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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, December 17th 2025 - 08:29 UTC

Health & Science

  • Tuesday, August 22nd 2017 - 06:45 UTC

    Abortion under certain circumstances finally becomes legal in Chile

    Women in Chile will be allowed to seek an abortion when their life is in danger, when a fetus is unviable or when a pregnancy results from rape.

    Chilean Constitutional court on Monday ruled that a law legalizing abortion in certain cases is constitutional, a win for President Michelle Bachelet’s ruling coalition and for groups that have campaigned for years against the country’s strict ban.

  • Saturday, August 19th 2017 - 08:31 UTC

    UK envoy in Brazil promotes trade and scientific cooperation

    UK Trade Envoy for Brazil, Mark Prisk MP (C) with some of the new scholars from Recife (Pic Twitter)

    Mark Prisk, the UK’s trade envoy to Brazil makes his first visit to Recife this year with the purpose of increasing dialogue between the region and United Kingdom. He will discuss topics such as trade, smart cities and the UK government’s international awards scheme, Chevening in bilaterals with Porto Digital and Fiepe. The Trade Envoy was previously in São Paulo in where he held meetings with government and private sector representatives.

  • Saturday, August 19th 2017 - 06:57 UTC

    Falklands' all health and social services sites Smoke Free as of February

    Someone who smokes 20 cigarettes a day can, in just one year, save enough money for two return flights to the UK if they stop smoking.

    The Falkland Islands announced that all Health & Social Services sites are to be Smoke Free from 1st February 2018. Following on from the ban on smoking in any Government property, the Health & Social Services Department are going one step further by banning cigars, cigarettes and any vaping devices from all Health & Social Services sites, starting from the 1st February 2018.

  • Saturday, August 12th 2017 - 07:59 UTC

    Century old English fruitcake found in Antarctica: could belong to Scott's expedition

    The delicacy, made by British cake makers Huntley and Palmers, was still wrapped in paper.

    New Zealand scientists have found a 'perfectly preserved' 106-year-old fruitcake in a remote Antarctic hut. The delicacy, made by British cake makers Huntley and Palmers, was still wrapped in paper and encased in the remains of a tin-plated iron alloy tin, the researchers at the Antarctic Heritage Trust in Christchurch said in a statement on Thursday.

  • Tuesday, August 8th 2017 - 18:37 UTC

    Eggs with finopril scare in Europe: minimum risk in UK say authorities

    “Our advice is that there is no need for people to change the way they consume or cook eggs or products containing eggs” FSA said

    A very small number of eggs contaminated with a toxic insecticide reached the UK earlier this year. Some of the eggs, which originated from the Netherlands, were also found in France, the country's agricultural ministry said.

  • Sunday, August 6th 2017 - 04:53 UTC

    UN, including Beijing., agrees tough sanctions on North Korea banning more than a third of the country's exports

    U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley praised the new sanctions telling council members it is “the single largest economic package ever leveled against North Korean regime.”

    The United Nations Security Council approved tough new sanctions on North Korea on Saturday including a ban on coal and other exports totaling more than US$1 billion — a huge bite in its total exports, valued at US$3 billion last year. U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley praised the new sanctions, telling council members after the vote that it is “the single largest economic package ever leveled against the North Korean regime.”

  • Tuesday, August 1st 2017 - 08:34 UTC

    Facebook forced to shut down AI system after they communicated in language unknown to humans

    The incident evokes images of the rise of Skynet in the iconic Terminator series. Perhaps Tesla CEO Elon Musk is right about AI being the “biggest risk we face.”

    Facebook was forced to shut down one of its artificial intelligence systems after researchers discovered that it had started communicating in a language that they could not understand. The incident evokes images of the rise of Skynet in the iconic Terminator series. Perhaps Tesla CEO Elon Musk is right about AI being the “biggest risk we face.”

  • Saturday, July 29th 2017 - 14:16 UTC

    Uruguay reports two outbreaks of PRRS at two pig farms

    The reports states the presence of the PRRS virus was initially suspected on 12 May and confirmed on the same date after a real-time PCR test was carried out

    Uruguay's veterinary authorities have reported two outbreaks of porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) at two pig farms, one based in Salto and the other in Canelones. An immediate notification was sent to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) on 20 July.

  • Friday, July 28th 2017 - 06:04 UTC

    World Hepatitis Day: 325 million affected; annual deaths exceed those linked to HIV

    “At best one in ten people who are living with hepatitis know they are infected and can access treatment. This is unacceptable,” said Dr Gottfried Hirnschall

    New World Health Organization, WHO, data from 28 countries - representing approximately 70% of the global hepatitis burden - indicate that efforts to eliminate hepatitis are gaining momentum. Published to coincide with World Hepatitis Day, the data reveal that nearly all 28 countries have established high-level national hepatitis elimination committees and more than half have allocated dedicated funding for hepatitis responses.

  • Thursday, July 20th 2017 - 20:43 UTC

    Chile closer to legalizing abortion in special cases

    President Michelle Bachelet supports the measure and has said she would sign the law, but opposition said they would appeal it before the Constitutional Tribunal

    Chilean lawmakers took a major step toward legalizing abortion in some cases on Wednesday, a dramatic development in one of Latin America’s most traditionally conservative countries. In a marathon session lasting well past midnight, the Senate voted to allow abortions when a mother’s life is in danger, when the fetus is not viable, and in cases of rape.