Processed meat 'early death' link

Sausages, ham, bacon and other processed meats appear to increase the risk of dying young, a study of half a million people across Europe suggests.

It concluded diets high in processed meats were linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer and early deaths.
The researchers, writing in the journal BMC Medicine, said salt and chemicals used to preserve the meat may damage health.
The British Heart Foundation suggested opting for leaner cuts of meat.
The study followed people from 10 European countries for nearly 13 years on average.
Lifestyle factors It showed people who ate a lot of processed meat were also more likely to smoke, be obese and have other behaviours known to damage health.
However, the researchers said even after those risk factors were accounted for, processed meat still damaged health.
One in every 17 people followed in the study died. However, those eating more than 160g of processed meat a day - roughly two sausages and a slice of bacon - were 44% more likely to die over a typical follow-up time of 12.7 years than those eating about 20g.
In total, nearly 10,000 people died from cancer and 5,500 from heart problems.

UN adopts tough new North Korea sanctions after nuclear test

The UN Security Council has unanimously approved fresh sanctions against North Korea in response to Pyongyang's nuclear test last month.

The resolution is targeting North Korean diplomats, cash transfers and access to luxury goods.
It imposes asset freezes and travel bans on three individuals and two firms linked to North Korea's military.
Pyongyang earlier vowed to use its right to a pre-emptive nuclear attack against its "aggressors".
'Grave threat'

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Analysis

Jonathan Marcus BBC Diplomatic Correspondent

This is the fourth set of UN Security Council sanctions directed against North Korea following earlier nuclear tests and a long-range missile launch.
Previous measures may have slowed the development of these systems but they have done little to change Pyongyang's behaviour.
China backed the previous rounds of sanctions, too. Much will depend upon how far Beijing is actually prepared to implement new and existing sanctions.
Some wonder if this vote, coming as a new Chinese leadership is establishing itself, may signify - at the very least - a signal of a desire for a more constructive relationship with Washington.
Of course, the big question is how will North Korea respond.
It has huffed and puffed in advance, even threatening a pre-emptive nuclear strike against the US.
This is a highly charged moment on the Korean Peninsula and perhaps the greatest test yet for North Korea's young and inexperienced leader Kim Jong-un.

In a 15-0 vote, the council on Thursday backed Resolution 2094, imposing the fourth set of sanctions against the North.

Speaking after the vote, the US ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice, said the document "strongly condemns" Pyongyang's actions.
She said the sanctions would "further constrain" North Korea's ability to develop its nuclear programme.
And Ms Rice warned that the UN would "take further significant actions" if Pyongyang were to carry out another nuclear test.
"North Korea will achieve nothing by continuing threats and provocations," she stressed, urging the North to comply with the demands of the international community.
China's UN ambassador, Li Baodong, said that "the top priority now is to defuse the tensions" on the Korean peninsula.
Mr Li also said that the six-party talks on the North's controversial programme must resume.
South Korea's envoy to the UN, Kim Sook, described the North's nuclear tests as "grave threat to the peace" on the Korean peninsula and the wider region.
Mr Kim urged Pyongyang to respond to the concerns of the world community. "North Korea's future rests in its own hands," he said.
Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin, who is the current president of the council, described the resolution as an "appropriate measure".

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Resolution 2094

• Strongly condemns North Korea's ongoing nuclear activities, including its uranium enrichment programme
• Imposes new sanctions to block financial transactions and bulk cash transfers in support of illicit activity
• Strengthens states' authority to inspect suspicious cargo
• Requires states to deny port access to any North Korean vessel that refuses to be inspected
• Calls on states to deny permission to any aircraft to take off, land in or overfly their territory if the aircraft is suspected of transporting prohibited items
• Enables stronger enforcement of existing sanctions by UN member states
• Sanctions new individuals and entities

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the measure "sent an unequivocal message to (North Korea) that the international community will not tolerate its pursuit of nuclear weapons."

Pyongyang has so far made no comments following Thursday's vote.
But earlier it accused the US of pushing to start a war.
"As long as the United States is willing to spark nuclear war, our forces will exercise their right to a pre-emptive nuclear strike," said North Korea's foreign ministry, in a statement carried by the KCNA news agency, without giving further details.
Earlier this week, Pyongyang also threatened to scrap the 60-year truce which ended the 1950-53 Korean War.
February's nuclear test, North Korea's third, followed its apparently successful launch in December of a three-stage rocket - a move condemned by the UN as a banned test of missile technology.
Pyongyang claims its nuclear test involved a smaller and more powerful device - prompting concerns it could be moving closer to creating a warhead small enough to arm a missile

Bonnie Tyler chosen as Eurovision UK entry

Welsh pop singer Bonnie Tyler has been confirmed as the UK representative at the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest.

