Health & Science

Tuesday, September 15th 2009 - 02:30 UTC
Scientists confirm link between declining CO2 levels and Antarctica ice cap

The link between declining CO2 levels in the earth's atmosphere and the formation of the Antarctic ice caps some 34 million years ago has been confirmed for the first time in a major research study.
Monday, September 14th 2009 - 09:12 UTC
Brazilian minister calls for the de-criminalization of marihuana

Brazil’s Environment Minister Carlos Minc called on the country’s Supreme Court to imitate Argentina and de-criminalize possession of drugs by adults for personal consumption.
Monday, September 14th 2009 - 09:01 UTC
Father of the Green Revolution and Nobel Peace Prize dies in Texas

Norman Borlaug, the man known as the father of the Green Revolution in agriculture, died in Texas aged 95. Prof Borlaug won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1970 for agricultural innovation and the development of high-yield crops.
Wednesday, September 9th 2009 - 02:51 UTC
Re-enactment of Darwin’s expedition arrives in Montevideo late October

A re-enactment of Charles Darwin global scientific expedition in the eighteen hundreds was launched on September first from Plymouth, England and should be calling in Montevideo, Uruguay at the end of October.
Wednesday, September 9th 2009 - 02:28 UTC
How did Easter Island statues obtain their red hats?

Archaeologists believe they have solved one ancient mystery surrounding the famous Easter Island statues. At 2,500 miles off the coast of Chile, the island is one of the world's most remote places inhabited by people.
Tuesday, September 8th 2009 - 08:53 UTC
The war on drugs has failed. Now we need a more humane strategy

By Fernando Henrique Cardoso (*)
The war on drugs has failed and should make way for a global shift towards de-criminalising cannabis use and promoting harm reduction, says the former president of Brazil, writing in Sundays’ edition of The Observer. Fernando Henrique Cardoso argues that the hard-line approach has brought “disastrous” consequences for Latin America, which has been the frontline in the war on drug cultivation for decades, while failing to change the continent's position as the largest exporter of cocaine and marijuana.
Thursday, September 3rd 2009 - 03:40 UTC
H1N1 virus out-competes seasonal flu but not likely to mix into “super-bug”

The new H1N1 virus appears to out-compete seasonal flu, making it less likely to mix with other circulating flu viruses into a “super-bug” as some had feared United States researchers said this week.
Tuesday, September 1st 2009 - 12:28 UTC
Chile launches trucks’ scrappage plan to boost economy and fight pollution

The Chilean government will subsidize the purchase of more fuel-efficient trucks for citizens through a program set to start later this year. The program, called “Cambia tu Camión,” or “Change your Truck,” will offer a bonus of 4, 8 or 12 million pesos (7.200, 14.500 or 21.700 US dollars respectively), toward the purchase of a new, more fuel efficient car, with the trade-in of a truck over 25 years old.
Monday, August 31st 2009 - 14:38 UTC
SWINE flu has crippled a Royal Navy ship that patrols waters off the Falkland Islands.

At least eight members of HMS Clyde's 38-strong crew have been struck down by the bug.
Monday, August 31st 2009 - 12:14 UTC
Listeriosis strikes Chile again, claims nine victims

Listeriosis, a food-borne bacterial disease, has claimed nine lives and infected 45 in Chile so far in 2009, health authorities confirmed this week. The disease, which stems from the bacteria Listeria monocytogenes, is often borne from contaminated water and foods and usually infects pregnant women, newborns, the elderly, and people with auto-immune diseases.