Healthy cocktail

Washington, April 22 (Reuters): A fruity cocktail may not only be fun to drink but may count as health food, US and Thai researchers have said.

Adding ethanol — the type of alcohol found in rum, vodka, tequila and other spirits — boosted the antioxidant nutrients in strawberries and blackberries, the researchers found. Any coloured fruit might be made even more healthful with the addition of a splash of alcohol, the report in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture said.

Dutch dope

Amsterdam (Reuters): Could a smoking ban spell the end of Amsterdam’s world famous coffee shops, where smoking cannabis is one of the main attractions? No chance, says local conservative politician and coffee shop owner Michael Veling. The Dutch may well follow other European countries in banning tobacco smoking, but Veling says it should still be possible to smoke dope. “You can bring parsley or old socks if you want, cut them here and smoke them, nobody will say anything,” Veling said.

Looks loan

Beirut (Reuters): A Lebanese bank is offering loans to finance plastic surgery to meet growing demand from people seeking to improve their looks. First National Bank’s “Plastic Surgery Loan” can provide between $1,000 and $5,000 to cover “all your plastic surgery operations and orthodontics,” the bank’s website says.