Health & Science

• Saturday, October 22nd 2016 - 09:20 UTC

  Diphtheria outbreak in Venezuela; CIA “germ warfare” claims the Chavista government

  

  Diphtheria, an extremely contagious disease that has been mostly eradicated worldwide through vaccination, has reappeared in Venezuela and so far has killed four children with another twenty cases reported in just one month. The reappearance of diphtheria, a disease not seen in Venezuela in more than 20 years, is yet the worst symptom of the country's collapsed health system.

• Tuesday, October 18th 2016 - 18:58 UTC

  The tiny crustacean which plays a key role in fertilizing the Southern Ocean

  

  Scientists have discovered that Antarctic krill – a tiny shrimp-like crustacean – plays a key role in fertilising the Southern Ocean with iron, which stimulates the growth of phytoplankton, the microscopic plants at the base of the marine food web. This finding is important for understanding the oceans’ capacity for carbon capture.

• Monday, October 17th 2016 - 19:02 UTC

  TB remains the leading infection killer in the world; global efforts to end the epidemic are falling far short

  

  New data published by the World Health Organization (WHO) in its 2016 Global Tuberculosis (TB) Report show that countries need to move much faster to prevent, detect and treat the disease if they are to meet global targets. Governments have agreed on targets to end the TB epidemic both at the World Health Assembly and at the United Nations General Assembly within the context of the Sustainable Development Goals.

• Monday, October 17th 2016 - 06:28 UTC

  Uruguayan scientists on HMS Protector en route to Antarctica for a joint research project

  

  Two Uruguayan young scientists are on board Ice Patrol HMS Protector en route to the Falkland Islands and Antarctica and will be participating in a research program on human impact on the Antarctic marine environment including pollution mainly by plastic made products. Federico Weinstein and Carolina Rodríguez belong to the Faculty of Sciences and represent the resumption of long standing links between the Ice Patrol and Montevideo.

• Thursday, October 13th 2016 - 10:19 UTC

  WHO proposes taxing sugary drinks to reduce obesity, diabetes and tooth decay

  

  Taxing sugary drinks can lower consumption and reduce obesity, type 2 diabetes and tooth decay, says a new WHO report. Fiscal policies that lead to at least a 20% increase in the retail price of sugary drinks would result in proportional reductions in consumption of such products, according to the report titled “Fiscal policies for Diet and Prevention of No communicable Diseases (NCDs)”.

• Wednesday, October 12th 2016 - 11:00 UTC

  UN mission in Haiti to be extended six months in aftermath of hurricane Matthew

  

  With Haiti facing the dual challenges of addressing the impact of Hurricane Matthew and restarting preparations for the holding of the much-anticipated elections, the United Nations envoy for the Caribbean country on Tuesday expressed support for the recommended extension of the UN mission there by six months until mid-April 2017.

• Tuesday, October 11th 2016 - 08:20 UTC

  Economics Nobel for two professors pioneers in contracts' design on privatizing public services and CEO's bonuses

  

  Two U.S.-based professors won the Nobel prize in economics on Monday for studying how to best design contracts, work that sheds light on when it makes sense to give a CEO a bonus or privatize public services like schools, hospitals and prisons.

• Friday, September 30th 2016 - 08:09 UTC

  RRS James Clark Ross sails to Falklands collecting Mid-Atlantic Ridge data

  

  British Antarctic Survey ship, the RRS James Clark Ross, set sail on its long voyage from Immingham in the UK to Stanley in the Falkland Islands last 20 September. The ship, which carries out important scientific research in the Southern Ocean during the Antarctic summer months, is conducting survey work as it makes its passage south.

• Thursday, September 29th 2016 - 11:30 UTC

  Scientists trying to determine the increase of whales' beaching all along Chile's coastline

  

  Several huge whales have washed up dead over recent months on beaches in northern Chile, where scientists suspect they are moving in increasing numbers due to climate change. After the beaching of hundreds of dead whales in the south last year, the trend has now shifted to areas where the phenomenon was previously rare.

• Thursday, September 29th 2016 - 11:01 UTC

  Region of the Americas is declared free of measles by World Health Organization

  

  The Region of the Americas is the first in the world to have eliminated measles, a viral disease that can cause severe health problems, including pneumonia, blindness, brain swelling and even death. This achievement culminates a 22-year effort involving mass vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella throughout the Americas.