Today's news

Aids vaccine hope as scientists map antibody
The search for an Aids vaccine took an important step forward yesterday when scientists said that they had mapped the structure of an antibody that can neutralise the virus. The research in the US has revealed why an immune molecule called 2G12, first isolated from an Aids patient a decade ago, binds to HIV and prevents it from infecting human cells. Details  are published in the journal Science.
(Times)

Mediterranean diet helps you live longer
Research suggests that a traditional Mediterranean diet featuring fruit, vegetables, fish and olive oil can cut premature deaths by up to 25 per cent. The main benefit of the diet, which is rich in complex carbohydrates and so-called healthy fats, is that it sharply reduces the risk of heart disease and cancer, according to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
(Independent)

Trouble on the government benches
Charles Clarke, education secretary, has been hit by crime again. First he had his pocket picked on a train home from London. Now a bench has been stolen from the garden of his Norwich home.
(Daily Mail)