Health & Science

• Thursday, April 24th 2014 - 02:25 UTC

  Brazil sets the path for the future of a free, open and transparent internet

  

  Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said at the Wednesday opening of a gathering in Sao Paulo that no country can have “more weight than another” in governing cyberspace. Delegations from more than 85 countries are attending the NETMundial international conference which during two days will debate Internet issues and try to reach an agreement on a new oversight model.

• Monday, April 21st 2014 - 06:28 UTC

  Brazil attempts to combat dengue with GM mosquitoes

  

  The world’s largest ever swarm of genetically modified mosquitoes has been released in a Brazilian town to combat dengue -- a leading cause of illness and fatality in several Mercosur countries, except for Uruguay.

• Wednesday, April 16th 2014 - 04:36 UTC

  Warnings of 'catastrophic' Chikungunya epidemic; fears it could spread during the World Cup

  

  A team of French and Brazilian researchers warn that chikungunya virus is poised to invade, and become epidemic in the Americas according to research published ahead of print in the Journal of Virology.

• Friday, April 4th 2014 - 05:01 UTC

  Chile assesses extent of earthquake damage; police and military ensure order

  

  Coastal residents of Chile’s far north spent a second sleepless night outside their homes as major aftershocks continued Thursday following a magnitude-8.2 earthquake that damaged several thousand homes and caused six deaths. But no new major damage or casualties were reported, and a heavy police and military presence kept order.

• Thursday, April 3rd 2014 - 06:58 UTC

  Powerful 7.8 magnitude aftershock hits Chile's far north and south Peru

  

  A powerful 7.8-magnitude aftershock hit Chile's far-northern coast on Wednwsday, shaking the same area where a magnitude-8.2 earthquake hit just a day before causing some damage and six deaths.

• Wednesday, March 26th 2014 - 06:09 UTC

  Air pollution exposure responsible for 7 million deaths in 2012, says WHO

  

  In new estimates the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in 2012 around 7 million people died - one in eight of total global deaths – as a result of air pollution exposure. This finding more than doubles previous estimates and confirms that air pollution is now the world’s largest single environmental health risk. Reducing air pollution could save millions of lives.

• Friday, March 14th 2014 - 10:07 UTC

  Fonterra, world's leading dairy exporter admits four food-safety violations

  

  New Zealand's Fonterra has admitted four food-safety violations following a botulism scare last year that led to recalls of milk products in China. Government officials had filed charges against the dairy company, accusing it of processing and exporting dairy products which did not meet standards.

• Thursday, March 13th 2014 - 23:25 UTC

  Colorado state collects 2 million dollars from legal marijuana in January

  

  US state of Colorado collected 2 million dollars in taxes from newly legalized recreational marijuana businesses in January. Colorado became the first US state to legalize the commercial sale of cannabis in 2012, and stores opened for business on 1 January 2014.

• Wednesday, March 12th 2014 - 08:50 UTC

  Chronic kidney disease affects an estimated one in ten adults, says PAHO/WHO

  

  Diabetes and high blood pressure, together with aging, are the main risk factors for developing chronic kidney disease, which affects an estimated one in 10 adults globally, according to studies.

• Tuesday, March 11th 2014 - 18:25 UTC

  World Salt Awareness Week: “read the label, choose less salt”

  

  The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) is calling on consumers to “Stop, look, choose…the lower salt option” during this year’s World Salt Awareness Week, March 10–16.