Agence France-Presse - Table of Contents 'English'

2007

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December

Vietnam sentences 43 heroin traffickers to death in a month: officials: Frank Zeller; Agence France-Presse - December 28, 2007; HANOI, Dec 28, 2007 (AFP) - Vietnam has sentenced eight heroin traffickers to death, a court official said Friday, raising to more than 40 the number of drug smugglers to receive the death penalty over the past month.
Merkel may have saved millions of lives: Bob Geldof: Agence France-Presse - December 26, 2007; BERLIN, Dec 26, 2007 (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel may have saved millions of lives in Africa during her country's presidency of the Group of Eight, Irish rock singer and activist Bob Geldof told a newspaper.
HIV women forced into sex for treatment in India: report: Agence France-Presse - December 22, 2007; NEW DELHI, Dec 22, 2007 (AFP) - HIV-positive women in the northern Indian state of Punjab were forced by technicians at a medical institute to have sex in return for tests and medicines, a report said Saturday.
ANC dances to a different tune under Zuma: Isaac Mangena; Agence France-Presse - December 20, 2007; POLOKWANE, South Africa, Dec 20, 2007 (AFP) - If Thabo Mbeki sent them to sleep at the start of conference, Jacob Zuma, the triumphant new leader of South Africa's ruling ANC, had delegates dancing in the aisles at its finale.
India gets 100 mln dollars to fight AIDS: Agence France-Presse - December 20, 2007; NEW DELHI, Dec 20, 2007 (AFP) - A multilateral fund that wages a global fight against three major diseases on Thursday pledged 100 million dollars to India to supply drugs to AIDS patients and spread awareness about the illness.
'Unstoppable Zunami' sweeps through SAfrica's ANC: Mariette le Roux; Agence France-Presse - December 18, 2007; POLOKWANE, South Africa, Dec 18, 2007 (AFP) - Jacob Zuma, so often declared a political corpse during a scandal-plagued career, has pulled off a huge comeback by unseating Thabo Mbeki as head of South Africa's ruling ANC.
Human Rights Watch slams Zambia over violence against women: Agence France-Presse - December 18, 2007; LUSAKA, Dec 18, 2007 (AFP) - Human Rights Watch (HRW) Tuesday accused Zambia's government of failing to stop escalating violence against women and prevention of access to antiretroviral (ARV) treatment for AIDS sufferers.
Rape case in AUE highlights AIDS taboo: Ali Khalil; Agence France-Presse - December 16, 2007; DUBAI, Dec 16, 2007 (AFP) - The rape of a French-Swiss teenage boy in Dubai by two men, one of them infected with HIV, has raised questions over the United Arab Emirate's policy of dealing with a topic still taboo in this socially conservative country.
Asia faces trillion dollar TB-fighting bill: P. Parameswaran; Agence France-Presse - December 15, 2007; WASHINGTON, Dec 15, 2007 (AFP) - Eleven Asian nations facing the biggest threat from tuberculosis risk being saddled with a whopping trillion dollar economic burden over the next 10 years if they do not beef up their anti-TB strategy, a landmark study shows.
Refugee charged with infecting women with HIV in Poland: prosecutor: Agence France-Presse - December 14, 2007; WARSAW, Dec 14, 2007 (AFP) - A celebrated Cameroonian poet and activist living in Poland as a refugee since 1999 has been charged with "knowingly infecting" 12 women with the HIV virus, the Warsaw district prosecutor's spokeswoman announced Friday.
ANC contest dismays combatants in S Africa's war on AIDS: Aderogba Obisesan; Agence France-Presse - December 14, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Dec 14, 2007 (AFP) - The battle to lead South Africa's ruling party pits an AIDS dissident against a rival who took a shower as a form of safe sex, in a country which has the world's highest rate of HIV infections.
Jacob Zuma: investors' bogeyman and pop star to the poor: Fran Blandy; Agence France-Presse - December 13, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Dec 13, 2007 (AFP) - Shrugging off scandals that would have sunk most politicians, South Africa's axed deputy president Jacob Zuma is wrapping up a seemingly unstoppable campaign for the reins of the ruling party.
AIDS on agenda as Bush meets Nigerian leader: Agence France-Presse - December 13, 2007; WASHINGTON, Dec 13, 2007 (AFP) - President George W. Bush on Thursday praised visiting Nigerian President Umaru Yar'Adua for his commitment to democracy and offered US help in fighting AIDS and malaria.
Palestinian doctor sues Kadhafi for torture over Libyan AIDS case: Agence France-Presse - December 13, 2007; SOFIA, Dec 13, 2007 (AFP) - The Palestinian-born doctor held with five Bulgarian nurses in a Libyan prison for over eight years said Thursday that he was suing Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi for torture.
Two Emiratis jailed for 15 years for raping European boy: Agence France-Presse - December 12, 2007; DUBAI, Dec 12, 2007 (AFP) - A Dubai court on Wednesday sentenced two men from the United Arab Emirates to 15 years in jail for raping a French-Swiss teenage boy.
Dubai auction raises three million dollars for AIDS: charity: Agence France-Presse - December 11, 2007; DUBAI, Dec 11, 2007 (AFP) - A classic car belonging to Hollywood star Sharon Stone helped to raise three million dollars for an AIDS charity in an auction during Dubai's fourth international film festival, a statement from the charity said on Tuesday.
Children's mortality drops to historic lows: UNICEF: Agence France-Presse - December 10, 2007; UNITED NATIONS, Dec 10, 2007 (AFP) - The number of children who die before their fifth birthday fell below 10 million in 2006, but much more still needed to be done, said a report by the UN's children's agency UNICEF released Monday.
South African politics are a joke, seriously: Mariette le Roux; Agence France-Presse - December 9, 2007; CAPE TOWN, Dec 9, 2007 (AFP) - As South Africa contemplates the deadly serious business of who will head its fledgling democracy, satirists have no shortage of material for gags designed to cut their leaders down to size.
Huckabee on defensive over AIDS quarantine call: Jitendra Joshi; Agence France-Presse - December 9, 2007; WASHINGTON, Dec 9, 2007 (AFP) - Top Republican White House hopefuls were forced on the defensive over their pasts Sunday with Mike Huckabee grilled about his 1992 belief that AIDS patients should be quarantined.
Top AIDS scientist appeals for new vaccine funds: Agence France-Presse - December 7, 2007; DUBAI, Dec 7, 2007 (AFP) - A discoverer of the HIV virus which causes AIDS appealed for funds on Friday to help develop a new vaccine both to protect the healthy and treat sufferers of the deadly disease.
Rape in US prisons underreported: experts: Allen Johnson; Agence France-Presse - December 7, 2007; NEW ORLEANS, Louisiana, Dec 7, 2007 (AFP) - There is a serious problem with rape in the US prison system, experts said Thursday.
Rights group urges better HIV care for US immigration detainees: Agence France-Presse - December 7, 2007; NEW YORK, Dec 7, 2007 (AFP) - Human Rights Watch called on US authorities Friday to improve medical treatment for people with HIV/AIDS being held by the immigration system, who it said were not receiving appropriate care.
Front-line AIDS drugs show staying power: study: Agence France-Presse - December 7, 2007; PARIS, Dec 7, 2007 (AFP) - Standard triple-drug treatment for HIV provides long-term protection against the development of full-blown AIDS, according to a study released Friday.
African musicians unite for AIDS album: Agence France-Presse - December 6, 2007; DAKAR, Dec 6, 2007 (AFP) - Youssou Ndour of Senegal was among more than three dozen of Africa's leading musicians who launched Thursday an album in aid of an AIDS-free generation.
China allows condoms on air for AIDS campaign: organisers: Agence France-Presse - December 6, 2007; BEIJING, Dec 6, 2007 (AFP) - China's first televised AIDS campaign featuring condoms was launched on Thursday with top music and film stars championing the values of safe sex, organisers said.
US backs Vietnam drug substitute trials to fight AIDS: officials: Agence France-Presse - December 6, 2007; HANOI, Dec 6, 2007 (AFP) - The United States plans to support Vietnam in launching a pilot methadone programme next year aimed at limiting the spread of HIV/AIDS among injecting drug users, US officials said Thursday.
Cambodian boys witnesses in German paedophile case: Agence France-Presse - December 4, 2007; BERLIN, Dec 4, 2007 (AFP) - Seven Cambodian boys will give evidence at the trial in Germany of a convicted paedophile accused of sexually abusing children during a trip to southeast Asia, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Rapper Wyclef Jean blasts AIDS research on Haiti: Agence France-Presse - December 3, 2007; PORT-AU-PRINCE, Dec 3, 2007 (AFP) - Haitian-American Rapper Wyclef Jean on Monday blasted a US study that said AIDS made its way to the United States via Haiti as prejudicial and unjust, a statement said.
Stop new AIDS infections to break the cycle: Mandela: Fran Blandy; Agence France-Presse - December 1, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Dec 1, 2007 (AFP) - Slowing new HIV infections is the key to combatting the AIDS epidemic, Nelson Mandela told the tens of thousands gathered for his 46664 benefit concert to mark World AIDS Day Saturday.
Wedding for doctor in Libyan AIDS ordeal provides happy ending: Agence France-Presse - December 1, 2007; SOFIA, Dec 1, 2007 (AFP) - The Palestinian-born doctor who spent eight years in a Libyan jail with five Bulgarian nurses in an AIDS scandal got married on Saturday, bringing a happy ending to his long ordeal.
HIV-positive boy hung in bag on tree to die: report: Agence France-Presse - December 1, 2007; NEW DELHI, Dec 1, 2007 (AFP) - A three-year-old HIV-infected boy was left to die in a cloth bag hung from a tree in southern India, a report said Saturday.
Benin tree-planting scheme brings hope in anti-AIDS fight: Isabelle Ligner; Agence France-Presse - December 1, 2007; COME, Benin, Dec 1, 2007 (AFP) - Anti-AIDS campaigners in the west African state of Benin are using a "tree of life" to help fight against the disease, in a project that provides food, revenue and hope for HIV-positive people.
US AIDS infection rate higher than earlier estimates: reports: Agence France-Presse - December 1, 2007; WASHINGTON, Dec 1, 2007 (AFP) - Annual infections from the AIDS virus in the United States run 20-50 percent higher than official estimates, US media reported Saturday.
Abidjan-Lagos: the road bringing trade, HIV: Isabelle Ligner; Agence France-Presse - December 1, 2007; COME, Benin, Dec 1, 2007 (AFP) - Kofivi, a Beninese of 45, has spent all his working life in the various ports of the West African coast, from Abidjan to Lagos, a major route both for trade and for the spread of HIV-AIDS.
South Africa holds World AIDS Day concert: Fran Blandy; Agence France-Presse - December 1, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Dec 1, 2007 (AFP) - Tens of thousands of people filed into a Johannesburg stadium on Saturday for a 10-hour music extravaganza beamed to millions around the globe for World AIDS Day.
Indonesian Muslims protest condom campaign: report: Agence France-Presse - December 1, 2007; JAKARTA, Dec 1, 2007 (AFP) - While Indonesian campaigners marked World AIDS Day by promoting the use of condoms, hundreds of Muslims rallied against free distribution of the contraceptive, a report said Saturday.
World AIDS Day marked amid signs of progress: Agence France-Presse - December 1, 2007; PARIS, Dec 1, 2007 (AFP) - Activists sought Saturday to keep the battle against HIV in the public eye on World AIDS Day in the face of growing complacency amid progress in treating and slowing the spread of the disease.

