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Pace becomes first women’s golfer to opt out of Rio

(Reuters) – South African Lee-Anne Pace, citing Zika concerns, became the first women's golfer to withdraw from the 2016 Rio Olympics on Wednesday, joining a growing exodus on the men's side that includes the world's top-ranked player. Pace, a nine-times winner on the Ladies European Tour who is ranked 38th in the world, said she was eager to represent South Africa at the Aug 5-21 Olympics but felt Zika was too big a risk to take. “After weighing up all the options and discussing it with my family and team, I have decided that due to the health concerns surrounding the Zika virus, I will not be participating,” Pace, 35, said in a statement.

Novartis and Xencor enter into bispecific antibody agreement

Novartis has received rights with Xencor to develop bispecific antibodies for treating cancer. “Under the terms of the agreement, Xencor is receiving a $150 million upfront payment from Novartis and the two companies will equally share the cost to jointly develop two Xencor antibodies targeting the CD3 domain,” Novartis said. Novartis would additionally receive rights to develop and commercialize four further bispecific antibodies and to use Xencor's antibody technology in up to 10 additional molecules, the companies said.

Milestones in legal fight over Texas abortion law

The Republican-led Texas legislature passes and Republican Governor Rick Perry signs the law known as H.B. 2, putting new requirements on abortion providers. September 2013 – Before the law is enforced, Planned Parenthood and other abortion providers challenge the measure. March 2014 – The New Orleans-based U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit, a regional federal appeals court covering Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi, reverses the lower court and permits much of the law to take effect.

China tightens controls on paid-for internet search ads

China's internet regulator said on Saturday that search engines should tighten management of paid-for ads in search results, making clear which results are paid-for and limiting their numbers. Chinese regulators last month imposed limits on the number of lucrative healthcare adverts carried by Baidu Inc following the death of a student who underwent an experimental cancer treatment which he found using China's biggest internet search engine. Wei Zexi, 21, died in April of a rare form of cancer, and the case sparked widespread public anger.

California insurance chief urges U.S. to block Aetna-Humana deal

California’s insurance commissioner on Thursday urged national antitrust regulators to block health insurer Aetna Inc’s proposed $34 billion acquisition of Humana Inc. David Jones, whose state Department of Insurance does not have authority to block the deal, said the acquisition would be anti-competitive in California and nationwide and contribute to higher prices for insurance. Jones’ comments came just days after California’s other insurance regulator said it had approved the Aetna-Humana deal with conditions, including that Aetna keep down premium increases and invest $50 million in communities.

U.S. to help fund technology to eliminate Zika in blood supply

(Reuters) – The U.S. government said on Monday it has agreed to help fund two pathogen reduction technologies to help reduce the risk of Zika virus and other infections from being transmitted through the blood supply. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said the funding will flow through its Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) unit, which will provide initial funding of $30.8 million to Cerus Corp and $17.5 million to the U.S. division of Japan's Terumo Corp. Cerus's Intercept technology has already been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to reduce pathogens in platelets and plasma. It is conducting a trial to show it can also reduce pathogens in red blood cells.

Feeding Peace: This Week In Daily Giving

This week at The Pollination Project, we recognize seven grantees whose projects are bringing peace to their communities. Volunteers in Maryland engage in sustainable gardening to provide to the less fortunate while in North Carolinian youth affected by incarceration are provided leadership opportunities. With visions of compassionate…

EPA warns Flint, Michigan of long-term threats to water supply

(Reuters) – The city of Flint faces multiple long-term threats to its water supply, even though short-term progress has been made in reducing lead contamination in the drinking water, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has warned the city and the state of Michigan. The poor water quality became a crisis last year when, after months of citizen complaints in the largely poor and African-American city, officials acknowledged a problem and began corrective measures. EPA administrator Gina McCarthy outlined at least five areas that would require additional funding and attention to ensure a safe and sustainable drinking water supply in a letter sent to Flint Mayor Karen Weaver and Michigan Governor Rick Snyder.

Singapore team rubs shoulders discreetly with hi-tech massage jacket

By Yiming Woo SINGAPORE (Reuters) – A Singapore design team claims to have come up with a solution to coping with aches and pain in the office – a jacket that massages your muscles and attempts to correct your posture. Controlled by a mobile app and able to run for around three hours after a USB charge, ‘Aira’ uses air pressure devices inside the jacket which expand to target pressure points and produce the sensation of a massage.