Presidential elections on April 14 in Venezuela

Thousands gathered in Caracas on Wednesday, as Hugo Chavez’s coffin made his way to the military academy (photo Reuters)

Following Venezuelan leader’s death on March 5 after a long battle with cancer, the country’s electoral commission has announced that the presidential election to name his successor will take place on April 14.

The campaigning period will go from April 2 to April 11, the electoral commission also said.

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Thousands rally in Ireland demanding new abortion law after tragedy

Several thousand people have gathered on Saturday in the Republic of Ireland to demand changes to the country’s abortion law, following the death of Savita Halappanavar.

The largest demonstrations took place in Dublin (photo, from dailymail.co.uk) where more than 4,000 people marched to the Irish parliament for a candle-lit vigil and held one minute silence. In Galway, where Mrs Halappanavar lived, more than 1,000 gathered for a vigil in Eyre Square, and some 60 members of the Indian community rallied outside the hospital and held two minutes of silent prayers.

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Adolescent cannabis users risk irreversible IQ loss

A study of around 1,000 people in New Zealand suggests that young people who smoke cannabis for years risk a significant and irreversible reduction in their IQ.

According to the finding of the international team, those who started using cannabis below the age of 18, whose brains were still developing, suffered a drop in IQ.

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US health agency approves weight-loss pill

For the first time in 13 years a weight-loss pill has been approved by US health regulators.

Named Belviq (photo, from bbc.co.uk) this pill can be used by obese or overweight adults with at least one condition.

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Advertisers desert Limbaugh’s radio show over ‘slut’ comment

After calling a 30-year-old law student “a slut” and “a prostitute” over her opinion on contraception, several advertisers have deserted US radio host Rush Limbaugh (photo, from bbcimg.co.uk).

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US singer and actress Whitney Houston dies at 48

Whitney Houston (photo, from aljazeera.com) has died on Saturday in her room at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles, where she had been staying as a guest.

She reigned as pop music’s queen until drug use and her tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown overshadowed her career.

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Sugar as damaging as alcohol or tobacco, say US experts

Sugar is as damaging and addictive as alcohol or tobacco, and should therefore be regulated, according to a team of health experts from the University of California, San Francisco. (photo from radio-canada.ca)

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Several people froze to death in eastern Europe

Following heavy snow fall and a sudden drop in temperatures across east Europe 18 people have died in Ukraine and 10 in Poland.

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North Korean leader Kim Jong-il dies

North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, known in his country as the “Dear Leader”, has died of a heart attack on Saturday aboard a train during a trip out of Pyongyang, state media has announced on Monday.

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Journalists allowed inside Fukushima nuclear plant

Journalists wearing full protective clothing have been allowed to enter the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan on Saturday, for the first time since the country was hit by an earthquake and a tsunami.

During the tour, journalists took pictures inside the damaged plant.(photo, from lefigaro.fr)

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