November

S.Africans mull plan to sue govt over faulty condoms: Agence France-Presse - November 30, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Nov 30, 2007 (AFP) - Thousands of South Africans are jointly planning to file a suit to claim from government and firms about 500 million euros over defective condoms that were distributed, their lawyer said Friday.
Ukraine AIDS epidemic "most severe" in Europe: UN: Agence France-Presse - November 30, 2007; KIEV, Nov 30, 2007 (AFP) - Ukraine's AIDS epidemic is the "most severe" in Europe, and is headed towards the general population, not only high-risk groups, UN officials said Friday in Kiev.
Haiti examines claim it was AIDS stepping stone: Clarens Renois; Agence France-Presse - November 30, 2007; PORT-AU-PRINCE, Nov 30, 2007 (AFP) - As the world marks AIDS day on Saturday, Haitian scientists are assessing a claim that the impoverished country was a stepping stone in the global spread of the deadly disease.
Miss World targets AIDS battle in 2007 pageant: Peter Stebbings; Agence France-Presse - November 30, 2007; SANYA, China, Nov 30, 2007 (AFP) - More than 100 of the most beautiful women on the planet have gathered on a Chinese holiday island ahead of Miss World 2007 and for what organisers hope will be a pageant with a purpose.
Up to 50 million Chinese at risk from AIDS: UN: Agence France-Presse - November 30, 2007; BEIJING, Nov 30, 2007 (AFP) - Up to 50 million Chinese people are at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS, United Nations officials warned Friday, a day after the government said the spread of the disease has slowed.
China to stop arresting women for carrying condoms: state press: Agence France-Presse - November 30, 2007; BEIJING, Nov 30, 2007 (AFP) - Chinese police are to stop arresting women who carry condoms, traditionally seen as evidence of prostitution, in an effort to help curb the spread of AIDS, state press said Friday.
Battlelines shift, but war against AIDS far from won: Marlowe Hood; Agence France-Presse - November 30, 2007; PARIS, Nov 30, 2007 (AFP) - This year's World AIDS Day sees health watchdogs battling against complacency, warning that AIDS still kills some 6,000 people each day even if the estimated toll of infections has fallen and life-saving drugs are being rolled out.
World AIDS Day: Latest figures: Agence France-Presse - November 30, 2007; PARIS, Nov 30, 2007 (AFP) - Following are the latest figures on the global AIDS epidemic ahead of World AIDS Day on Saturday.
Wordplay on frontline of S Africa's AIDS battle: Florence Panoussian; Agence France-Presse - November 29, 2007; ELANDSDOORN, South Africa, Nov 29, 2007 (AFP) - "Don't be silly, put a condom on your willy!" In South Africa, where AIDS remains a taboo subject, the billboard catches your eye on the dusty road in rural Mpumalanga.
Myanmar closes monastery linked to protests: monk: Agence France-Presse - November 29, 2007; YANGON, Nov 29, 2007 (AFP) - Military-ruled Myanmar on Thursday ordered the closure of a Yangon monastery where four monks had been arrested during a crackdown on pro-democracy protests in September, a senior monk told AFP.
HIV spreading among indigenous communities: Survival: Agence France-Presse - November 29, 2007; LONDON, Nov 29, 2007 (AFP) - Indigenous communities around the world have been hit by rising HIV/AIDS rates to increased contact with outsiders and social upheaval, a report by Survival International said on Thursday.
China says estimated HIV/AIDS cases rise to 700,000: Verna Yu; Agence France-Presse - November 29, 2007; BEIJING, Nov 29, 2007 (AFP) - China is estimated to have about 700,000 HIV/AIDS cases, with tens of thousands of new infections each year, the government said Thursday, but activists warned the problem was far greater.
Thai drug users denied access to AIDS treatments: rights group: Agence France-Presse - November 29, 2007; BANGKOK, Nov 29, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand is failing to provide treatment to drug users most at risk of AIDS despite its reputation as a pioneer in the global battle against the disease, Human Rights Watch said Thursday.
Swiss firm to launch trials of possible anti-AIDS vaccine: Agence France-Presse - November 28, 2007; GENEVA, Nov 28, 2007 (AFP) - Swiss firm Mymetics said on Wednesday it will start in 2008 Phase 1 trials of a possible anti-AIDS vaccine that seeks to produce mucosal antibodies that can resist HIV.
US company to launch online 'safe sex passport': Karin Zeitvogel; Agence France-Presse - November 28, 2007; WASHINGTON, Nov 28, 2007 (AFP) - The world's first "safe sex passport," aimed especially for users of dating and social networking websites, is due to be launched this week in the United States, the man behind the idea said Wednesday.
Pope expresses 'spiritual closeness' to AIDS sufferers: Agence France-Presse - November 28, 2007; VATICAN CITY, Nov 28, 2007 (AFP) - Pope Benedict XVI on Wednesday expressed his "spiritual closeness" to AIDS sufferers and their families ahead of World AIDS Day at the weekend.
More than 27,000 new HIV infections in Europe in 2006: report: Agence France-Presse - November 27, 2007; PARIS, Nov 27, 2007 (AFP) - More than 27,000 new HIV infections were recorded in European countries last year, the European Centre for the Epidemiological Monitoring of AIDS said Tuesday.
Russia has almost one million HIV-positive people: Agence France-Presse - November 26, 2007; MOSCOW, Nov 26, 2007 (AFP) - Between 900,000 and one million people in Russia have the HIV virus, the head of an international AIDS lobby group said Monday.
Beijing hotels told to stock condoms to combat AIDS: report: Agence France-Presse - November 24, 2007; BEIJING, Nov 24, 2007 (AFP) - Hotels in China's capital have been ordered to stock condoms in every room in response to a spike in new HIV infections in Beijing, state media reported.
Greek archaeologists say no to Acropolis in HIV campaign: official: Agence France-Presse - November 22, 2007; ATHENS, Nov 22, 2007 (AFP) - The Greek archaeological council (KAS) said Friday it had rejected plans to bathe the Acropolis in red light next month in an awareness campaign to mark World Aids Day.
British queen visits AIDS clinic in Uganda: Agence France-Presse - November 22, 2007; KAMPALA, Nov 22, 2007 (AFP) - Britain's Queen Elizabeth II said Thursday she felt "a sorrow so profound" at what she called the "scourge of HIV and AIDS" following a visit to a clinic in Uganda for sufferers of the disease.
Singapore OKs concert by US gay couple: Agence France-Presse - November 22, 2007; SINGAPORE, Nov 22, 2007 (AFP) - In a rare move, Singapore has given approval for an American gay couple to perform next month as part of a concert to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS.
Russian health chief disputes UN's HIV numbers: Agence France-Presse - November 21, 2007; MOSCOW, Nov 21, 2007 (AFP) - The head of Russia's health services on Wednesday accused the UN's AIDS agency of publishing "incorrect" statistics on the number of HIV infections in the country.
South Africa has world's highest number with AIDS: UN report: Agence France-Presse - November 21, 2007; GENEVA, Nov 21, 2007 (AFP) - More than three-quarters of AIDS-related deaths occur in sub-Saharan Africa and South Africa is now officially the country with the highest prevalence of HIV in the world, a new UN report said Wednesday.
AIDS on the rise in Russia, Ukraine: UN report: Agence France-Presse - November 20, 2007; MOSCOW, Nov 20, 2007 (AFP) - AIDS has gained ground in Russia and Ukraine where drug use by injection remains the number one cause of new HIV infections, the United Nations' AIDS report for 2007 said Wednesday.
AIDS epidemic affects 33.2 million worldwide: UN: Agence France-Presse - November 20, 2007; GENEVA, Nov 20, 2007 (AFP) - Below are the most recent figures from the UN AIDS agency, including new HIV infections and AIDS deaths in 2007, according to a report published Tuesday.
India AIDS estimates halved in new UN report: Agence France-Presse - November 20, 2007; GENEVA, Nov 20, 2007 (AFP) - The number of people in India estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS has been more than halved to 2.5 million due to better statistics and evidence gathering, a United Nations report said Tuesday.
UN cuts AIDS infection estimate: report: William French; Agence France-Presse - November 20, 2007; GENEVA, Nov 20, 2007 (AFP) - The United Nations on Tuesday sharply reduced by about seven million its estimate for the number of people worldwide infected with the AIDS virus, citing a major reassessment of HIV prevalence in India.
