The contraceptive pill can protect women from some types of cancer for as long as 30 years, according to new research.
Women who have used the pill are less likely to have bowel cancer, endometrial cancer or ovarian cancer than those who had never taken it, a University of Aberdeen study found.
The study also confirmed that the pill does not lead to more cancer risks later in life, researchers say.
The findings are the latest published from the Oral Contraception Study - established by the Royal College of General Practitioners in 1968 to explore the effects of taking the contraceptive pill.
The latest study relates to 46,000 women followed for up to 44 years.
Dr Lisa Iversen, who led the study, said: "What we found from looking at up to 44 years' worth of data, was that having ever used the pill, women are less likely to get colorectal, endometrial and ovarian cancer.
"So, the protective benefits from using the pill during their reproductive years are lasting for at least 30 years after women have stopped using the pill.
"We were also interested in what the overall balance of all types of cancer is amongst women who have used the pill as they enter the later stages of their life.
"We did not find any evidence of new cancer risks appearing later in life as women get older."
She added: "These results from the longest-running study in the world into oral contraceptive use are reassuring.
"Specifically, pill users don't have an overall increased risk of cancer over their lifetime and that the protective effects of some specific cancers last for at least 30 years."
The contraceptive pill prevents ovulation and contains artificial versions of female hormones oestrogen and progesterone.
It is prescribed to approximately 3.5 million women in Britain.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
What you should think about before buying Apple’s cheaper iPad and red iPhone
Apple announced several new products Tuesday morning, including a cheaper version of the iPad and a new red shade for the iPhone. Consumers can place their orders for the new devices starting Friday.
If you’ve been thinking about treating yourself to something new and are intrigued by Apple’s announcements, here are some things to consider before you buy.
The strongest selling point for the new 9.7-inch iPad is its price. The tablet now starts at $329, which is $70 less than its previous price. It has a retina display and comes in three colors: gold, silver and space gray.
The new iPad appears to be a replacement for the iPad Air 2, so it's best to think of it as a successor to that product — an in-between, easy-to-carry tablet for watching video and Web browsing. It is about 20 percent thicker than its predecessor but is still pretty trim at 1.03 pounds.
The lower price tag comes with a few trade-offs, however. It doesn’t have Apple’s latest processor but packs the same one from the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, meaning that it is a little slower than the latest iPhone. The new tablet also has no support for the Apple Pencil or Apple’s Smart Keyboard — those appear to still be reserved for the iPad Pro line.
That will probably be fine for most people. If you’re looking for a full laptop replacement, however, it’s probably not your best option.
Apple also upped the storage space on the iPad mini to 128 GB, for $399, which could make the smaller tablet more appealing as a travel companion for watching video — if you don't mind the price. The smaller size makes it a little more plane-friendly than a full-size tablet.
As for the new red iPhone, deciding whether to pay $749 for it is almost entirely a cosmetic decision. The anodized red hue is a head-turner and benefits the AIDS awareness campaign Red. Apple has already put a similar color on its iPods, but this is the first time it has come to the iPhone.
If you’re really digging the color or if you are an AIDS research supporter, those are the reasons to buy. There’s no difference in the actual hardware, so you won’t be upgrading anything apart from your style.
If you’ve been thinking about treating yourself to something new and are intrigued by Apple’s announcements, here are some things to consider before you buy.
The strongest selling point for the new 9.7-inch iPad is its price. The tablet now starts at $329, which is $70 less than its previous price. It has a retina display and comes in three colors: gold, silver and space gray.
The new iPad appears to be a replacement for the iPad Air 2, so it's best to think of it as a successor to that product — an in-between, easy-to-carry tablet for watching video and Web browsing. It is about 20 percent thicker than its predecessor but is still pretty trim at 1.03 pounds.
The lower price tag comes with a few trade-offs, however. It doesn’t have Apple’s latest processor but packs the same one from the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, meaning that it is a little slower than the latest iPhone. The new tablet also has no support for the Apple Pencil or Apple’s Smart Keyboard — those appear to still be reserved for the iPad Pro line.
That will probably be fine for most people. If you’re looking for a full laptop replacement, however, it’s probably not your best option.
