old queen of punk fashion let it slip after watching her husband Andreas Kronthaler’s spectacularly idiosyncratic show at Paris Fashion Week. Asked by reporters …
Read More »Thousands march in Dublin against Irish abortion laws
Dublin, Ireland | AFP | Thousands of demonstrators marched in Dublin on Saturday in favour of liberalising Ireland’s tight abortion laws ahead of a planned referendum on the fiercely-debated issue. Protesters chanted, “My body, my choice” and waved placards reading “Not the church, not the state, women should decide their fate” …
Read More »Fear of epidemic disaster as disease stalks Rohingya camps
Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh | AFP | Rashida Begum steers clear of the water pump near the reeking latrine shared by more than 100 families in a grim corner of Bangladesh that has grown into one of the world’s largest refugee settlements in just weeks. “The pump works, but the water stinks, …
Read More »Trump’s scandal-hit health secretary resigns
Washington, United States | AFP | President Donald Trump’s embattled health secretary was forced out of the US administration Friday amid a scandal over his use of costly private jets for government travel. Tom Price was the latest top official to join in a stream of steady and embarrassing exits …
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