Indonesia, Vietnam face growing HIV epidemics: UN: Agence France-Presse - November 20, 2007; GENEVA, Nov 20, 2007 (AFP) - Indonesia has the fastest growing HIV epidemic in Asia, while in Vietnam the number of people living with the virus more than doubled between 2000 and 2005, the United Nations said in a report Tuesday.
EU adopts WTO deal for poor nations to access generic medicines: Agence France-Presse - November 19, 2007; BRUSSELS, Nov 19, 2007 (AFP) - The European Union on Monday adopted a WTO initiative to improve access for the world's poorest people to cheaper drugs against diseases such as HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis.
Tough penalty sought in Dubai rape trial: Agence France-Presse - November 18, 2007; DUBAI, Nov 18, 2007 (AFP) - The public prosecution in Dubai on Sunday demanded the maximum penalty for two Emirati men accused of raping a French-Swiss teenager in a case that has attracted international attention.
Tutu blasts Anglican church for gay 'obsession': Agence France-Presse - November 18, 2007; LONDON, Nov 18, 2007 (AFP) - Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu has slammed the church for being "obsessed" with homosexuality, in a BBC radio programme to be broadcast Tuesday.
Former sub-Sahara Africa leaders meet to discuss AIDS crisis: Agence France-Presse - November 16, 2007; LUSAKA, Nov 16, 2007 (AFP) - Veteran statesmen in Africa's sub-Sahara region are expected to gather in Zambia next week to discuss how to combat the deadly HIV/AIDS pandemic ravaging the continent, an official said Friday.
Global Fund approves 132 million dollars to Kenya's anti-AIDS drive: Agence France-Presse - November 13, 2007; NAIROBI, Nov 13, 2007 (AFP) - The Global Fund on AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has approved a grant of 132.3 million dollars (90.7 million euros) to boost Kenya's anti-HIV/AIDS drive, the health ministry announced Tuesday.
Global Fund approves over 1 bln dlrs in new grants to fight disease: Agence France-Presse - November 12, 2007; GENEVA, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) - The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria on Monday said it has approved 73 new grants worth more than 1.1 billion dollars (757 million euros) in developing countries over the next two years.
Bulgarian nurse publishes book on Libyan AIDS ordeal: Agence France-Presse - November 12, 2007; SOFIA, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) - In a new book published here this week, a Bulgarian nurse relates how she was tortured in a Libyan jail where she was held for more than eight years on charges of infecting hundreds of children with HIV in a hospital AIDS scandal.
China to relax ban on HIV/AIDS carriers: Agence France-Presse - November 12, 2007; BEIJING, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) - China plans to relax rules that are currently barring HIV/AIDS carriers from entering the country, the health ministry said on Monday.
More needed to combat TB, global conference in S Africa hears: Mariette le Roux; Agence France-Presse - November 12, 2007; CAPE TOWN, Nov 12, 2007 (AFP) - Fifty years after it was thought to have been contained, tuberculosis (TB) has re-emerged as a ruthless killer claiming a life every 20 seconds, a global lung health conference has heard.
Experts call for foreign help to fight drug abuse in eastern Europe: Agence France-Presse - November 10, 2007; VENICE, Italy, Nov 10, 2007 (AFP) - A lack of funds, viable data and political will are hampering efforts to cut drug abuse in eastern Europe, experts attending an anti-drug conference said Saturday.
Territorial jealousy causing thousands of AIDS-TB deaths, experts: Agence France-Presse - November 9, 2007; CAPE TOWN, Nov 9, 2007 (AFP) - Territorial jealousy between national AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) programmes was claiming thousands of lives world-wide, activists and experts said at a global lung health conference in Cape Town on Friday.
Failed AIDS vaccine may have increased infection risk: Mira Oberman; Agence France-Presse - November 7, 2007; CHICAGO, Nov 7, 2007 (AFP) - A once-promising vaccine for AIDS may have inadvertently increased the infection risk of people participating in clinical trials, researchers said Wednesday.
New drug combo eases mother-infant HIV dilemma: Agence France-Presse - November 7, 2007; PARIS, Nov 7, 2007 (AFP) - A new drug therapy could help ease a terrible dilemma that has forced HIV-positive mothers to gamble with the well-being of their unborn children, as well as their own, a new study reported Wednesday.
Interpol to fight sale of fake medicines in Africa: Agence France-Presse - November 6, 2007; MARRAKECH, Morocco, Nov 6, 2007 (AFP) - International police body Interpol will join the fight against the growing trade in Africa in fake drugs for tuberculosis, malaria and HIV/AIDS which threatens the lives of thousands, a senior official said Tuesday.
Lebanese gays come out of closet, but quietly: Ines Bel Aiba; Agence France-Presse - November 6, 2007; BEIRUT, Nov 6, 2007 (AFP) - In some countries in the Arab world homosexuals can face the death penalty. But in Lebanon an association battles openly for the rights of gays who may live freely but are still ostracised socially.
Indonesia to launch first-ever national condom campaign: Agence France-Presse - November 6, 2007; JAKARTA, Nov 6, 2007 (AFP) - Indonesia is to launch its first-ever national campaign to promote condom use to prevent unwanted pregnancies and the spread of sexually-transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS, officials said Tuesday.
AIDS-ravaged Botswana 'now a land of hope' - president: Agence France-Presse - November 6, 2007; GABORONE, Nov 6, 2007 (AFP) - Botswana's President Festus Mogae delivered a stout defence of his record in his last state of the nation address, saying the country which he once warned could be wiped out by AIDS was now a land of hope.
Global experts plot battle against drug resistant TB: Mariette le Roux; Agence France-Presse - November 6, 2007; CAPE TOWN, Nov 6, 2007 (AFP) - The looming threat of an untreatable strain of tuberculosis emerging as the disease becomes ever more drug resistant will occupy the minds of some 3,000 experts at a conference in Cape Town this week.
Bush picks envoys to Vatican, Austria: Agence France-Presse - November 5, 2007; WASHINGTON, Nov 5, 2007 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush has nominated an influential lawyer, Mary Ann Glendon, to be ambassador to the Vatican, and a real estate developer as ambassador to Austria, the White House said Monday.
WHO chief urges greater access to medicines in poor countries: Agence France-Presse - November 5, 2007; GENEVA, Nov 5, 2007 (AFP) - The head of the World Health Organisation on Monday said it was vital that patients in poor countries were not denied access to medicines against diseases like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis on cost grounds.
Prince Harry spends day with Lesotho orphans: Agence France-Presse - November 2, 2007; MASERU, Nov 2, 2007 (AFP) - Prince Harry, third in line to the British throne, met Friday with AIDS orphans being cared for by a charity in Lesotho launched in memory of his late mother Princess Diana, royal sources said.
Deadly HIV-TB co-epidemic sweeps sub-Saharan Africa: report: Agence France-Presse - November 2, 2007; PARIS, Nov 2, 2007 (AFP) - Drug-resistant tuberculosis and HIV have merged into a double-barreled epidemic that is sweeping across sub-Saharan Africa and threatening global efforts to eradicate both diseases, according to a report released Friday.
WHO chief praises China's efforts on health: Agence France-Presse - November 2, 2007; BEIJING, Nov 2, 2007 (AFP) - World Health Organisation chief Margaret Chan said Friday she was impressed with China's efforts to tackle its health problems but cautioned much work still needed to be done.
Indian court lets man divorce HIV positive wife: Agence France-Presse - November 2, 2007; NEW DELHI, Nov 2, 2007 (AFP) - An Indian court has granted a man permission to divorce his HIV-positive wife on the grounds that he could no longer enjoy sex with her, a report said Friday.
Zimbabwe HIV prevalence rate drops: Agence France-Presse - November 1, 2007; HARARE, Nov 1, 2007 (AFP) - The prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe has fallen by over 10 percent in the past six years, but the health minister cautioned that the rate was still too high, state media reported Thursday.

