The birthrate in Russia hit a post-Soviet high in August and mortality fell. The Economic Development Ministry is proposing that the government sell land permits at tenders for investors that seek to build retail, office or industrial space, in order to streamline a cumbersome procedure that can take up to three years going from official to official, Minister Elvira Nabiullina said Tuesday. Under the... 

Very old age: Dustin Hoffman plays 121-year-old Jack Crabb in Little Big Man Drugs that can slow the ageing process are likely to be available this decade, raising the prospect of people living to 150 or longer. ‘Wonder’ pills that help the body repair itself are in the early stages of development and will help us live well into our second century – while stem cell therapies will... 

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, who undergoes anti-cancer treatment, may live for not more than two years. This opinion was voiced by Salvador Navarrete, who had been Chavez’s personal surgeon in Venezuela. “When I say this, it means that he has no more than two years left. Judging by the information from his family, Chavez has a tumor in his pelvis, or sarcoma, and this is why he is... 

Scientists have found a way to prevent HIV from damaging the immune system and say their discovery may offer a new approach to developing a vaccine against AIDS. Researchers from the United States and Europe working in laboratories on the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) found it is unable to damage the immune system if cholesterol is removed from the virus’s membrane. “It’s like... 

British scientists have developed a new stem cell technique for growing working liver cells which could eventually avoid the need for costly and risky liver transplants. A team of researchers led by the Sanger Institute and the University of Cambridge used cutting-edge methods to correct a genetic mutation in stem cells derived from a patient’s skin biopsy, and then grew them into fresh liver... 

Tim Hemmes operates the mechanical prosthetic arm During an experimental study at the University of Pittsburgh a paralyzed man managed to touch his partner’s hand using a new mind-controlled robotic arm. “It wasn’t my arm but it was my brain, my thoughts. I was moving something,” said Tim Hemmes of Pennsylvania. “I don’t have one single word to give you what I felt at that moment.... 

Ketchup has been banned in student cafeterias in France within the framework of the propaganda of healthy diet. Cafeterias may now serve ketchup only with French fries and only once a week. The new rules also stipulate the increase of vegetable dishes on the menu and the decrease of the content of fat in the food. “Canteens have a public health mission, but also an educative mission,”... 

A group of New Zealand scientists and flu researchers have won a five-year, multi-million-dollar contract to study influenza in an effort to better understand the burden of the virus and how to prevent its spread around the world. New Zealand Health Minister Tony Ryall and the Minister for Science and Innovation Wayne Mapp on Wednesday congratulated the Institute of Environmental Science and Research... 

A new brain implant method enables monkeys to use a virtual arm controlled by the animal's brain. An international team of scientists has developed a new method of brain implantation which may enable the paralyzed to walk again in near future. According to naturenews, researchers at the Duke University in North Carolina have devised a brain implant procedure that enables monkeys to examine virtual... 

An optometrist checks the eye for glaucoma: The condition is one of the most common causes of blindness in the UK. Cocaine users are 45% more likely to develop glaucoma (blindness) even if they’ve given up the drug. People who take cocaine or are former users are 45 per cent more likely to develop a common form of blindness, a large study has found. Researchers also found they developed glaucoma... 

19-month-old Alex Tesoriero is pictured with his parents Lisa and John at their home in North Balgowlah, on Sydney's northern beaches. He was born 11 weeks premature, weighing just 437 grams, and the tubes that kept him alive have left him with a physical aversion to anything going near his mouth or face. He’s the boy who simply won’t eat. Ironically, he is fed through a tube directly... 

New bouncer molecule halts rheumatoid arthritis – Protective protein prevents immune system from ravaging joints and bones. According to the US Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Research Service, Zinc helps increase the levels of the P21 Protein, therefore helps against Rheumatoid Arthritis. Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have discovered why the... 

GMO products have appeared no more than 10 years ago. Immediately they turned from a subject of research into the area of political speculation and manipulation of public opinion. They became “horror stories” for the consumer. Why did it happen, which myths about GM foods are true and which are false? Professor Yakov Alexeyev, head of the Laboratory of Genetically Modified Organisms with... 

Operation: Ms Ruphard claims she did not get proper attention in hospital because it was Thanksgiving. A woman who weighed 278 pounds (19st 12lbs) lost both her legs after she had weight loss surgery. Mary Beth Ruphard is suing the hospital in Joliet, Illinois, where she had the operation after she had both her legs amputated when she developed blood clots. She said she went under the knife because... 

Dictator Robert Mugabe has been in power since 1980 Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe has prostate cancer which has spread to other organs, according to a leaked US diplomatic cable. The cable, published by whistle-blower site Wikileaks, cites central bank governor Gideon Gono as saying Mr Mugabe’s doctors had urged him to quit. The cable, written in 2008 by the US embassy in Harare, also...