Apple also upped the storage space on the iPad mini to 128 GB, for $399, which could make the smaller tablet more appealing as a travel companion for watching video — if you don't mind the price. The smaller size makes it a little more plane-friendly than a full-size tablet.
As for the new red iPhone, deciding whether to pay $749 for it is almost entirely a cosmetic decision. The anodized red hue is a head-turner and benefits the AIDS awareness campaign Red. Apple has already put a similar color on its iPods, but this is the first time it has come to the iPhone.
If you’re really digging the color or if you are an AIDS research supporter, those are the reasons to buy. There’s no difference in the actual hardware, so you won’t be upgrading anything apart from your style.
Fears over jet bombs hidden in electronic devices
Intelligence officials in the US believe terrorists are perfecting explosive devices small enough to fit inside consumer electronics in an attempt to bring down commercial airliners.
The concern is behind the decision to ban larger electronic devices in cabins on direct US-bound flights from a number of destinations in the Middle East and North Africa.
A similar ban has been put in place by authorities in the UK with other countries expected to follow.
US media has quoted officials confirming the move is linked to a threat from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and has been prompted by recent intelligence.
The group boasts one of the world's most feared bomb makers, Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri.
Authorities are concerned about plots similar to an incident in Somalia last February when a bomb hidden in a laptop blew open the side of a plane but failed to bring it down. Only the bomber was killed.
Members of Congress were briefed on the classified intelligence behind the ban at the weekend.
Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said: "These steps are both necessary and proportional to the threat.
"We know that terrorist organisations want to bring down aircraft and have continued to employ creative ways to try and outsmart detection methods."
Senator Bill Nelson said: "This is a real threat."
The order from the Transportation Security Administration gives airlines until the weekend to inform travellers to pack laptops, tablets and game consoles into their checked bags.
Airlines that fail to enforce the ban - which airline Emirates says it has been told will last until October - risk losing their right to operate routes to the US.
The ban is not connected to the controversial restrictions on travel from a handful of predominately Muslim countries that the Trump administration is still attempting to enforce.
The US restrictions affect nine airlines and some 50 flights a day from Cairo, Istanbul, Kuwait City, Doha, Casablanca, Amman, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The UK restrictions apply to direct flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia on British Airways, easyjet, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson, Atlas-Global, Pegasus, EgyptAir, Royal Jordanian, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, Turkish Airlines and Tunisair.
The concern is behind the decision to ban larger electronic devices in cabins on direct US-bound flights from a number of destinations in the Middle East and North Africa.
A similar ban has been put in place by authorities in the UK with other countries expected to follow.
US media has quoted officials confirming the move is linked to a threat from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and has been prompted by recent intelligence.
The group boasts one of the world's most feared bomb makers, Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri.
Authorities are concerned about plots similar to an incident in Somalia last February when a bomb hidden in a laptop blew open the side of a plane but failed to bring it down. Only the bomber was killed.
Members of Congress were briefed on the classified intelligence behind the ban at the weekend.
Adam Schiff, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said: "These steps are both necessary and proportional to the threat.
"We know that terrorist organisations want to bring down aircraft and have continued to employ creative ways to try and outsmart detection methods."
Senator Bill Nelson said: "This is a real threat."
The order from the Transportation Security Administration gives airlines until the weekend to inform travellers to pack laptops, tablets and game consoles into their checked bags.
Airlines that fail to enforce the ban - which airline Emirates says it has been told will last until October - risk losing their right to operate routes to the US.
The ban is not connected to the controversial restrictions on travel from a handful of predominately Muslim countries that the Trump administration is still attempting to enforce.
The US restrictions affect nine airlines and some 50 flights a day from Cairo, Istanbul, Kuwait City, Doha, Casablanca, Amman, Riyadh, Jeddah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The UK restrictions apply to direct flights from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia and Saudi Arabia on British Airways, easyjet, Monarch, Thomas Cook, Thomson, Atlas-Global, Pegasus, EgyptAir, Royal Jordanian, Middle East Airlines, Saudia, Turkish Airlines and Tunisair.
Wyclef Jean handcuffed after mistaken for armed robber by LA police
Musician Wyclef Jean has revealed how he was put in handcuffs after being mistaken for an armed robber.
