Life News - Page 24

Russian gay rights activist fined under new law

Nikolai Alexeyev, the leader of GayRussia, was fined 5,000 rubles ($170) by a court on Friday, after he was detained for picketing outside St. Petersburg's legislature building last month protesting what he described as the "homophobic" new law.

'US spends more on pizza than on space missions'

With the US government cutting the budget for space missions, former NASA astronaut Marsha S Ivins on Thursday said her country loved to spend more on pizza than on space exploration.

Energy drinks are destroying teenagers' teeth

The damages caused by energy drinks to tooth enamel are irreversible and without the protection of enamel, teeth become overly sensitive, prone to cavities, and more likely to decay, the journal General Dentistry reports.

Anticipating SMSes, calls too contributes to car crashes

A study conducted suggests that thinking about future cell phone calls and messages may be an additional source of distraction that could contribute to crashes.

Is India becoming the new hub for high end European art?

As Europe sinks deeper into recession, high end lifestyle art brands from across the continent are looking at India as a wide market to sell their products at cheaper prices in a "reverse trend" of pre-independence Indian economy.

Swine flu leaves 59 dead across 13 states

Government today said 987 cases of H1N1 and 59 deaths have been reported this year from 13 states.

Legacy of MS Subbulakshmi to be engraved in gold

A limited edition of engraved gold coins have been launched as a tribute to legendary Carnatic musician M.S. Subbulakshmi.

George Orwell museum to come up in Bihar

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said Orwell's birth place, the decrepit two-room house on the old opium campus would be preserved for tourists.

Blood clot risk higher in obese middle-aged women

Researchers from Otago and Oxford universities linked questionnaire data from a study of more than one million women in the UK with their hospital admission and death records to examine the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) among them.

Mommy alert: Baby food low in micro-nutrients

Research show that baby meals contain less than a fifth of the recommended daily supply of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and other minerals, says a new study.

Not very nice and generous? Blame it on your genes!

Researchers at the University of Buffalo and University of California, Irvine, found a connection between people being nice and versions of receptor genes for two hormones, oxytocin and vasopressin, that have been associated with niceness in past studies.

Homophobes secretly attracted to the same sex: Study

Researchers say that in many cases homophobic people are "at war" with themselves over the issue and "are turning the internal conflict outward".

US artist Thomas Kinkade passes away aged 54

Thomas Kinkade, whose brushwork paintings of idyllic landscapes, cottages and churches were big sellers for dealers across the U.S., died on Friday

Diabetes cases spike in China: study

The more common type of diabetes, type 2 diabetes, is rising sharply in China, growing by 30 percent in just seven years, according to a survey of thousands of Shanghai residents.

Depression shows altered brain activity

Some individuals have a tendency to recall broader categories of events instead of specific events. This is termed overgeneral memory. These individuals also have a higher risk of developing depression.

Taller women more prone to ovarian cancer

The research found that larger body size sees a rising risk of ovarian cancer, though this effect depends on whether women have used hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or not.

Daily soft drinks could affect cardiac health

Researchers from Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research, the University of Sydney, found that these children consuming one or more soft drinks daily, had narrower arteries in the back of their eyes.

Most alcohol, drug abuse starts in teen years: study

A survey of US teenagers found that most have used alcohol and drugs by the time they reach adulthood, and researchers said this could be setting many of those kids up for a lifetime of substance abuse.

Many small kids lack outdoor time with parents: study

Roughly half of preschoolers don't spend time playing outside with a parent each day, despite the fact that outdoor play has been tied to a host of benefits for young children, including avoiding childhood obesity, a recent U.S. survey found.

Find women more attractive after a drink? Now you know why

The mystery of "beer goggles" — the phenomenon by which people find opposite sex more attractive after just a few alcoholic drinks—has finally been solved.

Your diet soda may cause diabetes, heart disease: report

The lowest risk of metabolic syndrome was seen in people who drank no diet beverages and stuck to a "prudent" diet, one rich in foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and fish.

Popcorn might be better than eating fruits

Surprisingly, a popular snack like popcorn has plenty of eye popping goodness too -- it has nearly twice as much of antiodixants as many fruits and vegetables, which combat cells that damage molecules.

Chocolate lovers tend to weigh less: study

People who ate chocolate a few times a week or more weighed less than those who rarely indulged, according to a US study involving a thousand people.

Mozart's piano composition 'uncovered'

A piano piece, believed to have been written by Mozart when he was 10, has been uncovered in Austria.

Steven Millhauser wins 'Story Prize' for short fiction

Millhauser, who won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1997, was honored for the collection 'We Others', published by Alfred A. Knopf, which like much of his work deals with strange happenings in seemingly ordinary environs.

Blame those extra kilos on the 'Greedy gene'!

A team at Georgetown University Medical Centre has shown in tests on mice that a mutation on Bdnf gene broke down communication in the body and led to non-stop eating and rapid weight gain.

Absent-minded children have sharper brains: study

The study has shown that those who appear to be constantly distracted have more "working memory", giving them the ability to do two things at the same time.

Common medicines may cut cancer drug potency: study

Many patients taking a widely prescribed class of oral cancer drugs are also using a variety of medications that could reduce the effectiveness of the cancer treatment or increase its toxic side effects.

Pulitzer winner Boo unmasks Mumbai poverty in new book

In Behind the Beautiful Forevers, Boo focuses on the hopes, fears, and improvisational efforts to survive by a handful of residents of Annawadi, a slum pieced together in the shadows of the five-star hotels that encircle Mumbai's international airport.