Month: April 2013

By Louis Charbonneau UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The Democratic Republic of Congo has promised to bring a group of suspected mass rapists to justice after the United Nations last month threatened to halt support to two Congolese army battalions, the world body said on Tuesday. The United Nations said 126 women were raped in Minova in November after Congolese troops fled to the town as so-called M23 rebels briefly captured the nearby provincial capital of Goma. The U.N. …

WASHINGTON (AP) — Millions of people who take advantage of government subsidies to help buy health insurance next year could get stung by surprise tax bills if they don't accurately project their income.

China Reports More Cases of Rare H7N9 Bird Flu

Obama announces Brain Initiative, a brain-mapping project set to cost $100 million starting in 2014.

Landmarks are being lighted in blue in honor of World Autism Awareness Day.

MUMBAI (Reuters) – A unit of U.S. drugmaker Merck & Co sued India's Glenmark Pharmaceuticals on Tuesday for infringing its patent on two diabetes drugs. The action comes a day after Swiss drugmaker Novartis AG lost a landmark court ruling over patent protection for its cancer treatment Glivec, a decision widely seen as boosting India's generic pharmaceuticals business. Merck's Indian unit, MSD, holds an Indian patent on sitagliptin, a chemical compound sold under the Januvia and Janumet brands. …

BEIJING (Reuters) – China reported four new cases on Tuesday of a strain of bird flu that was previously unknown in humans but has already killed two people, raising the total of known cases to seven. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Monday there was no evidence that the H7N9 strain could be transmitted between people, but that it was investigating the outbreak. The four new patients in China's eastern Jiangsu province were all in critical condition and receiving emergency treatment, the Xinhua News Agency said, citing the Jiangsu provincial health bureau. …

By Kathryn Doyle NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Cut fruit and vegetable prices in half and people will load up on them, according to a new study that suggests price regulation may play an important role in future public policy. "Many people argue that we should educate the population better about healthy eating – however our results clearly show that that is not the direction to go," lead author Wilma Waterlander told Reuters Health by email. "Price changes are really needed," said Waterlander, a research fellow at the School of Population Health at the University of Auckland in New Zealand. …

Today, on International Autism Awareness Day, only 32 states have required state-regulated health insurance plans to cover autism, according to Autism Speaks, an organization that advocates for families.

Don’t stay stuck inside during allergy season. Here’s how to enjoy the great outdoors without suffering from allergies.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is asking Congress to spend $100 million next year to start a new project to map the human brain in hopes of eventually finding cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s.