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Special Reports

Friday, 04 November 2016 01:57

Smoking 'causes hundreds of DNA changes'

Smoking leaves an "archaeological record" of the hundreds of DNA mutations it causes, scientists have discovered. Having sequenced thousands of tumour genomes, they found a 20-a-day smoker would rack up an average of 150 mutations in every lung cell each year. The changes are permanent, and persist even if someone gives up smoking. Researchers say analysing tumour DNA may help explain the underlying causes of other cancers. Pamela Pugh, 69, was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2013. She started smoking aged 17 and quit in her early 50s. But she said: "Even though I gave up many years ago, the…

Thursday, 03 November 2016 13:39

Senegal entrepreneurs transforming Africa's secondhand trade

Secondhand T-shirts, jeans and dresses are piled high for blocks along the busy streets in Dakar's Colobane neighborhood, where people buy donated European and American fashions at a fraction of their original price. Mourianne Gnagna Cisse, 52, picks through a pile of shorts, setting aside ones she thinks will bring the most profit when she resells them in her village. She has done this for a decade to support her four children. "It allows me to eat," she said. "Life is hard. I have no other way of making money." Today, she'll buy crisp cotton shorts for 200 CFA ($0.30)…

Thursday, 03 November 2016 01:37

Were YOU bullied as a child? Why the effects could last a lifetime

* Study tracked the mental health of 9,000 people over 40 years * Found consequences of childhood bullying were still 'significant' at 50 * Persistent bullying was also linked to adult relationships breaking down * Researchers suggest interventions could save the NHS millions in care It has long been considered a cruel and unnecessary blight on too many youngster's childhoods. But the consequences of childhood bullying can be felt into adulthood when it comes to mental health, a new study has found. Persistent bullying when young is also linked to relationships breaking down and low employment, they said. Scientists have…

Monday, 31 October 2016 14:31

2 billion children breathe toxic air worldwide, UNICEF says

As Indians awoke Monday to smoke-filled skies from a weekend of festival fireworks, New Delhi's worst season for air pollution began - with dire consequences. A new report from UNICEF says about a third of the 2 billion children in the world who are breathing toxic air live in northern India and neighboring countries, risking serious health effects including damage to their lungs, brains and other organs. Of that global total, 300 million kids are exposed to pollution levels more than six times higher than standards set by the World Health Organization, including 220 million in South Asia. For the…

Sunday, 30 October 2016 09:48

In pain? Ditch paracetamol for a hug from a loved one

* Scientists have found that emotional bonds can dampen aches and pains * Britons spend around £500million a year on over-the-counter painkillers * The findings highlight the power of the brain to override pain signals When you’re in physical pain, the last thing you want is someone pawing at you. But it seems that the touch of a loved one may be just what you need to take the pain away, according to a study. Scientists found that the emotional bond we feel towards the person touching us can help dampen our aches and pains, in what they dubbed ‘love-induced…

Sunday, 30 October 2016 01:06

'Burial slab' of Jesus found in Jerusalem church

Researchers recently uncovered a stone burial slab which many believe Jesus Christ's body may have been laid on following his death. The original surface of the tomb was uncovered in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Old City of Jerusalem during restoration work and has been covered by marble cladding since at least 1555 A.D., National Geographic reports. The marble cover was pulled back, and researchers were surprised by the amount of fill material beneath the covering, Fredrik Hiebert, an archaeologist-in-residence at the National Geographic Society, and a researcher on the restoration project, told National Geographic. “It will…

Saturday, 29 October 2016 02:08

Cancer patient who developed disease after using Johnson & Johnson talcum powder wins $70m payout

* Deborah Giannecchini claimed baby powder use gave her ovarian cancer * Her lawsuit claimed the company should attach warnings to the product * Mrs Giannecchini used talcum powder in an intimate area for many years * Johnson & Johnson claim their product is safe and will appeal the award A jury has awarded a woman $70million in damages against Johnson & Johnson after the woman claimed talcum powder caused her ovarian cancer. Deborah Giannecchini of Modesto, California was diagnosed with the disease in 2012 and accused the company of 'negligent conduct' in making and and marketing the baby powder.…

