Health & Science

• Tuesday, January 13th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Pesticides and chemicals ban controversy in the EU

  

  The European Parliament has voted to tighten rules on pesticide use and ban at least 22 chemicals deemed harmful to human health. The UK government, the Conservatives and the National Farmers' Union all oppose the new rules, saying they could hit yields and increase food prices. The rules have not yet been approved by the 27 member states' governments.

• Tuesday, January 13th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  First 2009 (mild) dengue case reported in Paraguay

  

  Paraguayan health officials confirmed the first case of dengue fever here so far this year and announced a health blockade along the border with Argentina after the deaths of two men from yellow fever in the neighbouring country.

• Saturday, January 10th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Lipotimia bout forces Cristina Kirchner to postpone trip to Cuba

  

  Argentina's president Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, suffering from an acute bout of low blood pressure has been forced to postpone for a week her planned visits to Cuba and Venezuela that should have begun this Sunday, according to reliable government sources reports the Buenos Aires media

• Monday, January 5th 2009 - 20:00 UTC

  Yellow fever re-emerges in triple border area

  

  Dead monkeys have been found in the jungle of northeast Argentina, next to Brazil and Paraguay, probably caused by yellow fever, according to local sanitary authorities. The discovery follows the confirmed yellow fever deaths of two jungle workers in the neighbouring province of Misiones.

• Monday, December 29th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Warning of fake Colgate toothpaste in UK main chain stores

  Thousands of tubes of fake Colgate toothpaste have been recalled by Britain's main chain stores Sainsbury's and Boots. Both stores have contacted customers directly and put up notices in shops concerning the counterfeit product sold between 28 November and 5 December.

• Sunday, December 28th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Red, Orange UV alert in Punta Arenas and Tierra del Fuego

  Punta Arenas in the extreme south of Chile has released a Ultra Violet radiation alert recommending people to avoid photo-exposure, particularly between 10:00 in the morning to 16:00 hours in the afternoon, given the high (orange and red) levels registered in Punta Arenas and two locations in Tierra del Fuego.

• Saturday, December 27th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Tainted milk: Chinese dairies to compensate 300.000 children

  

  Chinese dairy firms involved in the tainted milk scandal are to compensate the families of the nearly 300,000 affected children, state media said. Twenty-two companies will make an undisclosed one-off cash payment to the families Xinhua reported quoting the China Dairy Industry Association.

• Friday, December 26th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Brazil health office to buy and distribute 1.2 billion condoms

  Brazil's Health Ministry announced it will purchase 1.2 billion condoms next year for the country's national program against AIDS, according to Brazilian media reports.

• Friday, December 26th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  Vancouver, best place in the world to live; in Latam, Montevideo

  

  Vancouver is the world's best place to live, a survey by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has found. In Latinamerica Montevideo, Santiago and Buenos Aires are the most “liveable” although none of them offers ideal conditions.

• Wednesday, December 24th 2008 - 20:00 UTC

  British doctors warn of biggest flu outbreak in 8 years

  The biggest flu outbreak for eight years could be on its way in the United Kingdom, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) warned after a 73% rise in people seeing their doctor with flu-like symptoms.