The Grammy-winner shared a video on his Twitter page hours after being detained by police in Los Angeles.
The 18-second clip shows the former Fugees star confused about why he is being detained.
"I'm in LA right now, coming from the studio with T-Baby, ya'll see the police have handcuffs on me," he is heard saying.
"They just took off my Haitian bandana. That's what's going on right now with Wyclef in LA right now," he explains.
"The LAPD have me in cuffs for absolutely nothing."
Police later confirmed they had detained the 47-year-old rapper while searching for an armed robbery suspect.
A West Hollywood patrol unit thought his car matched the description.
"LAPD another case of mistaken identity. Black man with red bandana robbed a gas station as I was in the studio working but I'm in handcuffs?" he tweeted.
"They proceeded to ignore me," he explained in a later tweet.
"I was treated like a criminal until other police showed up and pointed out they had wrong person."
Wyclef Jean is a Haiti-born musician and actor who rose to fame in the mid-90s alongside Lauryn Hill in the Fugees.
He is a known advocate for humanitarian causes and even filed to run for president in the 2010 Haitian elections.
"I was asked by the police to put my hands up. Then I was told do not move. I was instantly hand cuffed before being asked to identify myself," he wrote on Twitter.
"As some one who has law enforcers in my family, I was appalled by this behavior of the LAPD."
The officers who stopped the musician are understood to be from LA County Sheriff's Department, rather than LAPD itself.
The Grammy-winner shared a video on his Twitter page hours after being detained by police in Los Angeles.
The 18-second clip shows the former Fugees star confused about why he is being detained.
"I'm in LA right now, coming from the studio with T-Baby, ya'll see the police have handcuffs on me," he is heard saying.
"They just took off my Haitian bandana. That's what's going on right now with Wyclef in LA right now," he explains.
"The LAPD have me in cuffs for absolutely nothing."
Police later confirmed they had detained the 47-year-old rapper while searching for an armed robbery suspect.
A West Hollywood patrol unit thought his car matched the description.
"LAPD another case of mistaken identity. Black man with red bandana robbed a gas station as I was in the studio working but I'm in handcuffs?" he tweeted.
"They proceeded to ignore me," he explained in a later tweet.
"I was treated like a criminal until other police showed up and pointed out they had wrong person."
Wyclef Jean is a Haiti-born musician and actor who rose to fame in the mid-90s alongside Lauryn Hill in the Fugees.
He is a known advocate for humanitarian causes and even filed to run for president in the 2010 Haitian elections.
"I was asked by the police to put my hands up. Then I was told do not move. I was instantly hand cuffed before being asked to identify myself," he wrote on Twitter.
"As some one who has law enforcers in my family, I was appalled by this behavior of the LAPD."
The officers who stopped the musician are understood to be from LA County Sheriff's Department, rather than LAPD itself.
Holyrood to vote on Nicola Sturgeon's call for second referendum
Nicola Sturgeon faces a make-or-break vote in the Scottish Parliament later as MSPs decide whether or not to back her fight for a second independence referendum.
The First Minister will call on MSPs to back her request to Westminster for a Section 30 order, allowing for a legally-binding vote to be held.
Last week, Ms Sturgeon announced plans to hold another vote on Scotland's future some time between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, but the Prime Minister asserted "now is not the time" for another referendum.
Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs have said they will block such a ballot.
However, the pro-independence Scottish Greens, who have six MSPs, are expected to give the First Minister the support she needs for her motion to be passed after the conclusion of a two-day debate this afternoon.
:: What are the arguments for and against indyref2?
Making her case for a new vote on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament there was an "unquestionable democratic mandate for an independence referendum".
She said the UK Government would be "wrong and unfair" to stand in the way of Scotland "even having a choice", adding that Theresa May should set out a timetable for a referendum if she doesn't agree with holding it before spring 2019.
The First Minister will call on MSPs to back her request to Westminster for a Section 30 order, allowing for a legally-binding vote to be held.
Last week, Ms Sturgeon announced plans to hold another vote on Scotland's future some time between autumn 2018 and spring 2019, but the Prime Minister asserted "now is not the time" for another referendum.
Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat MSPs have said they will block such a ballot.