October

Africa shifts international AIDS conference venue over logistics: Agence France-Presse - October 31, 2007; DAKAR, Oct 31, 2007 (AFP) - A biennial international conference on AIDS in Africa which had been slated for December in Gabon has been moved to next year and the venue shifted to Senegal due to logistical hitches, organisers have said.
AIDS virus hits 542 victims in Jordan since 1986: Agence France-Presse - October 29, 2007; AMMAN, Oct 29, 2007 (AFP) - Jordan's health ministry said on Monday 542 people, including 179 Jordanians, have contracted the AIDS virus since the diagnosis of the first case in the desert kingdom in 1986.
Haitians brought AIDS to US: study: Agence France-Presse - October 29, 2007; CHICAGO, Oct 29, 2007 (AFP) - The strain of HIV that touched off the US AIDS epidemic and fueled the global scourge of the disease came to the continent from Africa via Haiti, according to a study released Monday.
Line-up announced for Mandela AIDS concert: Agence France-Presse - October 29, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Oct 29, 2007 (AFP) - The Nelson Mandela Foundation on Monday announced the line-up for this year's 46664 AIDS benefit concert to be held in Johannesburg, with stars such as Annie Lennox and Peter Gabriel to perform.
Sharon Stone cajoles Romans at AIDS auction: Agence France-Presse - October 27, 2007; ROME, Oct 27, 2007 (AFP) - US actress Sharon Stone was in her element late Friday as she coaxed some 300,000 euros out of guests at a charity auction for AIDS research in Rome.
Malawi AIDS victims to benefit from UN food aid: Agence France-Presse - October 26, 2007; BLANTYRE, Oct 26, 2007 (AFP) - The UN World Food Programme announced Friday it plans to provide some 1.2 million Malawians including those suffering from HIV and AIDS with basic food commodities worth 103 million dollars.
Fighting drug-resistant TB spread from hospitals: Marlowe Hood; Agence France-Presse - October 26, 2007; PARIS, Oct 26, 2007 (AFP) - An epidemic of deadly drug-resistant tuberculosis has spread from South African hospitals, but a mix of simple preventative measures could cut the number of future cases in half, according to a study released Friday.
Getting spliced: New drug targets HIV's assembly kit: Agence France-Presse - October 26, 2007; A prototype drug, tested on lab-dish samples of the AIDS virus, has shown great promise in attacking HIV from an unprecedented direction, French researchers reported on Friday.
ANC leadership hopeful slams government on crime, AIDS: Agence France-Presse - October 25, 2007; CAPE TOWN, Oct 25, 2007 (AFP) - South African presidential hopeful Tokyo Sexwale launched an outspoken attack on the government's record on AIDS and crime Thursday as a battle for the leadership of the ruling ANC intensified.
Ban outlines new two-year UN budget: Agence France-Presse - October 25, 2007; UNITED NATIONS, Oct 25, 2007 (AFP) - UN chief Ban Ki-moon on Thursday outlined a 4.2 billion dollars (three billion euros), two-year budget vowing to pursue reforms to make the world body leaner, nimbler and more efficient.
European court judges Ukraine a human rights violator: Agence France-Presse - October 25, 2007; STRASBOURG, Oct 25, 2007 (AFP) - A European Court issued a judgement against Ukraine Thursday for violating the human rights of a prisoner infected with the AIDS virus by not providing him with adequate care and humane living conditions.
Drugs crackdowns spreading HIV/AIDS in Southeast Asia: experts: Agence France-Presse - October 24, 2007; BANGKOK, Oct 24, 2007 (AFP) - Heavy handed police crackdowns on drug users are undermining efforts to curb the regional spread of HIV, with many addicts resorting to dangerous sharing of needles, experts said here on Wednesday.
AIDS stunting southern Africa's prospects: Malawi president: Agence France-Presse - October 23, 2007; BLANTYRE, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) - Malawian President Bingu wa Mutharika on Tuesday told lawmakers from around southern Africa, the epicentre of the AIDS pandemic, that the scourge of HIV was stunting the region's development.
Bulgaria honours Italian scientist in Libyan AIDS case: Agence France-Presse - October 23, 2007; SOFIA, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) - Bulgaria awarded one of its highest honour Tuesday to the Italian HIV/AIDS researcher Vittorio Colizzi, whose medical testimony helped free six Bulgarian medics in a Libyan AIDS case scandal.
Unsterilized syringes kill 1.3 mln annually: WHO: Agence France-Presse - October 23, 2007; GENEVA, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) - Nearly half the injections administered in developing countries involve unsterilized needles and syringes, which kill some 1.3 million people annually, the World Health Organisation said Tuesday.
Malaysia's HIV cases drop 22 pct in 2006: Agence France-Presse - October 23, 2007; KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23, 2007 (AFP) - Malaysia saw a 22 percent drop in new HIV infections last year as intravenous drug use -- and needle-sharing -- has dropped off significantly, local media said Wednesday, citing government data.
Bolivian prostitutes go on hunger strike for right to work: Agence France-Presse - October 22, 2007; LA PAZ, Oct 22, 2007 (AFP) - Some 50 prostitutes near La Paz went on a hunger strike Monday and threatened to march naked down the streets of El Alto to reopen the bars and strip joints closed down by the local population last week.
Genetic factor in AIDS progression is higher than thought: study: Agence France-Presse - October 21, 2007; PARIS, Oct 21, 2007 (AFP) - Variations in two key genes help determine how swiftly an individual infected with HIV progresses to AIDS, according to a study published on Sunday in the journal Nature Immunology.
France backs Australia's role in Pacific: Agence France-Presse - October 19, 2007; SYDNEY, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - France on Friday backed Australia's intervention in troubled Pacific island nations, saying strong international cooperation was needed to foster growth and stability in the region.
EU has lifted suspension on anti-AIDS drug, say makers Roche: Agence France-Presse - October 19, 2007; BASEL, Switzerland, Oct 19, 2007 (AFP) - Swiss pharmaceuticals giant Roche said Friday the European Commission had restored the licence to market the HIV drug Viracept in the European Union withdrawn after a contamination problem.
After extinction fears, Botswana learns to live with AIDS: Charlotte Plantive; Agence France-Presse - October 20, 2007; GABARONE, Botswana, Oct 20, 2007 (AFP) - Botswana, a country whose president once feared could be wiped off the map by AIDS, is living proof to other African countries that the pandemic should not be regarded as a death sentence.
South Africa's ruling ANC protects health minister: Agence France-Presse - October 18, 2007; CAPE TOWN, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - South Africa's ruling ANC flexed its parliamentary muscle Thursday to shield the health minister from a proposed probe by her peers after claims of alcoholism, kleptomania and incompetence.
South Africa must do more against AIDS: UNICEF: Agence France-Presse - October 17, 2007; GENEVA, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - South Africa must do more to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS amid rising child deaths and over one million children orphaned by the disease, the UN children's fund (UNICEF) said Wednesday.
Zimbabwe inflation surges to 7,892 percent: Agence France-Presse - October 17, 2007; HARARE, Oct 17, 2007 (AFP) - Zimbabwe's inflation rate, already the highest in the world, rose to a new peak of nearly 8,000 percent last month, figures released by the central statistics bureau showed on Wednesday.
Brazil president Lula starts Africa tour: Agence France-Presse - October 16, 2007; BRAZZAVILLE, Oct 16, 2007 (AFP) - Congo and Brazil signed health and agricultural agreements Tuesday, during a one-day visit by Brazil's President Luiz Ignacio Lula Da Silva who is on a landmark Africa tour.
Uganda earmarks 600 million dollars to develop war-ravaged north: Agence France-Presse - October 16, 2007; KAMPALA, Oct 16, 2007 (AFP) - Uganda's government has earmarked 606 million dollar (428 million euros) to develop the north of the country, which has been ravaged by two decades of insurgency, the presidency said Tuesday.
More than half of Kenya's 102,000 children need AIDS drugs: Agence France-Presse - October 16, 2007; NAIROBI, Oct 16, 2007 (AFP) - More than half of Kenya's 102,000 children with HIV lack access to anti-retroviral drugs, a key setback in the fight against AIDS, the country's top physician said Monday.
Southern Africa's San 'Bushmen' face lifestyle threat: Brigitte Weidlich; Agence France-Presse - October 14, 2007; TSUMKWE, Namibia, Oct 14, 2007 (AFP) - They roamed the savannahs and open plains for thousands of years, but the hunter-gatherer lifestyle of southern Africa's San tribes is slowly being squeezed towards extinction.
American AIDS activist in new bid to row the Atlantic: Lydia Georgi; Agence France-Presse - October 14, 2007; DUBAI, Oct 14, 2007 (AFP) - A New York anti-AIDS campaigner said on Sunday he plans to make a second attempt to row across the Atlantic starting on World AIDS Day on December 1 to raise global awareness about the killer disease.
Expo in Ahmadinejad's Iran showcases avant-garde art: Farhad Pouladi; Agence France-Presse - October 13, 2007; TEHRAN, Oct 13, 2007 (AFP) - A video installation by world-famous US artist Bill Viola. Contemporary Japanese art tackling AIDS. A print by an Iranian filmmaker whose most recent work was not shown in the Islamic republic.
US should halt AIDS funds for homophobic Uganda: HRW: Agence France-Presse - October 12, 2007; NAIROBI, Oct 12, 2007 (AFP) - The United States should reconsider funding anti-HIV/AIDS strategies in Uganda, where recipients of such money violate the rights of homosexuals, Human Rights Watch has said.
France launches inquiry into medics' release from Libya: Agence France-Presse - October 11, 2007; PARIS, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - French deputies on Thursday set up a commission of inquiry into whether six Bulgarian medics jailed on charges of infecting children with AIDS in Libya were freed in exchange for French military aid.
SAfrican scientists sequence deadly TB genome: Fran Blandy; Agence France-Presse - October 11, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - South African scientists announced a major breakthrough on Thursday in the fight against a highly deadly strain of drug resistant tuberculosis, sequencing the genome in a week.
Married Thais account for 40 pct of new HIV infections: survey: Agence France-Presse - October 11, 2007; BANGKOK, Oct 11, 2007 (AFP) - Married people accounted for more than 40 percent of all new cases of HIV/AIDS in Thailand last year, the country's health ministry said Thursday, despite an overall decrease in infections.
EU should keep ties with Libya: freed Bulgarian nurse: Agence France-Presse - October 10, 2007; BRUSSELS, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - The European Union should maintain its ties with Tripoli, one of five Bulgarian nurses imprisoned for eight years in Libya, said Wednesday.
Bill Gates pumps 100 million dollars for new research into AIDS: Agence France-Presse - October 10, 2007; CAPE TOWN, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - Research into a vaccine for AIDS, which is devastating in parts of southern Africa, got a boost following a 100 million dollar (70.6 million euro) initiative launched by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Palestinian doctor rues 'black hole' years in Libyan jail: Edouard Pons; Agence France-Presse - October 10, 2007; LISBON, Oct 10, 2007 (AFP) - Palestinian-born doctor Ashraf Juma Hajjuj is slowly learning to live again after "nine years of my life were destroyed" in a Libyan jail, where he was tortured and sexually abused.
Outrage in PNG after baby seized from mother's womb: Agence France-Presse - October 9, 2007; PORT MORESBY, Oct 9, 2007 (AFP) - Papua New Guinea authorities were urged to stamp out violence against women Tuesday after reports of a horrific attack in which a pregnant mother's baby was pulled from her womb.
Uganda opens factory to manufacture generic AIDS drug: Agence France-Presse - October 8, 2007; KAMPALA, Oct 8, 2007 (AFP) - Uganda on Monday opened a 38-million-dollar (27-million-euro) plant that will manufacture generic versions of AIDS drugs for domestic and export markets.
Drugs funds fill 19-nation gap in TB treatment: Agence France-Presse - October 8, 2007; GENEVA, Oct 8, 2007 (AFP) - Two international drug funds said Monday that they had stepped in to provide 26 million dollars in life-saving tuberculosis treatment for three quarters of a million people in poor countries.
Casual sex among Cambodia's MSMs an HIV timebomb: Chan Soratha; Agence France-Presse - October 7, 2007; PHNOM PENH, Oct 7, 2007 (AFP) - In the fading daylight they come out by their dozens -- young men in small groups or alone, cruising Phnom Penh's parks for sex, not with female prostitutes but with each other.
Malawi health service ailing from brain drain: Felix Mponda; Agence France-Presse - October 7, 2007; BLANTYRE, Oct 7, 2007 (AFP) - For Malawian nurse Hilda Maganga, the financial pull of a spell on a ward in Britain is close to overwhelming her desire to tend to patients in her AIDS-stricken and impoverished homeland.
Kenyan chief archbishop retires after 46 years: Agence France-Presse - October 6, 2007; NAIROBI, Oct 6, 2007 (AFP) - Kenyan Archbishop Ndingi Mwana'a Nzeki, a relentless critic of rights abuses, retired Saturday from the helm of the Roman Catholic Church in Kenya which he served for nearly half a century.
Canada in world first to export AIDS drugs to Rwanda: Agence France-Presse - October 5, 2007; MONTREAL, Oct 5, 2007 (AFP) - Canada has become the first country to notify the World Trade Organization that it has agreed to allow a Canadian company to make generic medicines for export, the world body said Friday.
Throngs of uninsured US patients seek dental care in Mexico: Paula Bustamante; Agence France-Presse - October 5, 2007; EL PASO, Texas, Oct 5, 2007 (AFP) - With aching teeth and a need to cut expenses, throngs of Americans are marching into neighboring Mexico for dental care, and saving hundreds to thousands of dollars in the bargain.
Malawi to double free AIDS drugs coverage by 2010: Agence France-Presse - October 5, 2007; BLANTYRE, Oct 5, 2007 (AFP) - AIDS-blighted Malawi wants to more than double the number of people receiving free anti-retroviral (ARV) drugs to 245,000 by 2010, Health Minister Marjorie Ngaunje said on Friday.
Bulgarian nurses greet 'saviour' Sarkozy: Diana Simeonova; Agence France-Presse - October 4, 2007; SOFIA, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - French President Nicolas Sarkozy received a hero's welcome in Bulgaria Thursday for his controversial role in securing the release of six Bulgarian medics jailed in a high-profile Libyan AIDS case.
Merkel arrives in Ethiopia, first leg of Africa tour: Agence France-Presse - October 4, 2007; German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived in Ethiopia overnight at the start of a tour of African countries that will also take in South Africa and Liberia.
Merkel heads to Africa to talk about rights, AIDS, Zimbabwe: Emsie Ferreira; Agence France-Presse - October 2, 2007; German Chancellor Angela Merkel embarks on Wednesday on her first tour of sub-Saharan Africa on a three-nation visit that will focus on human rights, AIDS, economic cooperation and the political crisis in Zimbabwe.
Bulgarian medics bitter over lost years in Libyan jail: Vessela Sergueva; Agence France-Presse - October 2, 2007; More than two months after her release from a Libyan jail, Bulgarian nurse Nasya Nenova's bitterness at spending more than eight years behind bars, many of them on death row, is as raw and deep-rooted as ever.
Ex-health officials acquitted in Canada HIV scandal: Agence France-Presse - October 1, 2007; OTTAWA, Oct 1, 2007 (AFP) - A judge on Monday acquitted four doctors and a US pharmaceutical company who were accused of negligence in the distribution of blood contaminated with HIV in Canada's worst health scandal.
Mandela announces Johannesburg AIDS concert: Agence France-Presse - October 1, 2007; Nelson Mandela said on Monday that the next concert of his "46664" AIDS campaign would take place for the first time in Johannesburg on December 1 and in conjunction with World AIDS Day.

