Health & Science

• Monday, February 26th 2007 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile faces rich world evils: 25% of population is obese

  Obesity and related pathologies like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart attacks cost the Chilean treasury an estimated 300 million US dollars which is equivalent to a significant percentage of the country's overall public health budget.

• Friday, February 23rd 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Anthrax outbreak in extreme Southern Chile village

  

  Chile's acting Agriculture minister Cecilia Leiva said on Friday health authorities are working “to minimize the risks” of an outbreak of anthrax in a small village of farmers and fishermen in the extreme south of the country.

• Wednesday, February 21st 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Race to record Scottish dialect's last two speakers

  

  Their language is almost extinct but for two Scottish brothers, thought to be the last surviving speakers of the Cromarty dialect, there was good news this week, reports the Daily Telegraph.

• Tuesday, February 20th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Europeans prefer “relaxed and optimistic” Spain to work

  

  Spain has become the most popular destination for Europeans thinking of working abroad, ahead of the UK according to a Financial Times/Harris poll taken in five European countries.

• Tuesday, February 20th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Australia's summer crop production slashed 60%

  

  Australia's summer crop production is forecast to fall by nearly 60% in 2006-07 as most of the main growing areas in southern Queensland, northern New South Wales and the Riverina remain in the grip of drought, the February issue of ABARE (Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics) Australian Crop Report reveals.

• Thursday, February 15th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  United Nations launches new radiation warning symbol

  A skull and crossbones, a running person and radiating ionizing waves, all on a deep red triangle, joined other more common warning symbols today as part of a United Nations effort to reduce needless deaths and serious injuries from accidental exposure to large radioactive sources such as food irradiation and cancer therapy equipment.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Dengue outbreak: UN forecasts “difficult year”

  

  The entire Latin America region needs to take preventive measures to prepare for what promises to be a “difficult year” for dengue fever following an outbreak of the mosquito-borne infection in Paraguay, United Nations health officials have warned.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  British, Hungarian bird flu outbreaks linked

  

  Tests on H5N1 bird flu viruses found in Britain and Hungary showed they were genetically almost identical and the most likely transmission route was from poultry to poultry, Britain said yesterday.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  UN hails 40 anniversary of Latam nuclear-weapon-free zone

  

  The historic pact of Latin America and the Caribbean States to maintain a nuclear-weapon-free zone, the first-ever of its kind, has withstood the test of time and should spur greater efforts to rid the world of these arms, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Wednesday in honoring the 40th anniversary of the landmark agreement.

• Wednesday, February 14th 2007 - 20:00 UTC

  Where do rich countries' children fare worse? US & UK

  

  United States and Britain ranked at the bottom of a U.N. survey of child welfare in 21 wealthy countries that assessed everything from infant mortality to whether children ate dinner with their parents or were bullied at school.