The Swedish government plans to introduce a third month of paid parental leave reserved for fathers as of next year in a bid to further increase gender equality, it said on Thursday.

Sweden offers a generous 16-month parental leave which can be taken by either mothers or fathers, with two months of that set aside for dads.

When Demi Lovato was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, she was actually relieved.

"Growing up, I felt very, very depressed," she said. "Even though I was playing concerts and living out my dream, I couldn't tell you why I was upset."

China's capital seeks to snuff out smoking in indoor public places on Monday with a new ban, unprecedented fines and a hotline to report offenders, but enforcement is doubtful in one of the world's most tobacco-addicted countries.

Seen as the toughest anti-smoking legislation in China's history, the law makes smoking in Beijing locations such as offices, restaurants, hotels and hospitals punishable by fines.

South Korea confirmed three more MERS cases Friday, bringing the total number of patients infected with the potentially deadly virus to 10, including a man who defied a quarantine protocol and travelled to China, health officials said.

The infections were all traced to the original case of a 68-year-old man diagnosed on May 20 after returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia.

Early antiretroviral treatment after diagnosis of HIV infection significantly reduces the likelihood of getting AIDS or other serious illnesses, according to results from a large international clinical trial published Wednesday.

The study was presented a year earlier than planned after preliminary data showed that people who received treatment from diagnosis were 53 percent less likely to die or develop a serious illness such as AIDS compared to a control group where treatment began later when the immune system is weakened.

A major international study says HIV patients shouldn't delay in seeking treatment: Starting medication soon after diagnosis helps keep people healthy longer.

People who started anti-AIDS drugs while their immune system was strong were far less likely to develop AIDS or other serious illnesses than if they waited until blood tests showed their immune system was starting to weaken, the U.S. National Institutes of Health announced Wednesday.

Canada must boost its capacity to treat cancers as new cases among its aging and growing population are set to soar, the Canadian Cancer Society said Wednesday.

The agency released a report in collaboration with Statistics Canada and the nation's public health agency predicting a 40 percent rise in new cancer cases in the next 15 years.

Waistlines of American adults kept growing last year with obesity creeping up to 27.7 percent, according to a Gallup poll released Wednesday.

It was the highest percentage since Gallup started studying American weight issues in 2008, the pollster said.

South Korea said Thursday it had confirmed two more MERS virus infections, bringing the total number of cases to seven, as one suspected victim ignored warnings and flew to China on a business trip.

The infections, all traced to the original case of a 68-year-old man diagnosed on May 20 after returning from a trip to Saudi Arabia, have triggered public concerns of a wider outbreak.

The broadest study of its kind on Wednesday backed estimates that newer kinds of contraceptive pills carry a higher risk of dangerous blood clots.

But it also confirmed past advice that the risk is very low in real terms and there was no immediate worry for women who take these pills.