September

Dismay over failed HIV vaccine: Jean-Louis Santini; Agence France-Presse - September 22, 2007; NEW YORK, Sept 22, 2007 (AFP) - Disappointing results for a promising anti-AIDS vaccine have dealt a major blow to international efforts to stem the spread of the devastating disease.
New anti-AIDS drug unveiled: Agence France-Presse - September 18, 2007; CHICAGO, Sept 18, 2007 (AFP) - Pharmaceuticals giant Pfizer Tuesday unveiled a new anti-AIDS drug which it said could help HIV patients stay healthy for longer.
Daily anti-HIV pill could save millions from infection: study: Agence France-Presse - September 18, 2007; CHICAGO, Sept 18, 2007 (AFP) - Providing healthy people with an antiretroviral drug to protect them against HIV infection could drastically slow the spread of the virus in sub-Saharan Africa, US researchers said Tuesday.
AIDS-ravaged Malawi donates maize to WFP to help sufferers: Agence France-Presse - September 17, 2007; BLANTYRE, Sept 17, 2007 (AFP) - AIDS-blighted Malawi has donated thousands of tons of maize to the UN World Food Programme (WFP) to help people affected by the pandemic.
Peru's blood banks under scrutiny following HIV scare: Agence France-Presse - September 13, 2007; LIMA, Sept 13, 2007 (AFP) - Health authorities on Thursday placed Peru's 240 blood banks under close scrutiny after four patients in less than six months were infected with HIV after receiving blood transfusions at public hospitals.
Three million defective condoms still at large in South Africa: Mariette le Roux; Agence France-Presse - September 6, 2007; CAPE TOWN, Sept 6, 2007 (AFP) - The South African government said Thursday some three million condoms forming part of a defective batch being quarantined were still in circulation, and vowed to bring those responsible to justice.
Warning over Russian blood transfusions: Agence France-Presse - September 6, 2007; MOSCOW, Sept 6, 2007 (AFP) - The risk of becoming infected via blood transfusion with AIDS, hepatitis and other diseases is up to one thousand times higher in Russian hospitals than in the West, a leaked report said Thursday.

August

UNAIDS under fire for mixing politics and science: Griffin Shea; Agence France-Presse - August 30, 2007; BANGKOK, Aug 30, 2007 (AFP) - UNAIDS, the global standard-bearer in the fight against HIV, has come under stinging attack in two new books accusing it of allowing politics to trump science in its efforts to combat the disease.
Saudi to introduce pre-marriage HIV test: Agence France-Presse - August 29, 2007; RIYADH, Aug 29, 2007 (AFP) - Couples wanting to marry in Muslim conservative Saudi Arabia will have to undergo tests for the HIV virus, which can cause AIDS, starting next year, a newspaper reported on Wednesday.
PNG investigates 'live burials' of AIDS victims: Richard Kumul; Agence France-Presse - August 28, 2007; PORT MORESBY, Aug 28, 2007 (AFP) - Police and health workers in Papua New Guinea launched an investigation Tuesday into reports that AIDS victims in the rugged South Pacific nation are being buried alive by their relatives.
S.Africa recalls 20 million condoms after safety scandal: Agence France-Presse - August 27, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Aug 27, 2007 (AFP) - The South African government issued a recall notice on Monday for 20 million condoms after a scandal which saw safety certificates allegedly issued for defective contraceptives.
AIDS victims 'buried alive' in PNG: Agence France-Presse - August 27, 2007; PORT MORESBY, Aug 27, 2007 (AFP) - Some AIDS victims are being buried alive in Papua New Guinea by relatives who cannot look after them and fear becoming infected themselves, a health worker said Monday.
S.African official vandalises Wikipedia AIDS content: Agence France-Presse - August 24, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Aug 24, 2007 (AFP) - A South African government official was suspended on Friday after it was found he attempted to censor information on the popular Wikipedia website about his country's HIV/AIDS policies.
Risk of "new AIDS", health threats, demands global solidarity: WHO: Peter Capella; Agence France-Presse - August 23, 2007; GENEVA, Aug 23, 2007 (AFP) - The World Health Organisation on Thursday warned that a new deadly infectious disease like AIDS or Ebola is bound to appear in the 21st century, in a report urging more global solidarity to tackle an expanding array of health threats.
Old folk are still having sex: US study: Agence France-Presse - August 23, 2007; WASHINGTON, Aug 23, 2007 (AFP) - Aging people in the United States have active sex lives, unrestrained by age-related sexual problems affecting around half of them, according to a major nationwide report published Thursday.
Nutrition can't replace AIDS drugs, South African study finds: Agence France-Presse - August 22, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Aug 22, 2007 (AFP) - Good nutrition, while important for those on antiretroviral medication, does not prevent HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis, a study by South African scientists said Wednesday.
Rights group criticizes UN praise for China in combating AIDS: Agence France-Presse - August 20, 2007; NEW YORK, Aug 20, 2007 (AFP) - A leading US-based human rights group on Monday accused China of increasingly harassing HIV/AIDS activists and criticized the United Nations for praising Beijing's handling of the epidemic.
Sex tops drugs in China's HIV cases: report: Agence France-Presse - August 20, 2007; BEIJING, Aug 20, 2007 (AFP) - Unsafe sex has for the first time overtaken drug abuse as the leading cause of HIV cases in China, a trend that could make it tougher to control the spread of the virus, state media reported Monday.
AIDS virus attacks brain on two fronts: study: Agence France-Presse - August 17, 2007; WASHINGTON, Aug 17, 2007 (AFP) - The AIDS virus does not only destroy brain cells it also inhibits the body from making new ones, according to a new study published in the United States.
Extortion bid halts medicine supply to Indian state: Agence France-Presse - August 16, 2007; GUWAHATI, India, Aug 16, 2007 (AFP) - Medicine shipments to a revolt-hit state in India's northeast have dried up after pharmaceutical firms were told to pay 250,000 dollars in extortion money, officials said on Thursday.
Two doctors suspended after South African minister's sacking: Agence France-Presse - August 15, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Aug 15, 2007 (AFP) - South African authorities have suspended two senior doctors only days after a deputy health minister was sacked following her criticism of their hospital, officials said Wednesday.
AIDS rate in Kenya drops due to increased ARV use: Agence France-Presse - August 14, 2007; NAIROBI, Aug 14, 2007 (AFP) - Kenya's AIDS prevalence rate has dropped to 5.1 percent last year from 5.9 percent in 2005 mainly due to the increased rollout of anti-retrovirals, the national AIDS council said Tuesday.
Bulgarian medics testify about torture in Libya: Vessela Sergueva; Agence France-Presse - August 10, 2007; SOFIA, Aug 10, 2007 (AFP) - Bulgarian medics freed in July after spending more than eight years in a Libyan prison told an investigation commission Friday in Sofia about their torture in jail.
Sacked S. African minister hints at plot to remove her: Ade Obisesan; Agence France-Presse - August 10, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Aug 10, 2007 (AFP) - South Africa's sacked deputy health minister, Nozizwe Madlala-Routledge, suggested Friday that her immediate boss had set her up for dismissal.
More HIV infections found in Kyrgystan hospital: Agence France-Presse - August 10, 2007; BISHKEK, Aug 10, 2007 (AFP) - Two more cases of HIV infections have been found and three are suspected in a hospital in southern Kyrgyzstan, where four doctors have been sacked for allowing the virus to spread, the health ministry said Friday.
South Africa's Mbeki sacks minister who questioned AIDS policy: Ade Obisesan; Agence France-Presse - August 9, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Aug 9, 2007 (AFP) - South African President Thabo Mbeki has axed his deputy health minister who questioned the national AIDS policy, a move experts Thursday warned could have a "deadly" impact in the HIV-blighted nation.
Novartis urged not to appeal Indian patent ruling: Agence France-Presse - August 8, 2007; GENEVA, Aug 8, 2007 (AFP) - The humanitarian group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, Doctors Without Borders) on Wednesday urged Swiss pharmaceutical group Novartis not to challenge an Indian patent law on vital medicines.
EU suspends Roche HIV drug due to toxic contamination: Agence France-Presse - August 7, 2007; BRUSSELS, Aug 7, 2007 (AFP) - The European Commission said Tuesday it had suspended a license granted to Swiss drugmaker Roche to market the HIV drug Viracept in the European Union due to the toxic contamination of some tablets.
Freed Palestinian doctor plans to sue Kadhafi: Agence France-Presse - August 5, 2007; THE HAGUE, Aug 5, 2007 (AFP) - A Palestinian-born doctor who spent more than eight years in a Libyan prison over an HIV outbreak is planning to sue Moamer Kadhafi, the Dutch news agency ANP reported.
Kazakhstan appeals court upholds prison terms in AIDS case: Agence France-Presse - August 3, 2007; SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan, Aug 3, 2007 (AFP) - An appeals court in Kazakhstan Friday upheld prison sentences for 21 people convicted after 118 children and 14 mothers were infected with HIV in public hopsitals and nine deaths.
Sexual abstinence programmes in US fail: study: Agence France-Presse - August 3, 2007; PARIS, Aug 3, 2007 (AFP) - Programmes to encourage sexual abstinence, which American conservatives see as a keystone of efforts to prevent HIV infection, fail just as much in the United States as they do in developing countries, a new study says.
Bulgaria writes off Libya's debt after medics' return: Agence France-Presse - August 2, 2007; SOFIA, Aug 2, 2007 (AFP) - Bulgaria said Thursday it had decided to write off Libya's communist-era debt as a contribution to an international fund for the victims of an AIDS epidemic blamed by Tripoli on six Bulgarian medics.
HIV drop indicates shift in sexual behaviour: S African minister: Agence France-Presse - August 2, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, Aug 2, 2007 (AFP) - A fall in HIV infections in South Africa shows prevention programmes are working but changing people's sexual behaviour is still a major hurdle, the country's health minister said Wednesday.
Lockerbie case, arms deal key to medics release: Kadhafi son: Agence France-Presse - August 1, 2007; PARIS, Aug 1, 2007 (AFP) - A deal with Britain that could see a Libyan convicted for the Lockerbie bombings extradited home and a French arms agreement were key to last week's release of six foreign medics, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's son said in comments published Wednesday.

