A World Bank report on poverty said India accounts for one-third (33%) of the world's poor people who live on less than $1.25 a day. There are 1.2 billion people living in extreme poverty across the world.

A new analysis of extreme poverty was released by the World Bank, that shows despite recent impressive progress, Sub Saharan Africa still accounts for over one-third of the world's extreme poor.

World Bank president Jim Yong Kim said the figure should serve as a rallying cry to the international community to take the fight against poverty to the next level, and guide the way toward ending extreme poverty by 2030.

After India, China comes next with 13 percent of the world's poor people.

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Keralites who already have the highest per capita rate of consumption of alcohol in India, now have been found to have a higher smoking prevalence rate than the national average. According to the Global Adult Tobacco survey smokers in Kerala spend nearly 9% of their income on smoking.

Stress, lifestyle changes and high incomes have contributed to the rise in the number of smokers in the state with many youngsters buying high end cigarette brands. The average age of those using tobacco among adults in Kerala is 18.3 years.

One web analyst blames films for glorifying smoking as most of the so-called new-gen movies show young people using drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which eventually form an essential part of a young person's lifestyle.

A slew of advice is available to help the youngsters quit smoking but the habit is still growing among young adults.

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The UK's Office of National Statistics (ONS) has found that India is the world's youngest nation in terms of population of people 90 years and over. China is next.

ONS compared the UK's 90 and over population and found that while nearly 800 per 100,000 population were 90 and above, the number stood at just 75 for India and 150 for China, making India the youngest nation. China and India have younger age profiles but also have a lower life expectancy than developed nations.

Japan had by far the highest number of persons aged 90 and over. Sweden and Italy had above average numbers aged 90 and over per 100,000 population.

Africa is the least aged region of the world owing to both higher fertility and much lower life expectancy than other world regions.

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According to newly released Census data, nearly one in every six urban Indian residents lives in a slum.

According to the ministry of housing and urban poverty alleviation, their projections were that the all-India slum population would be 27.5% by 2011, but the new data shows numbers are significantly lower they had been projected.

Over 70% of slum households get water form a tap but just half get water inside their homes. Over 90% get electricity and most use LPG to cook. 70% have a TV and 10% a computer.

More than one in five urban households in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal and Maharashtra lives in a slum.

Of the metros, Mumbai has the highest proportion of slum dwelling households. Kolkata is next followed by Chennai, Delhi and Bangalore.

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A recent study conducted by Alpha One Andrology Group, has found that impotence is emerging as a major cause of divorce. The Group is an association of doctors dealing in sex-related problems in men, and took into account some 2500 men suffering from erectile dysfunction or impotence.

The study found that erectile dysfunction affects some 50 percent of men over age 40, and 10 percent below age 40. The condition is poorly understood and results in the break up of marriages. Sexual impotence is becoming a common problem among couples in cities due to a sedentary lifestyle, hypertension and busy schedules. Diabetes is a leading cause of erectile dysfunction, followed by hypertension.

Men have an ego problem in accepting the fact and most remain secretive about their sexual health as taking medical help for erectile dysfunction remains a stigma and they are not prepared to accept the fact till it comes to the breaking up of their marriage.

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