Researchers say having a baby improves one’s social life significantly, as most new mother’s find their friend-count increased by eight.

Women before falling pregnant, typically had a minimum of three mates they could rely on and share secrets, while seven in 10-women admitted two of their mates were more out of sheer habit, rather than feeling close ties of friendship with them.

Half of the 4,000 new mothers polled by Katie Barlow from CLIC Sargent indicated, they may have lost touch with one set of friends, only to gain a bigger bunch of them after having a baby.

According to a new survey, 4th January should be called Divorce Day, as this is the day when more divorce petitions are filed than at any other time of the year and law firms brace themselves for a record festive fall-out.

With one in five couples on the brink of breaking-up, over three-quarters of divorce lawyers are predicting 2010 will be a bumper year for marriages breaking-up, with relationship difficulties up 40% this year over last, following the Christmas and New Year holidays.

New research figures from the World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF) suggest, a healthy diet and exercise could prevent almost 80,000-cases of cancer every year.

According to it, some 78,700-cancer cases, 39% of which comprise the 12-common cancers in the UK, and includes an estimated 19,100-cases of breast cancer, 16,100 for bowel cancer, all preventable via a better diet, drinking and exercise habits, including maintaining normal weight.

With drug plan costs rising, it means Medicare beneficiaries will have to begin shopping for better deals on prescription-drug plans.

According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, a non-profit focusing on health-care issues, the average premium paid by seniors for stand-alone drug plans is set to rise 11% i.e. $38.94 a month in 2010, which means 1.2-million Medicare beneficiaries will have to pay a minimum of $10-more in monthly premiums, if they choose to remain on their current plan.

Nick Hornby’s previous book ‘High Fidelity’ was about the seductive power of pop music, while in ‘Fever Pitch’ he wrote about how a hobby can become an obsession. In his new novel ‘Juliet, Naked” he has married the two themes so perfectly, it should be called by a smash-up name, such as, ‘High Pitch, Anyone?’

However, like so much of the book, it’s title ‘Juliet, Naked’ is just right.

Nick Hornby’s previous book ‘High Fidelity’ was about the seductive power of pop music, while in ‘Fever Pitch’ he wrote about how a hobby can become an obsession. In his new novel ‘Juliet, Naked” he has married the two themes so perfectly, it should be called by a smash-up name, such as, ‘High Pitch, Anyone?’

However, like so much of the book, it’s title ‘Juliet, Naked’ is just right.

Australian swimwear designer Aheda Zanetti on Thursday defended the full-length swimming costume she launched as the "burqini" five years ago.

Her comments came after a French woman was denied entry to a Paris pool because she was clad in the head-to-toe swimwear. The woman was told regulations prevented people from swimming when they were clothed.

Archaeologists in Syria have found what they believe was the largest Roman garrison in the Middle East, the country's official news agency reported Saturday.

German archaeologists discovered the site, which spreads over 3 hectares (30,000 square metres), at al-Rifniah, in the northern Syrian province of Hama, Syria's SANA news agency said.