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Cambodia Accused of Serious Graft in Malaria Fight

A major international aid fund has accused Cambodia of "serious" corruption in the use of money intended to combat malaria and other life-threatening diseases.

The U.N.-backed Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria said a probe into the use of grants "uncovered credible and substantive evidence of serious financial wrongdoing, on procurement and other issues".

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WHO Eases Rules on Meningitis Vaccine

In a breakthrough for the fight against meningitis in poor countries, researchers say the WHO has ruled that a key vaccine can be transported or stored for up to four days without refrigeration.

The previously-approved vaccine is aimed at helping in the so-called "Meningitis Belt," which stretches across the African Sahel from Senegal to Ethiopia, where epidemics of the deadly infection regularly break out.

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Grunt Work: Scientists Decode Pig Genome

Scientists said Wednesday they had laid bare the genetic code of the pig, revealing that besides providing ham, bacon and sausages, the domestic swine may also be useful in fighting human diseases.

Pigs and humans share 112 DNA mutations which in Man have been linked to obesity, diabetes, dyslexia, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, a team from the United States and Europe found.

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French Senate Approves 'Nutella' Tax

The French Senate approved Wednesday the so-called Nutella amendment that would quadruple the tax on palm oil, a key ingredient in the chocolate spread, to discourage consumption of the oil rich in saturated fat.

The amendment which would take the tax on palm oil from around 100 euros ($128) now to 400 euros was approved by a vote of 212 to 133 despite protests from major palm producing nations Malaysia and Ivory Coast.

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Ireland Abortion Refusal Death Sparks Legal Debate

Ireland's tough abortion laws came under fire on Wednesday following the death of an Indian woman who was allegedly refused a termination after doctors told her it was a Catholic country.

Prime Minister Enda Kenny told lawmakers he was awaiting the results of two investigations of the death of Savita Halappanavar, who is originally from India, at University Hospital Galway in western Ireland.

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U.N. Says Access to Contraception a Human Right

The United Nations says access to contraception is a universal human right that could dramatically improve the lives of women and children in poor countries.

It is the first time the U.N. Population Fund's annual report explicitly describes family planning as a human right.

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Study: Meditation May Lower Heart Risk in Blacks

Obese African American heart patients who regularly practice transcendental meditation are 48 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack, stroke or die, a new study found Tuesday.

Regular meditation also lowered blood pressure and reduced stress levels, while greater time spent meditating was associated with longer survival, according to the research published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes.

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Polio Cases Down Worldwide

The number of polio cases worldwide reached a record low in 2012, giving experts confidence that the disease can finally be eradicated, according to presentations made Tuesday at a major U.S. conference.

Just 177 cases were recorded globally through October 2012, down from 502 during the same period last year, said virologists attending the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene in Atlanta.

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Study: No Cognitive Decline for Women with Migraines

Women suffering from migraines are more likely to experience changes to their brain tissue, though these do not appear to cause long-term damage to their mental condition, a study said Tuesday.

The study of 286 women and men, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, showed that women with migraines were more likely to have brain changes that appeared as bright spots on magnetic resonance imaging.

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German Court Hears First Lawsuit in Breast Implant Scandal

A German court on Tuesday began hearing the country's first lawsuit over a health scandal surrounding French-made breast implants found to leak silicone into women's bodies.

The regional court in the southwestern city of Karlsruhe opened the case brought by a 40-year-old woman who opted for the implants from French manufacturer Poly Implant Prothese or PIP in 2007 after three pregnancies.

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