July

Little Nkosi, icon of AIDS struggle, to move audiences once more: Florence Panoussian; Agence France-Presse - July 30, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, July 30, 2007 (AFP) - Nkosi Johnson, the South African youngster who melted the hearts of millions when he spelt out the reality of living with an AIDS death sentence, is to be immortalised in a movie that producers hope will help once again raise awareness about the disease.
Jailed Bulgarian medics freed by Libya, flown to Sofia: Diana Simeonova; Agence France-Presse - July 24, 2007; SOFIA, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Six foreign medics jailed for life in Libya for infecting children with the AIDS virus were freed and flown to Bulgaria on Tuesday, after the European Union struck a deal to improve ties with Tripoli.
Condoms get chewing tobacco, betel nut treatment in India: Agence France-Presse - July 17, 2007; NEW DELHI, July 17, 2007 (AFP) - India's largest contraceptive-maker is flooding the market with condoms flavoured with a popular mixture of betel nut and tobacco known as paan in the latest initiative in the fight against AIDS.
Former minister stands trial in Ugandan embezzlement scandal: Agence France-Presse - July 16, 2007; KAMPALA, July 16, 2007 (AFP) - A former health minister went on trial in Kampala Monday on charges of having embezzled millions of dollars in grants meant for the purchase of children's vaccines and the fight against AIDS.
Malawi minister sets example with AIDS test: Agence France-Presse - July 16, 2007; CHIENDAUSIKU, Malawi, July 16, 2007 (AFP) - Malawi's health minister kicked off on Monday a week-long nationwide campaign aimed at persuading citizens to take HIV tests by checking her own status.
400-million-dollar deal over foreign medics in Libya: source: Agence France-Presse - July 14, 2007; PARIS, July 14, 2007 (AFP) - The families of 438 children infected with the AIDS virus in Libya have accepted one million dollars in compensation each, opening the way for six accused foreign medics to escape death row, a source close to the case said Saturday.
Malawi targets 150,000 people with AIDS drugs: Agence France-Presse - July 9, 2007; BLANTYRE, July 9, 2007 (AFP) - Malawi has set itself a target of supplying 150,000 HIV sufferers with free anti-retroviral drugs by the end of year, the head of the national AIDS commission (NAC) said on Monday.
India says AIDS cases far lower, but vows to up HIV fight: Tripti Lahiri; Agence France-Presse - July 6, 2007; NEW DELHI, July 6, 2007 (AFP) - India said Friday the number of its people living with HIV-AIDS stands at two million to 3.1 million, sharply lower than earlier estimates, but vowed to spend billions to check a wider epidemic.
Australian research reveals AIDS, cancer link: Agence France-Presse - July 6, 2007; SYDNEY, July 6, 2007 (AFP) - AIDS sufferers and transplant patients are at a much higher risk than the general population of developing a range of cancers, Australian research released Friday has found.
New "second-line" AIDS drug shows promise in trials: Agence France-Presse - July 6, 2007; PARIS, July 6, 2007 (AFP) - An experimental drug that researchers hope will cast a lifeline to HIV patients who have exhausted first-line treatment has shown early promise in long-awaited trials, The Lancet reports on Saturday.

June

Potential cure for HIV discovered: Mira Oberman; Agence France-Presse - June 28, 2007; CHICAGO, June 28, 2007 (AFP) - In a breakthrough that could potentially lead to a cure for HIV infection, scientists have discovered a way to remove the virus from infected cells, a study released Thursday said.
Theory of how HIV attacks is wrong: study: Agence France-Presse - June 25, 2007; CHICAGO, June 25, 2007 (AFP) - A popular theory on how HIV attacks the body's immune system is wrong, a new study has found.
WHO seeks over 2 billion dollars to tackle drug-resistant TB: Agence France-Presse - June 22, 2007; GENEVA, June 22, 2007 (AFP) - The World Health Organisation said Friday it is seeking 2.15 billion dollars (1.6 billion euros) in its fight against drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis, amid warnings of a "return to the pre-antibiotic era" if they spread unchecked.
Deal for death row medics in Libya 'Friday': Imed Lamloun; Agence France-Presse - June 20, 2007; TRIPOLI, June 20, 2007 (AFP) - Libya's supreme court said Wednesday it would issue its final verdict next month on six foreign medics on death row for allegedly infecting children with AIDS, but an official involved in the case said an out-of-court settlement could be reached as early as this week.
Palestinian in Libya AIDS case gets Bulgarian citizenship: Agence France-Presse - June 19, 2007; SOFIA, June 19, 2007 (AFP) - Bulgaria said Tuesday it has granted citizenship to a Palestinian doctor on trial in Tripoli along with five Bulgarian nurses for infecting children in Libya with AIDS.
Barred HIV-positive kids allowed back to school in India: Jeemon Jacob; Agence France-Presse - June 18, 2007; PAMBADY, India, June 18, 2007 (AFP) - A school in southern India allowed a group of HIV-positive children back to class Monday after a six-month battle that has highlighted the stigma suffered by the country's AIDS sufferers.
War-torn Russian Caucasus faces new battle with AIDS: Victoria Loginova; Agence France-Presse - June 17, 2007; ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia, June 17, 2007 (AFP) - The once-daily horrors of war in Russia's North Caucasus may have subsided but in their wake a new threat is growing with terrifying speed: HIV/AIDS.
AIDS no longer a death sentence for South Africa's children: Fran Blandy; Agence France-Presse - June 17, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, June 17, 2007 (AFP) - Abandoned in a bar as a baby and given just weeks to live by doctors seven years later, Tommy Jarvis is living proof AIDS is no longer an automatic death sentence for youngsters in South Africa.
Elton John rocks for charity in Kiev: Agence France-Presse - June 16, 2007; KIEV, June 16, 2007 (AFP) - Top singer Elton John gave a free charitable concert on Kiev's Independence Square on Saturday in a bid to draw attention to the AIDS problem in Ukraine.
Singapore's HIV/AIDS cases rise by record levels in 2006: Agence France-Presse - June 15, 2007; SINGAPORE, June 15, 2007 (AFP) - New HIV/AIDS infections in Singapore rose by a record 357 cases in 2006, bringing the total number of people diagnosed with the disease to 3,060, the Ministry of Health said.
Healthcare workers could be Africa's secret weapon in AIDS war: Agence France-Presse - June 14, 2007; PARIS, June 14, 2007 (AFP) - Africa's pool of middle-ranking health workers offers an overlooked but inexpensive way of ramping up access to AIDS drugs, according to a paper published by The Lancet on Thursday.
Blood shortages increase danger for women in childbirth: WHO: Agence France-Presse - June 13, 2007; GENEVA, June 13, 2007 (AFP) - More than a quarter of the 500,000 women in the world who die during childbirth suffer fatal bleeding, the UN health agency said Wednesday, urging countries to take steps to secure blood supplies.
Bush calls on Libya to free Bulgarian nurses: Agence France-Presse - June 11, 2007; SOFIA, June 11, 2007 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush on Monday called on Libya to free five Bulgarian nurses facing the death penalty over the contamination of children with the AIDS virus.
Japan's Miss Universe breaks with timid tradition: Agence France-Presse - June 11, 2007; TOKYO, June 11, 2007 (AFP) - New Miss Universe Riyo Mori said Monday she had confidence in herself and knew she could win the title, unlike conventional Japanese women who are often seen as timid.
India HIV cases likely to fall, says UNAIDS: Agence France-Presse - June 9, 2007; NEW DELHI, June 9, 2007 (AFP) - India will report new estimates of HIV/AIDS infections next month that could show a sharp drop from earlier surveys that left the country with most cases worldwide, a UNAIDS official said Saturday.
PM denies Canada blocked Africa aid at G8: Agence France-Presse - June 8, 2007; MONTREAL, June 8, 2007 (AFP) - Prime Minister Stephen Harper Friday denied a charge by rock star activist Bono that Canada had blocked an agreement on a better aid package for Africa at the Group of Eight summit in Germany.
Bono, Geldof blast 'farce' of G8 AIDS pledge: Deborah Cole; Agence France-Presse - June 8, 2007; HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 8, 2007 (AFP) - Rock star activist Bono led attacks on the Group of Eight's 60-billion dollar pledge to fight killer diseases Friday, accusing world powers of using "bureau-babble" to hide their failure to help Africa.
South African AIDS delegates issue contraception call: Agence France-Presse - June 8, 2007; DURBAN, South Africa, June 8, 2007 (AFP) - South Africa's national AIDS conference wrapped up on Friday with delegates issuing a call for contraception to be made more widely available and for more research into prevention methods.
G8 pledges 60 billion dollars to fight disease in Africa: Isabelle Le Page; Agence France-Presse - June 8, 2007; HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 8, 2007 (AFP) - The Group of Eight industrial powers on Friday pledged 60 billion dollars to fight AIDS and other diseases in Africa on the final day of their annual summit.
Briton suspected of spreading HIV to Swedish teens: Agence France-Presse - June 8, 2007; STOCKHOLM, June 8, 2007 (AFP) - A British national in his early 30s has been remanded in custody in Stockholm accused of infecting at least two teenage girls with the HIV virus that leads to AIDS, police said Friday.
Zimbabwe receives 15m dollars of AIDS drugs from US: Agence France-Presse - June 7, 2007; HARARE, June 7, 2007 (AFP) - Zimbabwe on Thursday received 15 million dollars worth of anti-retroviral drugs from the United States government to bolster its fight against HIV and AIDS, officials announced.
Warning over drug-resistant diseases in EU: Agence France-Presse - June 7, 2007; STOCKHOLM, June 7, 2007 (AFP) - Many infectious diseases have been eradicated in Europe but new infections and drug resistant microbes pose a new threat, a new EU report presented Thursday in Stockholm showed.
G8 needs to keep focus on fighting AIDS in Africa: WHO: Agence France-Presse - June 7, 2007; DURBAN, South Africa, June 7, 2007 (AFP) - World leaders meeting at the G8 summit in Germany need to keep their focus on combatting AIDS in Africa despite the growing spotlight on other obstacles to development, the World Health Organisation's AIDS chief said Thursday.
Doctors urge mass circumcision for AIDS-hit South Africa: Fran Blandy; Agence France-Presse - June 7, 2007; DURBAN, South Africa, June 7, 2007 (AFP) - AIDS experts have called for a mass circumcision programme in South Africa, condemning a "deafening silence" from policy makers since studies revealed it sharply cut infection rates.
Rock stars find 'donor fatigue' at rich nations summit: Aurelia End; Agence France-Presse - June 7, 2007; HEILIGENDAMM, Germany, June 7, 2007 (AFP) - U2 singer Bono led a trio of rock star activists who pressed US President George W. Bush and other leaders to do more for Africa amid accusations that rich nations are failing to meet aid promises.
Germany pledges 5.4 billion dollars for AIDS fund: Agence France-Presse - June 7, 2007; BERLIN, June 7, 2007 (AFP) - Germany will give four billion euros (5.4 billion dollars) over the next eight years to the global fight against AIDS, its development minister said in an interview to be published Thursday.
Roche announces major recall of HIV drug: Agence France-Presse - June 6, 2007; GENEVA, June 6, 2007 (AFP) - Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche announced Wednesday a major recall of its anti-HIV drug Viracept after discovering a contamination in tablets.
Pfizer to roll out new AIDS drug in July: Agence France-Presse - June 6, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, June 6, 2007 (AFP) - Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. said Wednesday that it would launch a new HIV-AIDS drug, Maraviroc, in July after tests were conducted successfully in the United States.
Indian school rejects HIV-positive children: Agence France-Presse - June 6, 2007; NEW DELHI, June 6, 2007 (AFP) - A school in southern India has refused to re-admit five orphans turned away last year because they were HIV-positive, ignoring a government request on their behalf, a report said Wednesday.
Better access to testing urgently needed to fight HIV in Asia-Pacific: Agence France-Presse - June 6, 2007; PHNOM PENH, June 6, 2007 (AFP) - Fewer than 10 percent of the Asia-Pacific region's estimated 8.5 million people infected with HIV are aware of their status, the United Nations said Wednesday at the end of a conference calling for better access to testing.
Bavarian Nordic wins smallpox vacine order from US: Agence France-Presse - June 5, 2007; COPENHAGEN, June 5, 2007 (AFP) - The Danish biopharmaceutical company Bavarian Nordic said Monday it had won an order from the US government for its smallpox vaccine worth up to 1.6 billion dollars (1.2 billion euros).
UN praises South African AIDS plan: Agence France-Presse - June 5, 2007; DURBAN, June 5, 2007 (AFP) - South Africa's new AIDS plan was Tuesday lauded by the chief of the UN's AIDS/HIV agency, who said the country was now well placed to lead Africa into a new phase in responding to the disease.
Beijing students averse to HIV-positive classmates: poll: Agence France-Presse - June 5, 2007; BEIJING, June 5, 2007 (AFP) - Beijing university students are among the most knowledgeable in China when it comes to the risks posed by HIV/AIDS, but only one-third would welcome a HIV-positive classmate, state media reported Tuesday.
'AIDS cure' in Zambia found to be pesticide: Agence France-Presse - June 1, 2007; LUSAKA, June 1, 2007 (AFP) - The Zambian government announced Friday that a much-trumpeted AIDS cure that a local businessman claimed to have discovered has been found to be a pesticide used to clean swimming pools.

