LOS ANGELES — A large new study has found even a little bit of daily exercise has health benefits.
Exercise guidelines by the World Health Organization and many government health agencies recommend that adults get at least a half-hour of moderate workout most days of the week.
A large study done in Taiwan found that even doing half that can be beneficial.
Researchers found those who exercised just 15 minutes a day — or 90 minutes a week — cut their risk of death by 14 percent and extended their life expectancy by three years compared with those who did no exercise.
Results were reported online Monday in the journal Lancet.
Scientists not involved in the work said this may convince people that it’s possible to incorporate a little exercise into their busy lives.
4 killed in attack on tanker depot in Afghanistan
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan — Militants attacked a fuel tanker depot Monday outside the main international military base in southern Afghanistan, killing four people, officials said.
The assailants set off explosives that were packed in a minibus at the entrance of a compound operated by international contractor Supreme Group, according from a statement from the Kandahar governor’s office. The compound is outside of Kandahar Air Field — the base of NATO and U.S. operations in the south.
Four private guards were killed in the fighting, said Salim Ahsas, the southern region police chief.
A call to Supreme Group seeking comment went unanswered.
The compound is used by fuel tankers that supply NATO bases, said Ahmadullah Niaz, who works in the compound.
Syrian forces reportedly herding thousands into stadium
BEIRUT — Syrian security forces cracking down on opposition strongholds in Latakia herded thousands of people into a stadium after taking away their identification cards and cellphones, activists said Monday.
Forces loyal to the regime of President Bashar Assad continued hammering opposition strongholds in the country’s main port city, especially in the district of Ramleh, which has been pummeled with tank, gunboat and automatic weapons fire following unusually large anti-government demonstrations that broke out there Friday.
Security forces began ordering residents of the area, which includes a refugee camp housing more than 10,000 Palestinians, to go a soccer stadium ahead of what they described as a huge military operation, activists said. At least five people were confirmed dead.
The latest developments are sure to inflame mounting international concern over Syria. The U.N. agency responsible for overseeing Palestinian refugee camps in the Middle East said Monday it was “gravely concerned” about the situation in Latakia and demanded unhindered access to the facility.
Libyan rebels try to isolate Tripoli, Gadhafi
ZAWIYA, Libya — Libya’s rebels threatened to isolate Tripoli by blocking key supply routes and cutting oil pipelines on Monday after a dramatic weekend advance put them in the strongest position to attack Moammar Gadhafi’s stronghold since the 6-month-old civil war began .
In Washington, the Obama administration said the U.S. was encouraged by the rebel advances and hoped they had broken a monthslong stalemate with Gadhafi’s forces.
“We are closing the roads for Gadhafi so there is no way for him to bring anything to Tripoli,” a rebel field commander, Jumma Dardira, told The Associated Press.
The rebels’ push into the strategic city of Zawiya on Saturday brought them within 30 miles of Tripoli, the closest they have ever gotten.
Also Monday, U.S. defense officials said Libyan government forces tapped into their stores of Scud missiles this weekend, firing one for the first time in this year’s conflict with rebels, but hurting no one.
The missile launch was detected by U.S. forces shortly after midnight Sunday and the Scud landed in the desert about 50 miles outside Brega, said one official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.