Thursday, 27 October 2016 15:46

World wildlife 'falls by 58% in 40 years'

Global wildlife populations have fallen by 58% since 1970, a report says. The Living Planet assessment, by the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) and WWF, suggests that if the trend continues that decline could reach two-thirds among vertebrates by 2020. The figures suggest that animals living in lakes, rivers and wetlands are suffering the biggest losses. Human activity, including habitat loss, wildlife trade, pollution and climate change contributed to the declines. Dr Mike Barrett. head of science and policy at WWF, said: "It's pretty clear under 'business as usual' we will see continued declines in these wildlife populations. But I…

Tuesday, 25 October 2016 01:57

Why popping a spot could KILL you

* Dermatologist Dr Vishal Maden called part of the face a 'danger triangle' * Spans from bridge of nose down to corners of mouth and top lip * Blood vessels in this zone drain back to the head and connect to the brain * Infections could lead to vision loss, permanent paralysis or even death It might be tempting to squeeze a pesky spot on your face. But according to a Salford dermatologist it's a bad habit that can do more than just scar you. In rare cases, it could actually kill you, says Dr Vishal Maden. It's all down…

Saturday, 22 October 2016 01:46

Scientists discover how to 'slow down or stop the ageing process'

* Scientists discovered key protein within the powerhouse of a cell * Called 'carbonic anhydrase' it has a crucial role in the ageing process * Could lead to new drugs to slow progression of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease The body's decline as we get older or illnesses such as Alzheimer's caused by ageing could be slowed down or even stopped after a breakthrough by scientists. Researchers at Nottingham University discovered a protein found within the powerhouse of a cell has a crucial role in the ageing process. The discovery could lead to new drugs to slow…

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Wednesday, 19 October 2016 02:15

Most vitamins are useless, but here are the ones you should take

It seems like simple, obvious advice: Eat your vegetables, get some exercise, and — of course — take your vitamins. Or not. Decades of research has failed to find any substantial evidence that vitamins and supplements do any significant good. In fact, recent studies skew in the opposite direction, having found that certain vitamins may be bad for you. Several have been linked with an increase in certain cancers, for example, while others have been tied to a rise in the risk of kidney stones. And a large new study out Wednesday suggests that despite this growing knowledge, Americans' pill-popping…

Tuesday, 18 October 2016 14:55

Are you a perfectionist? Always comparing yourself to others? Then you could be one of millions suffering from the curse of binge thinking

* Binge thinking is emotional oversensitivity that turns into anxiety or anger * It can affect all areas of life, from work to relationships and self-image * Over-thinking causes mind to feel cluttered and unable to think straight You’re sitting at home trying to watch TV, but a trivial row with your husband earlier in the evening starts to dominate your thoughts. Your mind begins to race and flit from one negative thought to another — how could I be so rude, I’m a hopeless wife, what if he leaves me? On and on it goes, for hours, until your…

Thursday, 09 June 2016 02:47

5 factors that could turn America into another collapsed empire

Have you ever met an Ottoman? Or a Habsburg? Neither have I. Like a chopped-up Magritte painting, all that is left of the Habsburgs is a homburg hat. Yet in the 1800s, the Ottoman and Habsburg Empires controlled a huge chunk of the modern world. One in 10 Americans can trace his or her heritage to Habsburg lands, which spanned most of middle Europe from Poland down to Dracula’s castle in Transylvania. Many people have written about poor countries that have fallen apart. But rich nations fall apart, too. In fact, nations are just as likely to unravel after periods…

Monday, 06 June 2016 03:01

These are the 18 most corrupt countries in the developed world

Every year, Transparency International, the global anticorruption coalition, releases its Corruption Perceptions Index, a survey into the countries people perceive as the most corrupt on earth. As Transparency International notes, there is no hard and fast way “to assess absolute levels of corruption in countries or territories on the basis of hard empirical data.” This is basically because, by its very nature, corruption is usually hidden from the public. But it creates a ranking based on several other corruption studies, and gives 168 countries a ranking out of 100, where 100 is the least corrupt and 0 is most corrupt.…

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