Lifestyle

Researchers say that ambidextrous children are at greater risk of difficulties at school, language problems, and disorders such as attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) than those who are left-handed or right-handed. Dr Alina Rodriguez, from the School of Public Health at Imperial College, London, and a team of researchers from various European universities studied nearly 8,000 children from the north of Finland; 87 of these were ambidextrous (mixed-handed). Parents, teachers and the children themselves assessed language skills, aca

The US-funded Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWSNET) has said that Zimbabwe may face famine this year, due to wilting crops caused by poor rains. The organisation added that more than two million Zimbabweans would require food aid between now and March. “Since December, below-average precipitation and above-average temperatures continue to help strengthen seasonal moisture deficits across central Mozambique, southern Malawi, southern Madagascar and southern Zimbabwe,” FEWSNET said. FEWSNET remarked that low amounts and rainfall, couple

Mehmet Ali Ağca, the man who was convicted of shooting Pope John Paul II in 1981, was released from a prison in Turkey today, after serving nineteen years for the attempted murder of the Pope, and another ten years for the killing of a newspaper editor. Ağca's motives for the attempted assassination of the Pope are not clear, although he said he was acting alone after he was arrested. Two years after the shooting, 1983, the Pope said that he had forgiven Ağca after meeting with him. Ağca's mental health has been called into question, and a 20

A Scottish woman who set out before Christmas to purchase a turkey finally made it home on Monday, after being cut off by snow for a month. Kay Ure left the Lighthouse Keeper's cottage on Cape Wrath, at the very northwest tip of Great Britain, in December. She was heading to Inverness on a shopping trip. However on her return journey heavy snow and ice prevented her husband, John, from travelling the last 11 miles to pick her up. She was forced to wait a month in a friend's caravan, before the weather improved and the couple could finally be

A woman has died after the vehicle she was travelling in plus a second vehicle were both struck by a train at a level crossing in Herefordshire, England. The woman, who was aged 50, was reported to have been involved in a collision involving two cars and a train at a level crossing located near to the village of Moreton-on-Lugg at 1034 GMT on Saturday. The woman, who has currently not been identified, was airlifted to a hospital where she later died of the injuries that she had sustained. The woman's husband, who was travelling in the same ve

A new study conducted by researchers at Oxford University has concluded that women with fat around their bum, hips and thighs will have a reduced risk from various ailments. The Oxford Centre for Diabetes, Endocrinology and Metabolism's Dr. Konstantinos Manolopoulos said that "Fat around the hips and thighs is good for you but around the tummy is bad," although he cautioned that "Unfortunately, you tend not to get one without the other." He worked with two other scientists to produce the paper, which was published in the International Journal

Wolfgang Wodarg, a European health official, has said that the severity of the H1N1 swine flu pandemic was intentionally exaggerated by pharmaceutical companies so they could receive large profits. Wodarg, who is the Council of Europe's head of health, claimed that the manufacturers of the anti-virus drugs pressured the World Health Organisation (WHO) to declare a global pandemic over the outbreak. The Council said it would investigate the allegations in a debate scheduled for later in January. Wodarg commented about his accusations to the Al

The United States has said that "regional extremists" may be targeting Air Uganda airplane flights between Southern Sudan and Uganda. A warning posted yesterday on the Web site of the US Embassy in Khartoum says there is a "potential threat" on the flights between Juba, Sudan and Kampala, Uganda. Juba is the capital of semi-autonomous Southern Sudan. The embassy did not name the potential attackers but said the threat is of "sufficient seriousness," and that air travelers should "maintain vigilance at all times." "[We have] received informa

The Department of Health in Northern Ireland announced the death of an adult with the H1N1 'swine flu' virus. The gender of the adult who died is currently unknown. The obituary was discovered in the swine flu information update provided by the Department of Health weekly. The death of this adult brings the total number of people who have died from swine flu in Northern Ireland up to 17, not including the two people who were from the area but were outside Northern Ireland at the time of their deaths from the disease, as of January 6. Michael M

A recent study conducted by Hollins University indicates that 48% of sodas from soda fountains in the United States are contaminated with coliform bacteria. The researchers drew the conclusions from a test of 90 beverages from 30 fountains in fast food restaurants. The bacteria found was a form of fecal contamination, it was discovered, although it was not immediately clear whether it came from the soda fountains themselves, or people with dirty hands. Other bacteria were also found in the soda samples, including E.coli, present in eleven per

With violence against foreigners escalating daily, and after being deluged with various threats and demands from al-Shabaab, a radical Islamic militant group with ties to al-Qaeda, the United Nations World Food Programme announced on Tuesday that, as of the end of this week, they are going to suspend all of their operations within southern Somalia—including the distribution of desperately needed food aid to Somali civilians. This is now the third humanitarian agency, after CARE International and Doctors Without Borders, to evacuate from the war

Two French journalists kidnapped on Wednesday north-east of the capital Kabul are believed to be in good health, although the condition of their three Afghan assistants is unknown. "The two French journalists appear to be alive, in good health and being well treated," said a source involved in the attempts to release them. According to another French journalist, suspected members of the Taliban captured them in the Kapisa province's Shinkai district, although the abductors have yet to claim responsibility. A local spokesman confirmed that th