Many women ‘not on safest pill’

Many women are not taking the safest brand of the pill, say researchers.

Two separate studies in the British Medical Journal found that some oral contraceptives were linked with a higher risk of blood clot than others.
But experts stressed that blood clots are a rare side-effect of the combined pill and the risk overall is small, whichever brand is used.
Women should not stop taking it but speak to a doctor if they are worried, the Family Planning Association said.

It has been known for a long time that the combined pill, which contains both oestrogen and progestogen, was associated with an increased risk of venous thrombosis – a blood clot that forms in a vein.
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VW agrees Porsche merger details

Volkswagen (VW) and Porsche have agreed the details under which VW will merge with its German compatriot by 2011.

Under the deal, VW will initially buy a 42% stake in Porsche by the end of this year for 3.3bn euros ($4.7bn; £2.8bn).

The deal ends months of acrimony between the two firms, and concludes Porsche’s failed efforts to buy VW.
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Algeria switches weekend, again

Algeria is changing its weekend, a transition that has caused considerable confusion and given public sector workers a three-day break.

The country has had a Thursday-Friday weekend since 1976, but is now aligning itself with other states in the region that have a Friday-Saturday weekend.

Business people working internationally have welcomed the change.
But there are also concerns that with Thursday no longer a day off, working hours and some trade will be lost.
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Hundreds ‘buried alive’ in Taiwan

More than 390 people are believed to have been buried alive in the village worst affected by a massive mudslide caused by Typhoon Morakot.

A National Fire Agency disaster relief centre spokesman told the BBC’s Cindy Sui of the fears for Hsiaolin Village.

This is the first time the government has released a firm estimate on the number of people they believe might have been killed.
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France, Germany Fend Off Recession

Fresh signs of a nascent economic recovery came from hard-hit Europe on Thursday, with Germany and France unexpectedly becoming the first major industrialized nations to officially pull out of the global recession.

Though their recoveries were modest by virtually any standard and may yet stall in the months ahead, the surprising bounce back to growth in Europe’s largest economies comes on the heels of steadily rising economic optimism across the globe.
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Rock guitar pioneer Les Paul dies

Les Paul, whose pioneering electric guitars were used by a legion of rock stars, has died at the age of 94.

Mr Paul died from complications of pneumonia in New York, according to Gibson, the firm that sold his guitars.

He is credited with developing one of the first solid-body electric guitars, which went on sale in 1952 and contributed to the birth of rock.
He also developed other influential recording innovations such as multi-track recording and overdubbing.
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Iran inmates ‘tortured to death’

Iran’s defeated opposition presidential candidate has said that some protesters held after last month’s disputed poll were tortured to death in prison.

The claim by Mehdi Karroubi comes days after he said a number of prisoners, both male and female, had been raped.

Officials deny the rape claims, but admit that abuses have taken place.
The BBC’s Jon Leyne says the opposition uses the issue to maintain political pressure without directly questioning Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s poll victory.
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‘Many hurricanes’ in modern times

Hurricanes in the Atlantic are more frequent than at any time in the last 1,000 years, according to research just published in the journal Nature.

Scientists examined sediments left by hurricanes that crossed the coast in North America and the Caribbean.

The record suggests modern hurricane activity is unusual – though it might have been even higher 1,000 years ago.

The possible influence of climate change on hurricanes has been a controversial topic for several years.
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‘District 9′ determined not to stick to formula

(CNN) — Science fiction flicks featuring aliens can be a little formulaic: Aliens invade American territory, mass destruction ensues, and nine times out of 10, Will Smith rides to the rescue.

But the alien-infested “District 9,” opening in theaters Friday, takes things in a different direction — if the producer may say so himself.

“It’s utterly original,” producer Peter Jackson — yes, “Lord of the Rings” helmsman Peter Jackson — told Entertainment Weekly.

“In an industry that’s looking to make movies out of every obscure TV show, or sequels, or video games, you look at ‘District 9′ and it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen,” he said.
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Iran speaker rejects detainee rape claims

TEHRAN, Iran (CNN) — Iran’s influential parliament speaker dismissed allegations that post-election detainees were raped while in custody, calling the claims by an opposition leader “sheer lies,” state-run media reported Wednesday.

Ali Larijani said that a special panel of Iran’s parliament, or Majlis, conducted a “precise and comprehensive inquiry” into the treatment at Tehran’s Evin and Kahrizak prisons, and found “no cases of rape or sexual abuse,” Press TV reported.

Larijani’s fiery response was to accusations made by opposition candidate Mehdi Karrubi who, along with opposition leader Mir Hossein Moussavi, ran against hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in the June 12 election. Iran’s election authority declared Ahmadinejad the overwhelming winner of the race, sparking hundreds of thousands of Iranians to take to the streets in protests.
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