In Brief

African HIV vaccine trial launch The first large-scale trial of an HIV vaccine is set to begin in South Africa, it has been announced.

Three thousand HIV negative men and women who are sexually active will be immunised in the four-year study. An international team of researchers, led by experts from the US, will oversee the trial of the vaccine, created by the drug company Merck.It is hoped the study will provide information about how a vaccine will work in a heterosexual population.It should also show if it is effective among women.The test vaccine has already been through trials for safety and immune response in the Americas, Africa and Australia.It does not contain live HIV, so cannot cause infection, but does contain copies of three HIV genes.The hope is that exposure to these genes prompts an immune response in the body so that cells containing HIV virus would be recognised and destroyed.* New BA baggage rules ‘unfair to elderly’ LONDON – British Airways (BA) introduces new baggage charges next week which have been criticised by Help the Aged charity which says they will hit older customers.From Tuesday, passengers face paying up to 240 pounds if they want to check in more than one bag on a long haul return flight.BA said the new baggage policy, announced last June, would be simpler and only affect 2 per cent of its customers.Under the new rules, passengers in economy class will be able to check-in one bag weighing 23 kg.Travellers on long haul flights will have to pay 120 pounds for every extra bag, except for those travelling from the United States, Canada, Caribbean, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico who will still be allowed two checked bags in line with local rules.Short haul passengers will be charged 60 pounds per extra bag and domestic travellers 30 pounds.* Michigan gay rights advocates upset LANSING – A Michigan appeals court ruling that bans public universities and state and local governments from providing health insurance to partners of gay employees has alarmed gay rights advocates nationwide.They fear the decision could encourage similar rulings in 17 other states whose bans on gay marriage could be interpreted to prohibit domestic-partner benefits for same-sex couples.Michigan last week became the first state to rule that public employers cannot offer health benefits if the benefits are based on treating same-sex relationships similar to marriage.”It really is just a matter of time before we start seeing wholesale litigation in this area,” said Carrie Evans, state legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group in Washington.In Alaska, the only other state to rule on the benefits given to same-sex partners of public employees, the courts ruled the other way, saying it was unconstitutional to deny them.More than 20 other states have yet to decide how their gay marriage bans apply to same-sex partner benefits.Nampa-Reuters-BBCAn international team of researchers, led by experts from the US, will oversee the trial of the vaccine, created by the drug company Merck.It is hoped the study will provide information about how a vaccine will work in a heterosexual population.It should also show if it is effective among women.The test vaccine has already been through trials for safety and immune response in the Americas, Africa and Australia.It does not contain live HIV, so cannot cause infection, but does contain copies of three HIV genes.The hope is that exposure to these genes prompts an immune response in the body so that cells containing HIV virus would be recognised and destroyed. * New BA baggage rules ‘unfair to elderly’ LONDON – British Airways (BA) introduces new baggage charges next week which have been criticised by Help the Aged charity which says they will hit older customers.From Tuesday, passengers face paying up to 240 pounds if they want to check in more than one bag on a long haul return flight.BA said the new baggage policy, announced last June, would be simpler and only affect 2 per cent of its customers.Under the new rules, passengers in economy class will be able to check-in one bag weighing 23 kg.Travellers on long haul flights will have to pay 120 pounds for every extra bag, except for those travelling from the United States, Canada, Caribbean, Nigeria, Brazil and Mexico who will still be allowed two checked bags in line with local rules.Short haul passengers will be charged 60 pounds per extra bag and domestic travellers 30 pounds.* Michigan gay rights advocates upset LANSING – A Michigan appeals court ruling that bans public universities and state and local governments from providing health insurance to partners of gay employees has alarmed gay rights advocates nationwide.They fear the decision could encourage similar rulings in 17 other states whose bans on gay marriage could be interpreted to prohibit domestic-partner benefits for same-sex couples.Michigan last week became the first state to rule that public employers cannot offer health benefits if the benefits are based on treating same-sex relationships similar to marriage.”It really is just a matter of time before we start seeing wholesale litigation in this area,” said Carrie Evans, state legislative director for the Human Rights Campaign, a gay rights group in Washington.In Alaska, the only other state to rule on the benefits given to same-sex partners of public employees, the courts ruled the other way, saying it was unconstitutional to deny them.More than 20 other states have yet to decide how their gay marriage bans apply to same-sex partner benefits.Nampa-Reuters-BBC