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Washington  – Edward “Ted” Kennedy has grown old, his age etched on his face, his hair faded white. The brain tumour found last year keeps the storied senator from his usual forceful rounds of the nation’s capital.

Sydney  – This month’s swimming grand prix in Melbourne has been cancelled because of fears that competitors could infect each other with swine flu.

Wellington  – New Zealand researchers have developed a mouth swab test to predict smokers’ risk of getting lung cancer, news reports said on Tuesday.

Hamburg  – German scientists have discovered a unique protein “thermometer” which may one day aid in fighting deadly bacteria.

Dusseldorf  – A potentially fatal tick-borne disease is spreading in Turkey, the Dusseldorf-based Travel Medicine Centre (CRM) has warned. Called Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF), it has symptoms similar to influenza but can cause haemorrhaging.

Berlin  – Diabetic patients who have persistently high blood-sugar levels or experience sudden drops in blood glucose may be suffering from depression, the Berlin-based German Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Neurology Association (DGPPN) pointed out.

Singapore  – The Singapore government confirmed the city state’s first local case of H1N1 influenza in a 39-year-old Indonesian woman who had not been abroad recently, the Health Ministry said in a statement late Saturday.

Hanoi  – Vietnam will inspect toys and clothing produced in China’s Guangdong province after Chinese media last week reported that many products contained unsafe levels of the chemical formaldehyde, Vietnamese media reported Tuesday.

Wiesbaden, Germany – It’s sometimes possible to stop unexpected heart palpitations by drinking a cold, carbonated drink quickly.

Hamburg  – Athletes who take vitamins after a workout may be reversing the benefits of their sweat-inducing exercise, according to startling new research by a team of German scientists.