May

Bush seeks doubling of AIDS-fighting funds: Agence France-Presse - May 30, 2007; WASHINGTON, May 30, 2007 (AFP) - US President George W. Bush on Wednesday urged lawmakers to set aside 30 billion dollars over five years to fight AIDS worldwide, but AIDS activists said the proposal fell short of funds needed to battle the global scourge.
Dutch gang arrested for spreading HIV at sex parties: Agence France-Presse - May 30, 2007; THE HAGUE, May 30, 2007 (AFP) - Dutch police said Wednesday they had arrested three men accused of drugging gay men at sex parties, raping them and injecting them with a cocktail of HIV infected blood.
Thai 'Condom King's' NGO wins Gates award for anti-AIDS work: Agence France-Presse - May 30, 2007; WASHINGTON, May 30, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand's "Condom King" will receive a one-million-dollar award from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Thursday on behalf of the group he founded to promote family planning and AIDS prevention.
Discrimination against women spreading AIDS: rights group: Agence France-Presse - May 28, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, May 28, 2007 (AFP) - Cultural beliefs that women are inferior to men are spurring the rapid spread of HIV in Swaziland and Botswana, the countries most affected by AIDS, according to a report released Monday.
eLearning key to African development: experts: Agence France-Presse - May 28, 2007; NAIROBI, May 28, 2007 (AFP) - Technology-hungry educators and government administrators on Monday kicked off a three-day meeting in the Kenyan capital to boost the role of the Internet in education in Africa.
Oscar-winning director snubbed by Hong Kong cinemas: Agence France-Presse - May 28, 2007; HONG KONG, May 28, 2007 (AFP) - A Hong Kong director has been snubbed in her home city where film distributors have shown no interest in her Oscar-winning documentary about AIDS in central China, a report said Monday.
Death row medics acquitted of slandering Libya police: Afaf Geblawi; Agence France-Presse - May 27, 2007; TRIPOLI, May 27, 2007 (AFP) - A Libyan court acquitted five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian medic on Sunday of charges of slandering policemen by protesting that their confessions had been extracted under torture.
Vienna's Life Ball turns its attention to young AIDS victims: Sim Sim Wissgott; Agence France-Presse - May 26, 2007; VIENNA, May 26, 2007 (AFP) - Vienna's outrageous Life Ball, Europe's largest AIDS charity event, is reaching out to a new generation and turning its attention to younger sufferers of the immune deficiency disease as it celebrates its 15th anniversary Saturday.
Doctors in Italy perform first lung transplant on HIV-positive patient: Agence France-Presse - May 26, 2007; ROME, May 26, 2007 (AFP) - An Italian hospital has carried out the first ever transplant of two lungs into a patient with HIV, who is doing well after the operation, a spokeswoman said.
3,000 Cambodians demand better HIV/AIDS care: Agence France-Presse - May 25, 2007; PHNOM PENH, May 25, 2007 (AFP) - Some 3,000 Cambodians, including 500 who are HIV-positive, took to the streets Friday to demand better HIV/AIDS care in the country, hit hardest by the disease in Southeast Asia.
Former US president Clinton gets one million dollars to fight AIDS: Agence France-Presse - May 24, 2007; VIENNA, May 24, 2007 (AFP) - Standing on a stage in the lavish gardens of a baroque palace in Vienna, former US president Bill Clinton received a one-million-dollar check on Thursday to help his Clinton Foundation fight AIDS.
Paedophiles jailed for 20 years for kidnap, murder plot: Agence France-Presse - May 24, 2007; PERTH, Australia, May 24, 2007 (AFP) - Two men who kidnapped an Australian schoolboy in a public street, turned him into their sex slave and plotted to murder him were on Wednesday jailed for more than 20 years.
MSF warns on southern African AIDS programmes: Fran Blandy; Agence France-Presse - May 24, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, May 24, 2007 (AFP) - An exodus of healthcare workers to private clinics or abroad is severely undermining AIDS programmes in southern Africa, the charity Doctors Without Borders (Medecins sans Frontieres, MSF) said Thursday.
Swaziland's 'worst harvest ever' puts 400,000 at risk: UN: Agence France-Presse - May 23, 2007; ROME, May 23, 2007 (AFP) - Drought and high temperatures have resulted in the "worst harvest ever" in Swaziland, leaving one in three people in need of food aid in the southern African country, the UN food agencies said Wednesday.
South African minister back to work after liver transplant: Agence France-Presse - May 23, 2007; CAPE TOWN, May 23, 2007 (AFP) - South African Health Minister Manto Tshabalala-Msimang lit a candle for AIDS victims Wednesday in her first public engagement since undergoing a liver transplant 10 weeks ago.
Iran has quarter-million intravenous drug users: Agence France-Presse - May 23, 2007; TEHRAN, May 23, 2007 (AFP) - The number of intravenous heroin users in Iran has reached 250,000, an anti-drugs official said on Wednesday, as the Islamic republic steps up efforts to combat a growing drugs problem.
Global Fund provides over 1 mln HIV sufferers with antiretrovirals: Agence France-Presse - May 22, 2007; GENEVA, May 22, 2007 (AFP) - The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria said Tuesday it had doubled to more than one million the number of HIV victims in poor countries who receive life-saving antiretroviral treatments in a year.
South Africa broadens rape definition as it passes new law: Mariette le Roux; Agence France-Presse - May 22, 2007; CAPE TOWN, May 22, 2007 (AFP) - South African lawmakers Tuesday passed amended legislation to broaden the definition of rape in a country saddled with one of the world's highest sex crimes and HIV/AIDS rates.
Tintin creator Herge may have died of AIDS: biographer: Agence France-Presse - May 22, 2007; BRUSSELS, May 22, 2007 (AFP) - Herge, who created the immortal boy reporter Tintin, may have died of AIDS as the result of a blood transfusion, a biographer claimed on Tuesday, the centenary of the Belgian cartoonist's birth.
Muslim Malaysia cannot promote condoms openly, says official: Agence France-Presse - May 21, 2007; KUALA LUMPUR, May 21, 2007 (AFP) - Malaysia cannot openly promote condom use to prevent HIV/AIDS because the mainly Muslim nation fears criticism from Islamic groups that it is advocating promiscuity, a top official said Monday.
African parliamentarians back Libyan death sentence on Bulgarians: Agence France-Presse - May 18, 2007; MIDRAND, South Africa, May 18, 2007 (AFP) - African parliamentarians Friday backed death sentences imposed in Libya on five Bulgarian nurses and a Palestinian doctor convicted of injecting more than 400 children with HIV-tainted blood.
Three Chinese HIV victims jailed for disturbing the peace: Agence France-Presse - May 18, 2007; SHANGHAI, May 18, 2007 (AFP) - A Chinese court on Friday jailed three men, who claimed they contracted HIV/AIDS from tainted blood products, for obstructing the police.
Business leaders launch Arab coalition against AIDS: Agence France-Presse - May 18, 2007; SHUNEH, Jordan, May 18, 2007 (AFP) - Arab and Western business leaders on Friday launched a coalition to fight the spread of AIDS in the region, on the sidelines of a World Economic Forum for the Middle East.
South Africa's criminals steal ARVs to smoke with marijuana: Agence France-Presse - May 16, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, May 16, 2007 (AFP) - South African criminals are rumoured to be robbing AIDS patients of lifesaving anti-retroviral (ARV) medicines to smoke with marijuana for a better high, a local hospital said Wednesday.
Drug users forgotten in HIV/AIDS battle: UN: Agence France-Presse - May 14, 2007; WARSAW, May 14, 2007 (AFP) - Failure to tackle HIV/AIDS among drug users is hampering the global battle against the disease, the United Nations agency that coordinates the world body's fight against the disease warned Monday.
AIDS: "Natural killer" clue to virus vulnerability: Agence France-Presse - May 13, 2007; PARIS, May 13, 2007 (AFP) - Individuals with key variants in an important immune cell and a molecule that controls it show a slower progression to AIDS after they are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a study released on Sunday says.
South Africa recognises forced anal sex as rape: Mariette le Roux; Agence France-Presse - May 10, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, May 10, 2007 (AFP) - South Africa's common law was rewritten on Thursday to classify forced anal sex with a woman or girl, previously considered indecent assault, as rape.
Bill Clinton unveils AIDS drugs deal for developing world: Agence France-Presse - May 8, 2007; NEW YORK, May 8, 2007 (AFP) - Former US president Bill Clinton announced a deal with two generic drug companies Tuesday to slash the cost of second line anti-retroviral treatment for HIV/AIDS patients in the developing world.
ASIAN LIVES: Thailand's 'Condom King' girds for new battle against AIDS: Griffin Shea; Agence France-Presse - May 7, 2007; ATTENTION - Mechai Viravaidya spearheaded the safe-sex campaign that is widely credited with stemming the incipient HIV epidemic in Thailand in the 1990s. Now experts worry that the kingdom may have become a victim of its own success, as effective prevention and universal treatment make Thais complacent about fighting the disease. Amid worries that the disease is beginning to spread again among young Thais, the government has tapped Mechai to lead a new battle against the virus. He tells Bangkok deputy bureau chief Griffin Shea about the state of the epidemic in Thailand.
World's docs cannot wash hands of patient safety: WHO: Ken Dermota; Agence France-Presse - May 2, 2007; WASHINGTON, May 2, 2007 (AFP) - Expecting doctors to wash their hands may seem the least they could do for their patients, but a WHO panel Wednesday listed it among nine ways to bolster patient safety worldwide.
Thailand slams US copyright report amid generic drug row: Agence France-Presse - May 2, 2007; BANGKOK, May 2, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand on Wednesday slammed a US report downgrading the kingdom to a group of nations with poor records of intellectual property protection amid a patent row with Western firms over generic drugs.

