Arlene Paredes

A recent study showed the act of laughing increases endorphin levels, which can help in management of physical pain. An evolutionary psychologist at Oxford, Robin Dunbar, said the muscles involved in the physical act of laughing triggers an increase in endorphin, a brain chemical that makes one feel good even after suffering physical pain.

Melissa McCarthy won the lead actress in a comedy series title at this year's Emmy's. She plays Molly in the hit CBS show Mike & Molly, which is set to return to regular primetime programming for its second season next week.

Twins joined at their heads were successfully separated at a British hospital last month. A charity helping disfigured children funded the risky surgery. The twins' operating team noted there's significant blood flow between their brains, making the surgery very risky. Nevertheless, the separation means the girls can live a normal mobile life after having been literally at each others' head for 11 months.

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is considering setting a standard for the manufacture of baby slings. In the latest issue of Medical Journal of Australia, authors Roger Byard, professor of pathology at the University of Adelaide, and senior specialist forensic pathologist John Gilbert said an Adelaide infant may have died from suffocation while in a baby sling.

US and Australian officials have decided to include cooperation on cybersecurity as part of their defence agreement. The decision to add cyberspace to the two nations' bilateral treaty mean the two allies will work together in the event of a computer-related attack in either country.

Fashion bloggers hold the key to online retail sales of up to $15 billion in 2015, a study indicated.

Major US airlines announced Tuesday they would limit available seats to reduce the airlines' costs while driving up ticket prices. Airline stocks went up following the announcement.

American twins Joshua and Jacob Spates, who were joined at the spine, are now recovering in the pediatric intensive care after a successful 13-hour surgery. Their 34-member surgical team at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital is celebrating this medical victory.

When someone who practices good hygiene still sends off an unpleasant scent, a genetic disorder should be blamed, a recent study says.

A 43-year-old North Carolina woman has pleaded guilty in the death of her stepchild, cancer survivor Zahra Baker. The biological mother of Zahra, Emily Deitrich, flew in from Australia for the hearing. She begged Elisa to help them find the rest of the child's remains.

The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), through its latest edition of Education at a Glance, showed how the countries are ranking in terms of cost of education. OECD noted a sharp rise in the cost of higher education in the United States, adding this situation has already led to a relative stagnation in the number of people going on to university.

Employees who walk 10,000 steps a day and work out in the gym three times a week tend to be more productive, an Australian clinical trial has found.

The FBI has confirmed its involvement in the phone hacking and photo leak scandal involving Hollywood's Scarlett Johansson, but are they doing their best?

NASA revealed on Wednesday its plan to build a giant deep-space rocket to transport astronauts for space explorations. NASA's announcement was done after a year-long extensive discussion with Congress over the project's cost, scope and technical parameters. The Obama administration withheld its plans while it obtained an independent cost estimate for the Space Launch System.

Reuters reported Wednesday Danish retailer Aesir hopes to sell its $57,400, limited-edition 18-carat gold phones to Moscow's elite market. The took three years to develop but it does not have special apps or camera. Manufacturer Aesir hopes to sell the solid gold phone as a collector's item.

In the Gulf, developers are learning from what did not work and moving on to what is feasible for all. Property developers in the Gulf are trying something new in the market -- focusing on actual housing demands with great consideration to economic reaches of the potential occupants.

In a press conference, Sony Corp said it is set to kick off the global rollout of its new PlayStation Vita on Dec. 17 in Japan. NTT Docomo, Japan's biggest mobile carrier, will provide prepaid 3G plans for PS Vita users. Although criticized for setting a high price, Sony said in August there was no need to cut the price of the PS Vita from the announced figure of 24,980 yen ($325) for a Wi-fi only model and 29,980 yen ($390) for a 3G plus Wi-fi version.

WHO's Regional Director for Europe, Zsuzsanna Jakab, warned that dangerous and drug-resistant forms of tuberculosis are spreading at an alarming rate in Europe. WHO is launching a new regional plan to find, diagnose and treat cases of the airborne infectious disease more effectively.

Astronomers have recently discovered planet HD85512b along with over 50 new planets orbiting stars beyond the sun. This super Earth from Vela is about 36 light years from us, 3.6 times larger than Earth, and orbits its star in under 60 days. The planet's distance from its star puts it within the star's habitable zone - where liquid water can exist on the surface under the right conditions. However, the technology to determine other similarities between Earth and the Vela planet is not like...

News International chief executive James Murdoch is to be invited a second time before a parliamentary committee over a phone-hacking scandal involving his newspaper and hired journalists, CNN reported.

Federal investigation has begun to find out whether eBay misappropriated confidential information from Craigslist, according to a Reuters report.

The Rugby World Cup in NZ could potentially collect up to US$654 million in sales from international guests, and up to US$1.2 billion in the longterm from tourism revenue. A researcher at the Centre for the International Business of Sport at Coventry University in Britain, which prepared the report, said the tournament would be positively unique from its predecessors.

By disregarding posture and overusing gadgets, people are at greater risk of eye strain, tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome, to name a few conditions. The hands, shoulders, neck and back are most prone to muscle aches resulting from misuse and abuse of electronic devices at improper posture.

A litter of glow-in-the-dark kittens must be taken seriously, as they may just shed light on a potential AIDS cure.

Tony-award winning international actress Lea Salonga from the Philippines was the one whom Leila Lopes picked for her Q&A. Salonga asked if there was anything she would like to change in her physical attributes. Translated, Lopes' response was: "Thank God I'm very satisfied with the way God created me and I wouldn't change a thing."

For 30 years, world-class airbrust Penrith artist Wayne Harrison has created art for the masses, painting everything from Harley Davidsons to jumbo jets. Now he is off to showcase his talent on television through a reality show. On the TV show Flesh Air, Harrison is expected to create a world-famous calendar showcasing his art- works on the human body.

At current ra6es of melting, the Arctic will be largely ice-free in the northern summer 40 years sooner than projected.

Fears of a radioactive leak erupted in a French nuclear waste site after an explosion that killed at least one person and injured four Monday.

Despite serious injuries in the head, he thought with clarity to keep himself alive. A Bolivian salesman was rescued in the Amazon jungle on Friday, almost three days since he figured in a plane crash that killed eight people on board.