Beer-loving Czechs stub out cigarettes as pubs go smoke-free

PRAGUE (Reuters) - Pubs in the Czech capital Prague filled up on Tuesday night and some held special events as smokers lit up for the last time before a ban on smoking in bars and restaurants took effect.

Bird flu outbreak in Shaanxi province kills 20,000 chickens

BEIJING (Reuters) - More than 20,000 chickens died from an outbreak of H7N9 bird flu in northwest China's Shaanxi province, official media said on Wednesday citing a local government statement.

Novartis warns of U.S. price pressure on Sandoz generics

ZURICH (Reuters) - Novartis warned on Wednesday that price pressure on its generics drugs in the United States has intensified in the second quarter, cutting into its Sandoz division's sales growth in the world's largest healthcare market.