Health & Science

• Friday, September 5th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chilean scientist develops kit to detect toxic algae bloom

  

  Although shellfish poisoning is not that common in Chile, it does occur frequently as a result of mysterious, massive algae blooms – the so-called “red tide” phenomenon.

• Thursday, September 4th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Flooded south Chile regions declared “catastrophe zone”

  

  President Michelle Bachelet declared southern Chile's entire (Patagonia) Region IX (Araucanía) a “catastrophe zone” due to this past week's intense rainfall and flooding.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile admits 4.5% of hog production affected by dioxins

  Only 4.5% of Chile's pork production has been affected by dioxins admitted Agriculture Minister Marigen Hornkohl, who underlined the good quality and sanitary conditions of all meat production in the country.

• Wednesday, September 3rd 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Chile assesses cost of alcohol to national health scheme

  

  Alcoholism is the main risk factor in diseases, traumatisms and death cases in Chile according to two independent reports contracted by the country's sanitary authorities and released Wednesday.

• Monday, September 1st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  One billion people still lack drinking water, says UN

  

  More than one billion people still lack access to safe drinking water, Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon said on Monday, calling for greater efforts to achieve the water and sanitation targets set by world leaders in 2000.

• Sunday, August 31st 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  New Orleans Mayor Orders Evacuation as Gustav Reaches Gulf

  

  The mayor of New Orleans has issued a mandatory evacuation order for the entire city, as Hurricane Gustav bears down on the US Gulf Coast.

• Friday, August 29th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Oil covered penguins washed up on Brazilian beaches

  

  Thousands of oil-slicked penguins washed up dead on the beaches of a popular Brazilian resort on Friday, and officials reported they are searching for a cause.

• Thursday, August 28th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  EU demographic implosion set to begin in 7 years

  

  Since its historic reunification almost two decades ago, Germany has been easily the European Union's most populous nation, with 20 million more inhabitants than its closest rival.

• Wednesday, August 27th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Listerosis scare in Canada and class action lawsuit

  Canadian Maple Leaf Foods faces millions of dollars in demands from a class action lawsuit following an outbreak of listerosis (meat poisoning) linked to the company's Toronto meat plant and which allegedly is responsible for the death of at least 15 people.

• Tuesday, August 26th 2008 - 21:00 UTC

  Grazing cattle shown to align north-south direction

  

  Have you ever noticed that herds of grazing animals all face the same way? Images from Google Earth have confirmed that cattle tend to align their bodies in a north-south direction.