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News, Page 25

Kenya’s 2007/8 post-election violence still haunts journalists, study says

By Katy Migiro NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – Kenyan journalists who reported on their country's worst outbreak of inter-ethnic violence, which killed more than 1,000 people following a disputed 2007 election, remain traumatized, researchers said on Friday. The Royal Society of Medicine said it was the first major study of the emotional well-being of journalists covering violent events in Africa, although half of the continent's countries are either at war or have recently experienced it. “Post election violence was experienced firsthand as neighbor turned on neighbor, communities were destroyed and the media in some cases became the focus of mob rage,” said the study in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine Open.

Nestle pushes further into medicine with planned Alzheimer’s test

Food group Nestle has taken a further step into the medicine business by signing a research collaboration agreement with a Swiss biotech company to develop an Alzheimer’s disease diagnostic test. Nestle’s second medical deal in a week underscores the commitment by the world’s largest packaged food company to the faster-growing, more profitable medical field as sales of processed foods slow in many markets. Tau is a protein that causes tangles in the brain that are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. The Swiss food maker said last week it had signed a separate deal to develop a new treatment for ulcerative colitis.

Democrat Clinton to unveil plan to fight drug ‘price gouging’

By Emily Stephenson WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton will unveil a plan this week to cap out-of-pocket costs for specialty drugs, she said on Monday, after her tweet accusing companies of “price gouging” sent biotech stocks tumbling. “I'm announcing a detailed plan to crack down on these abuses,” Clinton said during a campaign stop in Little Rock, Arkansas. Clinton is expected to discuss the specifics in Iowa on Tuesday.

Volkswagen CEO ‘deeply sorry’ for breach of US environment rules

By Christoph Steitz and Jan Schwartz FRANKFURT/HAMBURG (Reuters) – Volkswagen has ordered an external investigation after U.S. regulators found software the carmaker designed for diesel cars gave false emissions data, its CEO said on Sunday, adding he was “deeply sorry” for the violation of U.S. rules. “I personally am deeply sorry that we have broken the trust of our customers and the public,” Martin Winterkorn said in a statement published by the carmaker on Sunday. “Volkswagen has ordered an external investigation of this matter.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said on Friday the software deceived regulators measuring toxic emissions, adding Volkswagen could face fines of up to $18 billion as a result.

Tests on brains of former NFL players continue CTE trend

Researchers studying a degenerative disease in former athletes say 11 of 12 brains of deceased former NFL players tested over the past year showed signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, continuing a trend they've been tracking.

Malaria deaths fall 60 percent since 2000: UN

Malaria deaths worldwide have fallen by 60 percent since 2000, the UN said Thursday, with improved diagnostic tests and the massive distribution of mosquito nets aiding dramatic progress against the disease. Fifteen years ago, an estimated 262 million malaria cases killed nearly 840,000 people. Projections for 2015 indicate that some 214 million cases are likely to cause 438,000 deaths, according to a joint report from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations children's agency (UNICEF).

U.S. universities lead in innovation, Asia a rising power

By Ben Hirschler LONDON (Reuters) – U.S. universities lead the world in scientific innovation but face strong competition from Asian rivals with close ties to industry, according to a detailed analysis of academic papers and patent filings. Stanford alumni have gone on to create some of the world's biggest technology companies, including Hewlett-Packard, Yahoo and Google. The top nine places are all taken by U.S. schools, with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Harvard University ranked second and third.

An Extra Hour of Sleep Can Do More for Daily Happiness Than a $60,000 Raise

More and more scientific studies speak to the irrefutable benefits of sleep. A study published in Science even calculated that for the sleep deprived, an extra hour of sleep can do more for their daily happiness than a $60,000 raise. Arianna Huffington, ThriveA Good Night's SleepFew things can make you feel better than a good night's sleep. And…

US hospital ship brings care, hope to poor Haitians

Port-au-Prince (AFP) – The huge white hospital ship anchored in the Port-au-Prince bay is impossible to miss, drawing Haitians from all over in hopes of a chance to see a doctor and get medical treatment. The USNS Comfort, on its fourth mission in Haiti since 2009, is open for business until September 18 in one of the western hemisphere's poorest countries. “It's very expensive to be seen by a specialist and since the general hospital is under construction, they can't see everyone,” she said.

One million Africans a year catch malaria from dam mosquitoes: study

By Katy Migiro NAIROBI (Thomson Reuters Foundation) – One million Africans will catch malaria this year because they live near a large dam and, at a time of booming dam construction on the continent, greater efforts must be made to protect people from the killer disease, a study said on Friday. Almost 80 major new dams are due to be built in sub-Saharan Africa over the next few years, leading to an additional 56,000 malaria cases a year, the study in Malaria Journal predicted. “While dams clearly bring many benefits — contributing to economic growth, poverty alleviation and food security — adverse malaria impacts need to be addressed or they will undermine the sustainability of Africa’s drive for development,” the paper's lead author, Solomon Kibret of Australia's University of New England, said in a statement.