April

South Africa launches national AIDS council: Agence France-Presse - April 30, 2007; JOHANNESBURG, April 30, 2007 (AFP) - The South African government and AIDS campaigers buried the hatchet Monday with the launch of a joint national body to oversee a programme aimed at halving the country's rate of new infections.
Indian court orders arrest of Gere, Shetty over kiss: Agence France-Presse - April 26, 2007; JODHPUR, India, April 26, 2007 (AFP) - An Indian judge ordered the arrest of Hollywood star Richard Gere and Bollywood actress Shilpa Shetty on Thursday over a hug and kiss at an AIDS awareness event.
US unveils new anti-malaria aid for Zambia: Agence France-Presse - April 25, 2007; WASHINGTON, April 25, 2007 (AFP) - US First Lady Laura Bush on Wednesday unveiled a new plan to provide 500,000 bed nets, which guard against mosquitoes that spread the illness, for Zambia.
Does circumcision affect your sex life? Scientists are divided: Agence France-Presse - April 25, 2007; PARIS, April 25, 2007 (AFP) - Two studies have thrown up conflicting evidence as to whether circumcision could harm a man's sex life, New Scientist reports in its next issue.
Pakistan's first 'outed' HIV patient turns social activist: Mariam Zaidi; Agence France-Presse - April 25, 2007; ISLAMABAD, April 25, 2007 (AFP) - Thrown in jail, deported and ridiculed -- Nazir Masih's struggle as the first person in Pakistan to be publicly "outed" as HIV positive has led him on an often arduous journey from outcast to activist.
Thai pharma group calls for dialogue on generic drug row: Agence France-Presse - April 24, 2007; BANGKOK, April 24, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand's top pharmaceutical group on Tuesday called on the country's military-backed government for more dialogue as the two camps locked horns over the kingdom's generic drug programme.
Poverty drives Myanmar's hidden sex industry: Charlotte McDonald-Gibson; Agence France-Presse - April 23, 2007; YANGON, April 23, 2007 (AFP) - Sandar was 13 years old when her mother talked her into selling her virginity to help pull the family out of poverty.
Prevention better than cure, AIDS chiefs warn: Agence France-Presse - April 17, 2007; LONDON, April 17, 2007 (AFP) - UN health officials on Tuesday called for greater efforts to prevent the spread of HIV, warning that the long and costly rollout of drugs to suppress the virus would fail to conquer the global AIDS pandemic.
Cameroon announces free healthcare for nearly 50,000 HIV patients: Agence France-Presse - April 17, 2007; YAOUNDE, April 19, 2007 (AFP) - Cameroon will start giving free treatment and antiretrovirals to nearly 50,000 people living with HIV, Urban Health Minister Olanguena Awono said Thursday.
India to provide costly 'second-line' AIDS drugs: Agence France-Presse - April 17, 2007; NEW DELHI, April 17, 2007 (AFP) - India could start providing expensive "second-line" drugs to AIDS patients as early as next year, the country's top official for controlling the spread of the deadly virus told reporters Tuesday.
AIDS pandemic: Drugs scaleup still badly lagging, say UN agencies: Agence France-Presse - April 17, 2007; PARIS, April 17, 2007 (AFP) - Little more than one in four of poor people who are badly infected with the AIDS virus have access to the antiretroviral drugs that could save their lives, UN health agencies said on Tuesday.
Anti-HIV drug set for testing in China: Agence France-Presse - April 17, 2007; BEIJING, April 17, 2007 (AFP) - A new anti-HIV drug developed by Chinese scientists has been licensed for clinical testing, state media reported Tuesday.
Mozambique plans to double drug access for AIDS patients: Agence France-Presse - April 16, 2007; MAPUTO, April 16, 2007 (AFP) - Mozambique plans to double the number of AIDS patients who will receive free anti-retroviral drugs by the end of the year by improving access in rural areas, the government announced on Monday.
Zimbabwe government panicking over 'economic HIV': Fanuel Jongwe; Agence France-Presse - April 16, 2007; HARARE, April 16, 2007 (AFP) - Zimbabwe's government, which has indefinitely postponed the latest set of inflation figures, appears increasingly panicked over its losing battle against the country's "economic HIV," analysts said.
Novel matchmaking scheme finds 'destitute' women husbands: Sunanda Pandey; Agence France-Presse - April 14, 2007; RANCHI, India, April 14, 2007 (AFP) - A shelter for destitute women in eastern India is set to celebrate its sixth wedding next month, after it set up an innovative matchmaking scheme to find husbands for its residents.
Drug-resistant gonorrhea spreads in US: Agence France-Presse - April 13, 2007; WASHINGTON, April 13, 2007 (AFP) - Drug-resistant gonorrhea is spreading across the United States and new treatments are needed to combat the sexually transmitted disease, the federally run Centers for Disease Control said Friday.
New HIV drug shows 'unprecedented' results: study: Agence France-Presse - April 13, 2007; PARIS, April 13, 2007 (AFP) - A new category of drug has shown promising results for HIV/AIDS patients who failed to respond to other treatments, a study to be published Saturday shows.
PM says Australia should refuse HIV-positive migrants: Agence France-Presse - April 13, 2007; SYDNEY, April 13, 2007 (AFP) - Australia should deny entry to refugees and migrants who carry the HIV virus, Prime Minister John Howard said Friday.
Chinese AIDS victims blocked from protesting: Agence France-Presse - April 11, 2007; BEIJING, April 11, 2007 (AFP) - About 350 people infected with HIV/AIDS were blocked by police in central China Wednesday from protesting over drug treatments they are receiving from the government, a leading activist said.
Thailand 'happy' with Abbott's price cut amid generic drug row: Agence France-Presse - April 11, 2007; BANGKOK, April 11, 2007 (AFP) - Thailand, which is at loggerheads with Western pharmaceutical giants over generic drugs, on Wednesday welcomed US drug maker Abbott's offer to sharply cut the price of a key AIDS medicine.
Abbott cuts price of AIDS drug in poor countries: Agence France-Presse - April 10, 2007; CHICAGO, April 10, 2007 (AFP) - Abbott Laboratories has agreed to radically cut the price of a key AIDS treatment in more than 40 poor countries amid a rising controversy over the cost of its drugs, the Chicago-based pharmaceutical giant said Tuesday.
AIDS researchers focus on resistant patients in search for vaccine: Agence France-Presse - April 9, 2007; PARIS, April 9, 2007 (AFP) - French AIDS researchers said Monday they hoped a vaccine could be developed using knowledge about the small number of HIV patients who manage to resist the virus without treatment over a long time.
WHO urges countries to unite against disease: Agence France-Presse - April 6, 2007; GENEVA, April 6, 2007 (AFP) - The World Health Organisation on Friday urged countries to join forces to tackle the growing number of cross-border threats to public health, including avian influenza and HIV/AIDS.
WHO urges countries to unite against disease: Agence France-Presse - April 6, 2007; GENEVA, April 6, 2007 (AFP) - The World Health Organisation on Friday urged countries to join forces to tackle the growing number of cross-border threats to public health, including avian influenza and HIV/AIDS.
Multivitamins lower risk of underweight newborns: study: Agence France-Presse - April 4, 2007; WASHINGTON, April 4, 2007 (AFP) - Women who take multivitamin supplements during pregnancy have significantly lower risk of giving birth to an underweight infant, according to a study in the Thursday edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Bill Gates to apply Vietnam health measures in Africa: Agence France-Presse - April 3, 2007; HANOI, April 3, 2007 (AFP) - Microsoft chairman and philanthropist Bill Gates hopes methods from Vietnam's childhood immunisation programme can help fight killer diseases in Africa, state media reported Tuesday.
Fear AIDS more than bird flu: Singapore minister: Agence France-Presse - April 2, 2007; SINGAPORE, April 2, 2007 (AFP) - The world is losing the battle to control the spread of HIV/AIDS, and governments should not be distracted by other health threats like bird flu, a Singapore minister said Monday.

March

Exclusive breastfeeding halves HIV infection risk for baby: study: Agence France-Presse - March 30, 2007; PARIS, March 30, 2007 (AFP) - HIV-infected women who exclusively, rather than partially, breast-feed their baby can massively cut the risk of handing on the AIDS virus to their infant, a study publishe