Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Singapore to ban sugary drink ads in fight against diabetes

Singapore will ban advertisements of certain fizzy drinks and juices, its health ministry said on Thursday, part of a raft of measures to curb consumption of sugar in the city-state, which has some of the world's highest diabetes rates. Under the measures, further details of which will be released next year, high-sugar drinks will also be required to bear health warnings on labels. International donors set to pledge $14 billion to tackle AIDS: Macron

International donors are set to pledge $14 billion on Thursday to combating AIDS, said French President Emmanuel Macron. "In the next three hours, we should get to the $14 billion," he told a gathering in Lyon, adding that France would commit close to $1.5 billion. New York City sues online e-cigarette retailers over age verification

New York City has sued more nearly two dozen online e-cigarette retailers, accusing them of selling their products to underage New Yorkers, the city announced Wednesday. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday evening in Brooklyn federal court, targets 22 companies including Artison Vapor Franchise LLC, Eliquidstop.com and Vapor 4 Life Holdings Inc. All of them are located outside New York. Alibaba to stop sales of e-cigarette components in United States

Chinese e-commerce firm Alibaba said on Wednesday it will stop selling e-cigarette components in the United States, amid growing regulatory scrutiny and reports of lung disease and some deaths linked to vaping. The move follows announcements by Kroger Co and Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc this week that they would stop selling e-cigarettes at their stores, in line with a similar decision by Walmart. Trump administration to announce changes to anti-kickback rules for healthcare providers

The Trump administration will announce plans to change healthcare regulations on Wednesday to loosen anti-kickback provisions that restrict the kinds of outside services providers can refer patients to, administration officials said. President Donald Trump on Thursday will explain how the new rules advance his broader healthcare agenda, which includes reducing regulatory burdens and promoting innovative ways to reimburse healthcare providers, in a speech in Minnesota, the officials said. Factbox: U.S. vaping-related deaths rise to 25, Utah latest

Deaths from a mysterious lung illness linked to e-cigarettes rose to 25 across 21 U.S. states, with Utah on Wednesday confirming the state's first death. (http://bit.ly/2M1XFUl) Latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) listed 1,080 confirmed and probable cases of the illness as of Oct. 1. The agency is due to update the national numbers later on Thursday. (http://bit.ly/2IlMmo5) Gingers Unite: Ed Sheeran and Prince Harry promote mental health

The doorbell rings to the tune of the British national anthem "God Save the Queen", and Prince Harry opens the door to find Ed Sheeran on the threshold. Both men have red hair and beards. "It's like looking in the mirror," the prince quips before ushering the pop star inside. China flies in 900 Danish breeding pigs to replenish herd

One of China's top pig farming companies imported 906 breeding pigs from Denmark this week, China's customs said on Wednesday, in the first import of live pigs in a year. The animals bought by C.P. Pokphand Co, China's fifth largest pig producer, arrived on a charter flight in August and spent over a month in quarantine in Xiangyang city in central Hubei province, according to a report on the website of China's General Administration of Customs. Belgium's UCB to buy Ra Pharmaceuticals in $2.1 billion cash deal

UCB has agreed to acquire U.S.-based Ra Pharmaceuticals for $2.1 billion, both companies reported on Thursday, in a deal that will enable the Belgian drugmaker to offer new treatment opportunities for several rare diseases in neurology and immunology. "Ra Pharma is an excellent strategic fit addressing multiple areas of UCB's patient value growth strategy," UCB's Chief Executive Officer Jean-Christophe Tellier said in a joint statement. Massive jury award against J&J highlights risks of its legal strategy

A jury award that hit Johnson & Johnson with $8 billion in punitive damages for a case involving its anti-psychotic drug Risperdal highlights the risks of the drugmaker's all-or-nothing legal strategy, several legal experts told Reuters on Wednesday. The jury in a Philadelphia court awarded the $8 billion to a man who previously won $680,000 over his claims that it failed to warn that young men using Risperdal could grow breasts.