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After Ebola Ban, N. Korea Opens Marathon to Foreigners

After lifting travel restrictions it imposed because of concerns over the Ebola virus, North Korea says foreigners can now take part in one of its most popular tourist events — the annual Pyongyang marathon, a travel agency said Thursday.

Even though no cases of Ebola had been reported anywhere near North Korea, the country shut out foreign tourists in October with some of the strictest Ebola regulations in the world, including saying that only local runners would be allowed into the marathon in April.

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FDA Warning: Men's Testosterone Drugs Overused

The Food and Drug Administration is warning doctors against over-prescribing testosterone-boosting drugs for men, saying the popular treatments have not been established as safe or effective for common age-related issues like low libido and fatigue.

The agency says drugmakers must clearly state in their labeling and promotions that the drugs, currently taken by millions of U.S. men, are only approved to treat low testosterone levels caused by disease or injury, not normal aging.

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Long-term Paracetamol Use Poses Risk, Says Study

Doctors may be under-estimating the risks to patients from long-term use of paracetamol, the world's most popular painkiller, researchers said Tuesday.

Chronic users of the drug -- people who typically take large, daily doses over several years -- may increase their risk of death, or kidney, intestinal and heart problems, they found.

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New Drugs Pose Serious Health Risks Says U.N. Body

The proliferation of new narcotics developed to circumvent existing drug laws poses a serious health problem, the United Nations drugs control body said on Tuesday.

The International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) tasked by the United Nations to oversee the existing legal vacuum with regards to the new drugs makes it easy to market these substances, often over the Internet.

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Ubisoft Game Aims to be What the Doctor Ordered

Ubisoft on Tuesday unveiled a tablet video game crafted as a prescription for a medical condition known as "lazy eye," blending the worlds of play and health care.

The France-based video game titan created "Dig Rush" in collaboration with US health technology startup Amblyotech, using treatment technology patented by innovators at McGill University in Canada.

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Abou Faour Bans ZEIN Products and those Manufactured at LAVENDER SARL

Health Minister Wael Abou Faour announced on Tuesday that he will order the withdrawal of all products manufactured at LAVENDER SARL factory and all merchandises carrying the slogan ZEIN, LBCI reported.

Abou Faour said that the LAVENDER products do not meet the health and environmental standards, and ZEIN products, of controversial herb expert Zein al-Atat, do not maintain guaranteed quality.

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Total Liban Re-Launches 'Road Safety' Campaign to Educate Young Lebanese

Following the success of the “On the way to your safety” campaign launched in 2013, which educated 4000 primary school students on the main fundamentals of road safety, Total Liban has re-launched this Total group program for the 2014/2015 academic year with 4000 other children aged 6 to 13, a press release said on Tuesday.

Total Liban definitely places road safety at the heart of its priorities, hence its commitment to support the Lebanese youth and fight road hazards.

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Pakistan Suspends Health Officials for Wasting Vaccines Worth $3.7 mn

Pakistani authorities have suspended two health officials after $3.7 million worth of vaccines donated by UNICEF to protect children from deadly diseases were wasted, officials said Tuesday.

The pentavalent vaccines, which protect against five diseases with a single shot, spoiled because they were not stored at the proper temperature, officials said.

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Origins of AIDS Virus Strains Traced to Gorillas

Two of four strains of the virus that can cause AIDS come from gorillas in southwestern Cameroon, an international team of scientists reported in studies published Monday in the United States.

The new information means that researchers now know the origins of all strains of the HIV virus that occur in people.

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Global Ebola Conference Seeks End to W.Africa Outbreak

Leaders of Ebola-hit countries in west Africa will attend an international conference in Brussels Tuesday to mobilize a final push to end the outbreak and ensure the delivery of nearly $5 billion in aid pledges.

Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Sierra Leone President Ernest Bai Koroma and Alpha Conde of Guinea, the three countries hardest hit by the epidemic, will be joined by top officials from around the world for the EU-backed meeting.

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