Thailand Supernatural Dolls

A craze for eerily lifelike supernatural dolls has swept Thailand in recent months.

Their name, "luk thep", literally translates as "child angels" and people believe they bring good fortune and they are pampered by their owners as if they were children.

But the privileges lavished upon them have also drawn a backlash and warnings from Thai authorities.

They get blessings from Buddhist monks

After purchasing a doll, the owner brings it to a monk who conducts a prayer and an anointing ceremony known as "plook sek".

Zika Virus: Up to four million Zika cases Predicted

The World Health Organization has set up a Zika "emergency team" after the "explosive" spread of the virus.

Most people have no symptoms, but WHO expects "three to four million cases of Zika virus disease" in the Americas.

WHO director general Dr Margaret Chan said Zika had gone "from a mild threat to one of alarming proportions" and was having a "heart-breaking" impact.
The team will meet on Monday to decide whether Zika should be treated as a global emergency.
The last time an international emergency was declared was for the Ebola outbreak in West Africa which has killed more than 11,000 people.

 

 

Tyra Banks is a mom!

The former America’s Next Top Model host welcomed her first child, Yorks Banks Asla, to the world via surrogate, and wrote a sweet message on Wednesday to thank the “angel of a woman” who carried the baby to term.

“The best present we worked and prayed so hard for is finally here. He’s got my fingers and big eyes and his daddy Erik’s mouth and chin,” the 42-year-old model wrote on Instagram. “As we thank the angel of a woman that carried our miracle baby boy for us, we pray for everyone who struggles to reach this joyous milestone. York Banks Asla, welcome to the world.”

Child Obesity an 'Exploding Nightmare' in Developing World: WHO

Childhood obesity has reached alarming rates globally and become an “exploding nightmare” in the developing world, including Africa where the number of obese and overweight children under five has nearly doubled since 1990, a WHO commission said Monday.

The authors of the report from the Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity stressed that the epidemic has historically not been treated as a grave public health issue and was regarded by some as a product of lifestyle choices by individuals and families.

But following two years of research in more than 100 countries, the authors underscored that governments and global public health bodies were central to reversing the scourge.

“What’s the big message? It’s not the kid’s fault,” commission co-chair Peter Gluckman told reporters.