British healthcare system hit by 'ransomware' cyberattack

A "ransomware" cyberattack targeted Britain's national healthcare system on Friday, affecting more than a dozen offices in a strike that hit a number of groups across industries, authorities said.

Fukushima victims still suffer five years on

Iidate Village, about 40 kilometers from Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, is now almost a ghost town.

Jordan says Syrian refugees cost over $7 bln

Jordanian Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said Syrian refugees influx has cost the country more than seven billion US dollars since 2011, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Egypt's ongoing heatwave claims more lives, toll climbs to 61

Egypt’s continuing heatwave took 21 lives on Tuesday, driving the death toll to 61 in three days, the health minister said.

82 Million Chinese Live on $1 per Day

Over 82 million of China’s residents are surviving on a daily income of $1 despite China's meteoric economic growth and rising export volumes, the Strait Time reports.

“The poverty-stricken population not only suffer from low income but also face various difficulties in getting drinking water, roads, electricity, education, medical care and loans,” said aChinese official Zheng Wenkai, cited by South China Morning Post.

According to the news source, poverty remains a ever present burden for most of the Chinese population. China's rural residents average 2,300 yuan ($368) a year or about $1 a day.

US prisoner swap angers domestic critics

The dramatic deal to free soldier Bowe Bergdahl in exchange for Taliban prisoners ignited criticism after the insurgents' leader declared a "big victory," but also raised hopes for peace as the US prepares to leave Afghanistan.

Washington has defended the swap as critical to saving Bergdahl's life, as his health had deteriorated sharply after five years spent as the only US soldier held captive by the Taliban since the war began in 2001.

First UN report on antibiotic resistance reveals ‘serious threat’ to global public health

 30 April 2014 – Antibiotic resistance – when bacteria change so antibiotics no longer work in people who need them to treat infections – is now a major threat to public health, says a new United Nations report released today.

The study, produced by the UN World Health Organization (WHO), is the first to look at antimicrobial resistance, including antibiotic resistance, globally, and provides the most comprehensive picture to date, incorporating data from 114 countries.

High court orders California to release thousands of prisoners....

On Tuesday, the US Supreme Court rejected an appeal to halt the early release of thousands of California prison inmates by the end of the year.
The Supreme Court did not comment on its decision, which supports a previous ruling by a lower court forcing California to free about 9,600 additional inmates by the end of the year. In 2011, federal judges ruled that the state must improve prison health conditions. Reducing the number of inmates was included as part of the process.
Since then, California has cut its prison population by about 25,000 inmates. State Gov. Jerry Brown claims that releasing even more could jeopardize public safety. It remains to be seen whether or not counties in California are equipped to handle the influx of inmates scheduled to occur.

Maduro acusa a los enemigos de Venezuela de enfermar a Chávez.

El vicepresidente de la República venezolana, Nicolás Maduro, está ofreciendo una comparecencia pública retransmitida en televisión en la que ha acusado a los enemigos de Venezuela de llevar a cabo planes para desestabilizar el país. Maduro ha asegurado que en el futuro una comisión de investigación revelará que la enfermedad del presidente Hugo Chávez fue provocada por los "enemigos de la patria".

Maduro ha anunciado, asimismo, la expulsión de un un agregado militar de la embajada estadounidense, David del Mónaco, por intentar captar a militares venezolanos "para desestabilizar al país".

Ενημέρωση για την υγεία του Ούγκο Τσάβες ζητά η αντιπολίτευση

Ο κύριος συνασπισμός της αντιπολίτευσης της Βενεζουέλας ζήτησε σήμερα από την κυβέρνηση να πει "την αλήθεια" σχετικά με την κατάσταση της υγείας του προέδρου Ούγκο Τσάβες, ο οποίος εισήχθη σε νοσοκομείο της Κούβας πριν από τρεις εβδομάδες για θεραπεία του καρκίνου από τον οποίο πάσχει.

Το αίτημα αυτό υποβάλλεται σε μια στιγμή που κυκλοφορούν φήμες ακόμη και για το ότι ο Τσάβες έχει πέσει σε κώμα, καθώς η πολυήμερη θεραπεία του και η απουσία επίσημης ενημέρωσης εντείνουν την σχετική ανησυχία για την κατάσταση της υγείας του.