SEOUL, July 31, 2008 (AFP) - South Korea's top court ruled Thursday that parents have the right to know the sex of their unborn babies, sparking concerns the decision might result in more sex-selection abortions.

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2008 (AFP) - The medication Ritalin (methylphenidate), often prescribed to treat hyperactive children, may also be used to prevent elderly people from falling, according to a study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

SYDNEY, July 21, 2008 (AFP) - An Indian-born surgeon linked to the deaths of more than a dozen patients in Australia appeared in court on Monday to face a string of charges including manslaughter, court officials said.

Jayant Patel, 58, appeared at a magistrates' court in Brisbane hours after arriving back in Australia following his extradition from the United States.

NEW DELHI, July 18, 2008 (AFP) - An Indian man has survived an operation to remove a 1.5-metre long (five-foot) iron bar that stabbed right through his chest, reports said Friday, calling it a medical miracle.

The rod was lying on a construction site when the taxi Supratim Dutta was travelling in smashed into it Thursday.

NEW YORK, July 17, 2008 (AFP) - Former US president Bill Clinton announced Thursday a deal with six pharmaceutical companies from China and India to cut the price of a leading malaria treatment by 30 percent.

PARIS, July 3, 2008 (AFP) - A new kidney cancer vaccine failed in last-phase clinical trials to improve the odds of avoiding remission after tumour-removing surgery, according to a study released Friday.

JOHANNESBURG, July 2, 2008 (AFP) - South African AIDS patients in Durban are under siege from drug addicts who rob them of their antiretroviral treatment to get high, the provincial health department said Wednesday.

WASHINGTON, June 9, 2008 (AFP) - A medical helicopter rushing a patient to hospital crashed Sunday in Texas, killing all four people on board, US media reported.

WASHINGTON, June 5, 2008 (AFP) - Serotonin plays a key role in regulating emotions such as aggression and impulsivity during decision making, according to British research appearing Thursday in the United States.

Japan has awarded a lucrative new medical prize for Africa to a Kenyan who has fought to stem HIV infections and a Briton whose research is credited with stemming malaria on the continent.