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News, Page 10

‘McDonald’s Diet’ brand ambassador dropped from schools: company

By Lisa Baertlein LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – The former Iowa science teacher and McDonald's Corp “brand ambassador,” who preached the virtues of walking and near-daily french fries in presentations to youth, is no longer visiting U.S. schools, the fast-food chain said on Friday. The program presented by John Cisna, author of the book “My McDonald's Diet: How I lost 37 pounds in 90 days and became a viral media sensation,” was sharply criticized by teachers, parents and public health advocates who accused McDonald's of trying to hook youngsters on unhealthy food. Cisna's program included a documentary and discussion guide edited by McDonald's, which hired him in 2015 and provides him with a stipend for time and travel related to his speaking engagements.

WHO recommends new test, treatment plan for superbug strains of TB

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – The World Health Organization on Thursday recommended a speedier, cheaper treatment plan for patients with superbug forms of tuberculosis (TB) – a change that should help cure thousands of the killer disease. In what the WHO’s leading TB expert said was a critical step forward in tackling the “public health crisis” of multi drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), the Geneva-based health agency said the new treatment plan could now be completed in 9-12 months rather than the two years previously recommended. The shorter treatment regimen also costs significantly less – at just under $1,000 per patient in developing countries, said Mario Raviglione, director of the WHO’s global TB program.

Colorado inmate files first claim of paternity in Prince’s estate

Lawyers for Carlin Q. Williams, 39, filed a petition in Carver County District Court near Minneapolis on Monday objecting to probate of the estate left by Prince, who according to the performer's sister, Tyka Nelson, left behind no will and no surviving offspring. The petition seeks a hearing and a court order for genetic testing of DNA samples obtained from the late music star.

China curbs Baidu healthcare ads business after student’s death

By Paul Carsten BEIJING (Reuters) – Chinese regulators imposed limits on the lucrative healthcare adverts carried by Baidu Inc on Monday following the death of a student who underwent experimental cancer treatment he found via China's biggest search engine. Baidu's shares fell by 5 percent in pre-market trading in New York following the move, as healthcare provides 20 to 30 percent of the company's search revenue, analysts at Nomura and Daiwa said. Baidu shares have fallen since the controversy over the death of student Wei Zexi erupted at the start of the month and had lost 10.5 percent of their value by last week's close.

Scientists using smartphone app warn of ‘global sleep crisis’

Social pressures are forcing people to cut back on their sleep, contributing to a “global sleep crisis,” according to a new study based on research collected through a smartphone app. It enabled scientists from the University of Michigan to track sleep patterns around the world — gathering data about how age, gender and the amount of natural light to which people are exposed affect sleep patterns in 100 countries — and better understand how cultural pressures can override biological rhythms. “The effects of society on sleep remain largely unquantified,” says the study published Friday in the journal Science Advances.

Australia blames refugee advocates after asylum seeker sets herself alight

By Colin Packham SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australia blamed refugee advocates on Tuesday for “encouraging” asylum seekers held in remote camps towards acts of self-harm after a woman set herself on fire, while the United Nations renewed its criticism of Australia's harsh immigration policy. Australian officials said an unidentified 21-year-old Somali woman was in a critical condition after she set herself alight at an Australian detention camp on the tiny South Pacific island of Nauru on Monday, the second such incident in a week. A 23-year-old Iranian man also set himself on fire last week in protest against his treatment on Nauru and later died.

Derailed train near Washington leaks hazardous material

By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) – A CSX freight train derailed in northeastern Washington, D.C. on Sunday, spilling hazardous material near a city subway station, and emergency workers were cleaning up the site after plugging the leak, officials and the railroad company said. The substance that leaked was sodium hydroxide, used to produce household products including paper, soap and detergent. The fumes should not cause you any problems,” District of Columbia Fire Department Deputy Chief John Donnelly said at a news conference.

U.S. jury finds Immunosyn ex-CEO Ferrone guilty of fraud

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in 2011 had charged California-based Immunosyn with misleading investors about the regulatory status of the company’s sole product, a drug derived from goat blood called SF-1019, that was intended to treat a variety of ailments. “We are pleased with the jury’s finding that Stephen Ferrone defrauded Immunosyn’s investors with misleading statements in the company’s filings and press releases and his own speeches and interviews,” Andrew Ceresney, director of the SEC’S Division of Enforcement said in a statement.

In risks to bees, study finds not all neonicotinoids are equal

By Kate Kelland LONDON (Reuters) – A group of chemical insecticides known as neonicotinoids that have been banned in Europe due to fears about potential harm to bees have been found in new research to have very differential risks for bumblebees. Scientists who conducted the research said their findings showed that at least one neonicotinoid in the banned group – clothianidin – may have been unfairly named as among the offenders. This insecticide did not show the same detrimental effects on bee colonies as the others, imidacloprid and thiamethoxam, the researchers found.