Vast improvements in human rights and access to treatment are needed to protect gay men against HIV/AIDS, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said Monday. "If you want to achieve zero new infections, you have to address the human rights issues," WHO official Ying-Ru Lo said after a meeting about infection rates among gay men at the International Conference for AIDS and sexually transmitted infections in Afr ...

Fake or poor quality malaria drugs are boosting resistance in parts of southeast Asia, a problem that is likely to worsen unless tighter regulations are adopted, US experts said Monday. "The malaria parasite has a history of adapting to drugs and adapting to insecticides," Regina Rabinovich, director of infectious diseases at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, told a hearing of US lawmakers. "Drug resis ...

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama accepted a move by Senate Democrats to scale back his Social Security payroll tax cut extension on Monday, then prodded Republicans to support it despite a requirement for the very wealthy to pay more taxes. Obama also called on lawmakers to renew a program of extended unemployment benefits due to expire on Dec. 31. He said the checks, which kick in after six months ...

Thirsty travellers take note: a chilled pint of Kingfisher beer does not an Indian evening make. Traipse through this incredible nation, and you will come across an awesome range of indigenous nectars. For those looking for a taste of local brew, here is a quick rundown of some of India's sweetest poisons: Related article: Around the world in five signature drinks The wines of Nasik Sauvignon, chenin, merlo ...

Hotel lobbies used to have the look and feel of a home’s formal living room – lovely to look at but not the kind of place you’d want to spend much time in. To change that, hotels are transforming their lobbies to appeal to varying social habits, hoping guests will hang out and spend money at the hotel, rather than going out to local bars or restaurants. For example, earlier this year the Holiday Inn chain b ...

I don’t expect to fall in love with Lisbon but I fall as hard as a swooning Regency heroine. This compact, decoratively crumbling city has the lot: swooping views down to the sea, evocative architecture and, most importantly for me, a thriving bar and restaurant scene. Related article: A bit of history in every sweet bite Our hotel is the Tivoli Lisboa on the stately Avenida da Liberdade. At first its block ...

Mention this buzzing city-state and several things comes to mind: urban jungle, chilli crab, hawker food, perhaps even shopping. Yet, Singapore has a skyscraper-free side that even locals do not know about. From green corridors to hot springs, these places and experiences are slices of a rustic, unique Singapore that is best to see now – with the city’s tendency to change rapidly, it is easy to blink and mi ...

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte, a classic chocolate, whipped cream and cherry cake, is staging a comeback in the Black Forest, a wedge of southwest Germany where the dessert was invented in a humble confectioner's kitchen almost a century ago. Related article: A bit of history in every sweet bite Stretching some 200km east of the Rhine, from Karlsruhe almost to the Swiss border, the Black Forest is something of ...

After some teases and leaks, Meizu's finally unveiled its next flagship phone MX to keep China entertained for 2012. While the quad core flavor won't be here until next year, this dual core model will be available in mainland China starting from ¥2,999 ($470) on January 1st (like with the M9 last year), and Hong Kong is still expecting an early January release. The full spec list now includes a 4-inch 960 x ...

NEW YORK (AP) — Make room in the toy box for the iPad. Crayola allows tots to doodle on the iPad using its iMarker just as they would a crayon on a coloring book. Tweens are able to belt out their favorite Miley Cyrus and Selena Gomez tunes on a Disney microphone that turns the tablet into a karaoke machine. And technology accessories company Griffin enables teens to fly its toy helicopter by using the iPho ...