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The oldest woman in the world, Japan's Misao Okawa, celebrated her birthday today (it's actually March 5), and though she's also one of the oldest people to ever live, the 117-year-old insists living this long is really no big deal.

Okawa celebrated her birthday a day early wearing a pink kimono at her nursing home and was presented with a bouquet of flowers. When asked about how she felt about reaching the milestone birthday, she simply said, "It seemed rather short," but added she was "very happy."



Okawa is one of the five documented people born in the 1800s who are still alive today (she was born in 1898). Okawa's predecessor was also Japanese. It's estimated that Japan has around 58,000 centenarians -- the highest of any country in the world. It's no surprise as Okinawa, Japan is considered to be a "blue zone" where extreme longevity is quite common. It's believed that their plant-based soy-rich diet -- as well as exercise and plenty of sunshine -- all contribute to residents' long lives.

As for Okawa, she's said that eating well, getting her eight hours of sleep at night and knowing how to relax are what have kept her going so long. But today, she was a little more nonchalant about her 117 years on the planet, saying she's not so sure what the secret to longevity is. "I wonder about that too," she said.

Many happy returns of the day, Misao!

* Intake should be halved in North America
* Evidence shows sugar link to weight gain
* Can of soda contains 10 teaspoons of sugar (Recasts, adds detail, background)
GENEVA, March 4 (Reuters) - Adults and children must cut the amount of sugar they consume by as much as half in North America and Western Europe and even more in other areas to lower risk of obesity and tooth decay, the World Health Organization said on Wednesday.
New guidelines meant people should reduce the amount to less than 10 percent of their daily energy intake -- or to about 50 grams or 12 teaspoons of sugar for adults, experts at the U.N. body told Reuters.
A cut to less than 5 percent would be even better, they added.
The WHO's recommendations to health ministries cover free sugars such as glucose and fructose, and sucrose or table sugar added to processed foods and drinks as well as sugar naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices.
The current average in North and Central America was 95 grams per adult per day, in South America about 130 grams, and in Western Europe about 101 grams, said Dr. Francesco Branca, Director of WHO's Department of Nutrition for Health and Development.
"A single can of sugar-sweetened soda contains up to 40 grams (around 10 teaspoons) of free sugar," the WHO said.
Evidence showed adults and children who consume less sugars have lower body weight, according to the annoucment.
Current rates varied widely according to age and area, it added. Intake in Europe ranged from about 7-8 percent in Hungary and Norway to to 16-17 percent in countries like Spain and Britain.
Data showed rates among children in Portugal were as high as 25 percent.
"We have solid evidence that keeping intake of free sugars to less than 10 percent of total energy intake reduces the risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay," Branca said in a statement. (Reporting by Stephanie Nebehay; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — The bulldozers, tractors and cranes are busy day and night, paving new roads, building tall glass buildings and constructing a new light rail system to stitch together the city's ends.

In less than five years, the city's skyline has changed drastically. Above the dust, in a seven-story building overlooking Meskel Square, sits Abiy Gebeyehu, a real estate development manager at the Sunshine Construction Company. He is going through files and figures, looking down at the spot where Ethiopia's former communist dictator, Mengistu Haile Mariam, once smashed to the ground three bottles of what was supposedly blood as a warning to his opponents.

"The government changed its policy," Mr. Gebeyehu said, explaining how his company became part of Ethiopia's economic growth. "They are engaging private business."