The 61-year-old, best known for her 1983 hit Total Eclipse of the Heart, said she was "honoured" to be asked.
"I promise to give this everything that I've got for the UK!" she said in a statement.
Tyler will be performing the song, Believe in Me, in front of an estimated 120 million viewers in Malmo, Sweden, on 18 May.
"I am truly honoured and delighted to be able to represent my country at Eurovision, and especially with such a fabulous song," said Tyler.

Tyler, pictured here in 1984, promised she would "give this everything"

The UK entry for the 58th Eurovision Song Contest was written by American songwriter Desmond Child with British songwriters Lauren Christy and Christopher Braide.
Child has worked with Tyler throughout her career, and has also written hits for rock bands Kiss and Bon Jovi.
He also penned the Ricky Martin hits Livin' La Vida Loca and She Bangs.
"Bonnie Tyler is truly a global superstar with a fantastic voice," said Katie Taylor, BBC Controller, Entertainment and Events.
"We are delighted she will be flying the flag for the UK in Malmo."
Last year's entry, Love Will Set You Free by Engelbert Humperdinck, finished second from last with just 12 points.
Tyler is the first Welsh act to represent the UK at Eurovision since James Fox in 2004, whose song, Hold On to Our Love, finished in 16th place.
The UK last won the Eurovision in 1997 when Katrina and the Waves received 227 points for their song Love Shine a Light.

The UK has entered the competition every year since 1959 and has won on five occasions.
In 2003, Liverpool group Jemini was the first UK entry to receive zero points for their song Cry Baby.
The UK also came last in 2008 with Andy Abraham's song, Even If, and in 2010 with Josh Dubovie's entry, That Sounds Good to Me.
Tyler, born Gaynor Hopkins in Neath, Wales, had her first hit single, Lost in France, in 1976.
She was nominated for three Grammy Awards in 1984, including best female pop vocal for Total Eclipse of the Heart.

Kenya election: Computer bug blamed for vote error

Kenya's electoral commission has said that a computer bug is to blame for a large number of rejected votes in the tallying of the presidential election.

Issack Hassan said the computer was multiplying each rejected vote by a factor of eight.
This led to huge disputes and allegations of fraud.
Vote-tallying has been restarted by hand following this and other glitches but Uhuru Kenyatta still has a large lead over Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
"There was an error in the way the program was written," said Mr Hassan.
"For any rejected vote for any candidate, they were being multiplied by eight," said the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairman.
The number of rejected votes has fallen dramatically from more than 330,000 - 6% - during an initial count, to 58,644.
With about six million votes tallied at 1515 GMT (1815 Nairobi time), Mr Kenyatta had some 3.1 million votes (53%) compared to Mr Odinga's 2.6 million (43%).
But, as turnout was estimated at more than 70% of the country's 14.3 million voters, there is still some way to go.

Israel intesifies attacks on Gaza despite preliminary truce talks starting in Cairo

Egypt's President Mohamed Morsi said there are some indications of possibility of a cease-fire over Gaza soon, but there are no guarantees yet.

He stressed that his government was in touch with both Israelis and Palestinians.

Morsi also denounced the Israeli offensive against Gaza Strip as a flagrant aggression against humanity, promising that his country will never abandon Gaza.

Morsi was speaking in Cairo after meeting Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who arrived in Egypt Saturday for a visit aimed at strengthening ties between the two countries. However, it will be dominated by the conflict in Gaza.

Egypt and Turkey are under pressure from the United States to get Hamas to stop firing rockets into Israel, but the two countries have in turn strongly condemned Israel for its attacks on the Palestinian enclave.

"In fact, it was Israel that violated the cease-fire," Erdogan said in Ankara before leaving for Egypt. "This is an Israeli tactic of pointing the finger at Hamas, in order to attack Gaza," Erdogan said Friday night.

At the same time, high-level Egyptian sources said that the truce talks are sponsored by Egypt, Turkey and America with Hamas. In addition, Israeli-American communication channels are open.

The same source said that, the security crew chief in the Israeli Defense Ministry, Amos Gilad, arrived in Cairo to meet with Egyptian intelligence leaders about the proposed truce.

A Palestinian official told Reuters the truce discussions would continue in Cairo on Sunday, saying "there is hope," but it was too early to say whether the efforts would succeed.

Obama spoke with Morsi on Friday, commending his country's efforts to de-escalate the situation and expressing his hope that these efforts would be successful, the White House said.

Meanwhile, an Israeli official confirmed that Morsi and Erdogan, were making efforts to promote a cease-fire and were in contact with Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal in Cairo. Nevertheless, the official added, there was no clear outline for a cease-fire agreement.

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