Infozone Breaking World News

A teacher from the UK has been told by doctors that if she laughs too hard her head might split open because her brain is too big for her head. Carolyn Gibbons suffers from a rare condition called Arnold Chiari ­Malformation which causes daily seizers, migraines and blurred vision.

Talking about her condition, Carolyn says that even a sudden movement makes it feel that her head ‘is about to pop’ and has had to quit the classroom altogether after passing out at work.

Doctors fear that if the pressure build up in her head is too great then her brain could be pushed out the bottom of her head and onto her spinal column, which could kill her.

Carolyn told the press, “I’m living in a bubble of pain. The pressure could cause my brain to literally split out of my head.”

She now takes a cocktail of 50 pills a day to ease the pain and faces various surgeries to try to combat the disease.

A new study has shown that childhood obesity seems to begin in the mother’s womb and that some babies had a build-up of fatty tissue around their stomachs similar to adults in their 50’s have. The study, conducted by the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital used state-of-the-art monitoring equipment to monitor the unborn babies.

The study also showed that mother’s that were overweight or obese during pregnancy could potentially harm their babies due to changes in fat levels inside the womb. 105 babies were tested, 54 boys and 51 girls; of those 31 had more fatty tissue around their abdomen than normal.

Professor Modi, a consultant for the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital told the press that women should be warned about the effects of being overweight during pregnancy. She said, “This shows how sensitive the baby is to the environment experienced within the womb and how lifelong effects may be initiated before birth.”

The London School of Economy has released a report that shows that cycling generates £2.9bn per year for the UK economy. The report takes into account the manufacturing, bicycle sales and cycle-related sales.

The figures show that £51m was raised by UK manufacturers with over 3.7 million bikes sold in 2010; a 28% rise from the previous year and that £1.5bn was spent on bikes as well as £850 million on cycle related goods.

There are now more than 13 million cyclists in the UK with an estimated million people taking up cycling last year.

Dr Alexander Grous from the London School of Economics said, “The good news is that structural, economic, social and health factors seem finally to have created a true step-change in the UK’s cycling scene”.

Local councils across the country are hoping to banning smoking in public parks and children’s play areas. The Government’s Localism Bill, which aims to give local councils more control, could soon be used to extend the smoking ban.

The smoking ban for indoor public places was introduced in England, Wales and Nothern Ireland on the 1st July 2007 and in Scotland in early 2006.

Stony Stratford, near Milton Keynes is one of the first towns to try to ban smoking altogether. Paul Bartlett’s campaign plans to ban smoking in any open place or public street in the town; it has already had backing by senior councillors but still needs approval from Milton Keynes Council.

Other councils are also considering extensions to the smoking ban including Cumbria Council, with many of them ready to extend the ban to cars carrying children on board.

Scientists in China have genetically modified cows to produce human breast milk and plan to be selling it in supermarkets within three years. The milk that is produced by the dairy cows is identical to human breast milk, containing the same antibacterial and immune boosting qualities as its human counterpart.

Scientists at the Agricultural University in Beijing bred 300 dairy cows; human genes were inserted into cow embryos and implanted into surrogate cows. The procedure was similar to that of Dolly the sheep; the first mammal to be successfully cloned.

The same scientists have also genetically modified cows to be resistant to mad cow’s disease and modified beef cattle to provide more nutritious meat.

The cow/human milk is undergoing safety checks and if it passes will be sold to customers as a more nutritious drink than standard cow’s milk.

A Utah man faces a fine for disorderly conduct after paying for a medical bill with 2,500 pennies. The man entered the Basin Clinic in Vernal to dispute a $25 medical bill that was outstanding reports local press and after asking if they accepted cash poured 2,500 pennies on the counter and floor.

The man then demanded that the staff count the money; shortly after the Vernal Police were called to sort the situation out. Assistant Police Chief Keith Campbell said that the man had upset staff at the clinic after the pennies were strewn everywhere and that the man’s actions served, “no legitimate purpose”.

Police have charged the 38 year old man with disorderly conduct and if he is found guilty faces a fine of up to $140 (or 14,000 pennies), although he will probably have to pay the fine with bigger denominations of money.

New York City councillors have approved plans to ban smoking in public parks, beaches and Times Square. The ban will make it illegal to smoke in any of the city’s 1700 parks and along 14 miles of coast line near and around the city.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said, “This summer, New Yorkers who go to our parks and beaches for some fresh air and fun will be able to breathe even cleaner air and sit on a beach not littered with cigarette butts,” after the 36-12 vote was cast in favour of the ban.

The city’s Parks Department will be given the power to impose fines of up to $100 for those caught smoking in public parks or on beaches.

Those opposing the ban have branded the measures an infringement of human rights.

UK supermarket Tesco has announced that it plans to sell erectile dysfunction drug Viagra for just £52 for eight pills; Boots pharmacist currently sells four Viagra pills for £55 and this new move by Tesco could start a price war.

Tesco’s will start to sell Viagra next Monday but assured customers that a trained pharmacist would vet customers before selling the drug. The drug will only be available to men between 40 and 65 and they will have to fill out a questionnaire and have their cholesterol and blood pressure taken, as well as having a diabetes test.

Dr Nick Tomlinson from the Sexual Advice Association believes that this over-the-counter approach could be a good idea saying, “Men can be very embarrassed about going to their GP for help with things like this,” adding that some men have resorted to buying Viagra from the internet, which could be a health risk if they were supplied with fake drugs.

A study conducted by computer security firm Sophos has found that criminal gangs are making millions of pounds by selling fake Swine Flu medication to unsuspecting Brits. The Sophos study found that many Brits, who feel that they may not be able to get Tamiflu through the NHS are being redirected to fake online pharmacies where the counterfeit medication is being sold.

The study also found that the top five countries trying to purchase Tamiflu and other medications such as Viagra and Cialis are Germany, UK, US, Canada and France. A spokesman for Sophos said: “The criminal gangs working behind the scenes at fake internet pharmacies are putting their customers’ health, personal information and credit card details at risk”.

Adding that, “They have no problem breaking the law to promote these websites, so you can be sure they’ll have no qualms in exploiting your confidential data or selling you medications which may put your life in danger”.

Meanwhile, the Department of Health tried to reassure people by saying, “There’s no need to jump the queue or pay for antivirals. They are free on the NHS and being offered to all who need them.”

It is estimated that these criminal gangs can earn between £10,000 and £60,000 a day by selling their counterfeit medications, with continuing concerns about Swine Flu driving their profits higher.

People who are still worried about Swine Flu and want to buy Genuine Tamiflu should check that the online pharmacy is fully registered before purchasing.