The Balkan Chronicle

Circumcision Protects Against AIDS

A new study found that uncircumcised men were nearly seven times more likely to get the AIDS virus, giving further support to findings that circumcision . The study by Robert C. Bollinger and colleagues from Johns Hopkins University Medical School and the National AIDS Research Institute in Pune, India, was published Friday as a "research letter" in The Lancet medical journal.

"It is now about the ninth study which followed men who are HIV-negative over a period of months or years. It is the ninth study in a row which has found that the effect (of circumcision) is significant," said Robert C. Bailey, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at the University of Illinois at Chicago, who was not connected with Bollinger's study.

'Gender bending' chemicals from household goods like plastic packaging and make-up 'raise risk of miscarriages and Down's syndrome'

Chemicals in the environment may be harming unborn babies by raising the risk of miscarriages and Down's syndrome, scientists warn.

U.S. researchers claim even low-level exposure through households goods while pregnant can interfere with the formation of eggs in the developing foetus.

Why Does Walking Barefoot on the Earth Make You Feel Better?

Do you notice you feel better when you walk barefoot on the Earth?

Recent research has explained why this happens. Your immune system functions optimally when your body has an adequate supply of electrons, which are easily and naturally obtained by barefoot contact with the Earth. Research indicates that electrons from the Earth have antioxidant effects that can protect your body from inflammation and its many well-documented health consequences.

The Day I Felt Defeated: Self- Criticism

If the value of humans does not lie in good conduct and nobleness, humans are of no value.

This is because education and wealth contribute nothing to one's merit unless accompanied by exemplary manners. The very purpose of education is frustrated when it fails to equip knowledge-seekers with discipline and decency. And wealth, on the other hand, has no use if it brings chaos and anxiety in society.

In today's world, humans have gone far in educating themselves and achieving material prosperity, yet they lag behind in moral values and nobler attitudes. In the context of the contemporary Muslim world, this is especially evident. Endless debates on why the Muslim Ummah is plagued with backwardness can perhaps be spared if the big culprit within ourselves is admitted, and corrected.

Can your make-up harm your IQ? Most lipstick contains traces of lead that could affect mental health

A study involving 22 brands of lipstick found that 55per cent contained trace amounts of lead.

Underwriters Laboratories revealed that 12 of the lip products sampled tested positive for the toxic substance with the highest levels at 3.22 parts per million.

Shisha kills: Study deals scientific blow to defenders of water-pipe

Water-pipe smoking is as bad as deeply inhaling cigarette smoke when it comes to causing respiratory problems, according to a study published on Thursday.

Researchers led by Mohammad Hossein Boskabady at Masshad University of Medical Sciences in Iran monitored lung functions among 57 local water-pipe smokers, 30 deep-inhalation cigarette smokers and 51 normal-inhalation smokers.

Italy and Switzerland Ban Novartis Flu Vaccines

Amid political controversy, the Italian government took the highroad last week by suspending sales of flu vaccines when their quality and safety were called into question.

Novartis AG (NOVN) told Italian and Swiss authorities that their products were safe, although the shots did contain particle buildup. Citing Novartis' failure to provide adequate information for the safe sale of the shots, however, the Italian Health Ministry has banned the 488,000 doses in question.

BBC: The Future Is Halal

You've heard of halal meat, but what about halal paintbrushes, halal perfume or halal holiday resorts?

A recent report by The Economist proclaimed to businesses: ignore the Sharia-conscious consumer at your peril. The global Muslim population is now 1.8 billion and rising fast; it's predicted that Muslims will account for 30% of the world's population by 2025. More than half are under 25 and many are tech-savvy, brand-conscious and increasingly flexing their consumer muscle. In response, there's been an explosion of goods and services aimed at Muslims.

What Is Beautiful Patience?

Patience is often mentioned with suffering.

When someone is suffering, we say ‘be patient’, not knowing exactly what that means.

To the recipient of this advice, at best it means for them to bear with their misfortune, and at worst it means they have been abandoned and have nothing but ‘patience’.

But patience in Islam is a treasure. Beautiful patience is one without disquietude. It is vast in its meanings. It is a virtue that has been mentioned in the Quran over 90 times. It is an essential characteristic of the Prophets, as God tells us:

Smell of the old people not that bad

The distinctive "old person smell" you may have picked up on when visiting your grandparents most likely wasn't your imagination, a new study indicates.