Author: News Desk

London: Nearly one in four soups sold in supermarkets contains excessive amounts of salt, with one brand found to be saltier than eating two McDonald’s cheeseburgers, according to new research. Soup has long been promoted as a healthy lunchtime option, but an analysis of almost 500 tinned and chilled soups revealed that 23 percent contain more salt than recommended. The study examined 481 soup products sold in supermarkets and was carried out by Action on Salt and Sugar (AoSS). The findings showed that 48 percent of branded soups and 6 percent of supermarket own-brand soups exceeded the government’s voluntary salt…

Beaverton, Oregon: Nike is facing a US investigation over allegations that its diversity and inclusion policies discriminated against white employees. The US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced that it had filed a court motion to compel Nike to provide information related to claims of ‘intentional race discrimination’ against white workers. According to the EEOC, the allegations involve a suspected pattern of discriminatory practices in ‘hiring, promotion, demotion, or separation decisions, including selection for layoffs; internship programs; and mentoring, leadership development, and other career development programs.’ The agency took the action after Nike failed to respond to a subpoena requesting…

Stockholm: Autism may be just as prevalent among females as males, but boys are up to four times more likely to be diagnosed in childhood, according to a large-scale Swedish study that challenges long-standing assumptions about gender and autism. The research, led by the Karolinska Institutet, examined autism diagnosis rates among 2.7 million people born in Sweden between 1985 and 2020. The study tracked diagnoses made between the ages of two and 37 and found that 2.8 percent of the population received an autism diagnosis during that period. While childhood diagnosis rates showed a clear gender imbalance, the gap narrowed…

Ireland: Food and drink giant Nestlé has expanded its recall of SMA baby formula to include an additional batch amid concerns over the presence of cereulide, a heat-resistant toxin that can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps. The latest recall comes on top of more than 60 batches of SMA formula that were withdrawn last month over the same concerns. The full recall affects a range of SMA products, including powdered and ready-to-feed formulas intended for newborns and toddlers. In a statement, investigators at the UK’s Food Standards Agency (FSA) noted that Nestlé had updated its recall to cover one…

Shanghai: Draco Malfoy, one of the most recognisable villains from the Harry Potter series, has unexpectedly emerged as a Lunar New Year cultural icon across China, with fans embracing the character during the Year of the Horse. In Mandarin, Malfoy’s name is transliterated as ‘mǎ ěr fú.’ The first character, mǎ, translates to ‘horse,’ while the final character, fú, means ‘fortune’ or ‘blessing,’ a powerful and widely used symbol in Lunar New Year celebrations. When combined, the name can be loosely interpreted as ‘horse fortune,’ giving the character an unexpectedly auspicious meaning for the year ahead. This clever wordplay has…

Tokyo: Record-breaking snowfall across Japan has claimed at least 30 lives over the past two weeks, with officials reporting a series of fatal incidents linked to extreme winter conditions, including the death of a 91-year-old woman who was found buried beneath about 300cm (118 inches) of snow outside her home. The severe weather prompted the government of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to order the deployment of Self-Defence Force troops to assist affected communities, according to Japanese national broadcaster NHK. The military is being mobilised to support snow removal and disaster relief efforts in the hardest-hit regions. Authorities have issued warnings…

Washington: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have more in common with cigarettes than with natural foods such as fruits and vegetables, and should therefore be subject to much stricter regulation, according to a new academic study. The report, authored by researchers from Harvard University, the University of Michigan, and Duke University, argues that UPFs are deliberately engineered to promote addiction and excessive consumption, mirroring the strategies long used by the tobacco industry. The researchers highlight strong parallels between cigarettes and UPFs in their production processes, health impacts, and the way manufacturers optimise their products to deliver rapid, repeated stimulation of the brain’s…

Berlin: Commuters across Germany faced freezing temperatures on February 2 as Verdi led a nationwide strike by tens of thousands of public transport workers, shutting bus and tram services in most cities. The trade union represents nearly 100,000 transport employees and followed stalled negotiations with municipal and state employers over working conditions last week. Verdi is demanding shorter shifts, longer rest breaks, and higher pay for night and weekend work, despite budget constraints faced by cities. The strike affects approximately 150 municipal transport companies across all but one of Germany’s 16 federal states, including major cities such as Berlin, Hamburg,…

London: Sipping a cup of coffee after a heavy meal can support digestion for some people, but it is not beneficial for everyone, according to Dr. Emily Leeming, a dietitian at King’s College London. While coffee can aid digestion in certain cases, she cautions that it is not always a good idea. Caffeine stimulates the gut by increasing muscle contractions, which helps move food through the digestive system at a steady and efficient pace before it is excreted. For people with slightly sluggish digestion, this stimulation can be helpful. However, for others, particularly those with digestive conditions such as irritable…

New Delhi: An ally of PM Narendra Modi proposes a bill to ban children from social media, pushing India into the global debate on online safety and data use. The move places India, one of the largest global markets for platforms such as Meta and YouTube, into the intensifying international debate over the impact of social media on young people’s health, safety, and data use. Lawmaker L.S.K. Devarayalu said that children in India are increasingly becoming addicted to social media. L.S.K also raised concerns that India is among the world’s largest generators of data for foreign digital platforms. According to…