However, the pro-independence Scottish Greens, who have six MSPs, are expected to give the First Minister the support she needs for her motion to be passed after the conclusion of a two-day debate this afternoon.
:: What are the arguments for and against indyref2?
Making her case for a new vote on Wednesday, Ms Sturgeon told the Scottish Parliament there was an "unquestionable democratic mandate for an independence referendum".
She said the UK Government would be "wrong and unfair" to stand in the way of Scotland "even having a choice", adding that Theresa May should set out a timetable for a referendum if she doesn't agree with holding it before spring 2019.
North Korea 'fails' in new missile test: South
A new North Korean missile test appeared to have ended in failure, according to South Korean and US officials.
The reported failed launch on Wednesday came during large-scale annual military drills involving US and South Korean forces that the North has called a rehearsal for an invasion.
Seoul's defence ministry said in a statement that Pyongyang fired one missile from an air base in the eastern port of Wonsan but the launch was believed to had failed.
"We are in the process of analysing what type of missile it was," it added.
The statement came after Japan's Kyodo news service, citing an unidentified government source, said the North might have launched several missiles and that they were a failure.
A US military spokesman also said they had detected a failed North Korean missile launch attempt, with a missile exploding within seconds of its launch.
"US Pacific Command detected what we assess was a failed North Korean missile launch attempt ... in the vicinity of Kalma," Commander Dave Benham, a spokesman for US Pacific Command, said in a statement, referring to an air field on North Korea's east coast.
"A missile appears to have exploded within seconds of launch," Benham said, adding that work was being carried out on a more detailed assessment.
The reported failed launch on Wednesday came during large-scale annual military drills involving US and South Korean forces that the North has called a rehearsal for an invasion.
Seoul's defence ministry said in a statement that Pyongyang fired one missile from an air base in the eastern port of Wonsan but the launch was believed to had failed.
"We are in the process of analysing what type of missile it was," it added.
The statement came after Japan's Kyodo news service, citing an unidentified government source, said the North might have launched several missiles and that they were a failure.
A US military spokesman also said they had detected a failed North Korean missile launch attempt, with a missile exploding within seconds of its launch.
"US Pacific Command detected what we assess was a failed North Korean missile launch attempt ... in the vicinity of Kalma," Commander Dave Benham, a spokesman for US Pacific Command, said in a statement, referring to an air field on North Korea's east coast.
"A missile appears to have exploded within seconds of launch," Benham said, adding that work was being carried out on a more detailed assessment.
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
North Korea to pursue development of ICBM - envoy
North Korea will pursue the development of inter-continental ballistic missiles and first strike capability, an envoy has said.
The Pyongyang official said his country has nothing to fear from any threats by the US that it will broaden sanctions.
Instead, Choe Myong-Nam warned, North Korea will accelerate its nuclear and missile programme.
It comes after the country released a propaganda video purporting to show a US aircraft carrier on fire.
Mr Choe, deputy ambassador at the DPRK (North Korean) mission to the United Nations in Geneva, told Reuters his country would work towards developing the sort of nuclear capability that allowed it to strike at an enemy first.
It would also aim to build a long-range missile that had the potential to hit targets on other continents.
In the last few weeks, the US has held joint military exercises with South Korea which America says are defensive.
President Trump said soon after taking office that he would not let North Korea possess a weapon that could threaten the US.
A senior US official in Washington said on Monday that the Trump administration is considering sweeping sanctions as part of measures to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threat.
The Pyongyang official said his country has nothing to fear from any threats by the US that it will broaden sanctions.
Instead, Choe Myong-Nam warned, North Korea will accelerate its nuclear and missile programme.
It comes after the country released a propaganda video purporting to show a US aircraft carrier on fire.
Mr Choe, deputy ambassador at the DPRK (North Korean) mission to the United Nations in Geneva, told Reuters his country would work towards developing the sort of nuclear capability that allowed it to strike at an enemy first.
It would also aim to build a long-range missile that had the potential to hit targets on other continents.
In the last few weeks, the US has held joint military exercises with South Korea which America says are defensive.
President Trump said soon after taking office that he would not let North Korea possess a weapon that could threaten the US.
A senior US official in Washington said on Monday that the Trump administration is considering sweeping sanctions as part of measures to counter North Korea's nuclear and missile threat.
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