Health & Science

Saturday, March 2nd 2019 - 06:51 UTC
Mars rover work-out controlled in Chile from more 11.000km away in UK

A space control center in the UK has been used to test-drive a prototype Mars rover thousands of miles away in Chile’s Atacama desert. Experts at the European Space Agency’s centre in Oxfordshire completed a series of tests across nearly 11,000 km in order to see how the Mars rover reacts to commands across large distances.
Saturday, March 2nd 2019 - 04:52 UTC
UNICEF warns of global spike of measles; includes Brazil and Venezuela

Ninety-eight countries reported more cases of measles in 2018 compared with 2017, and the world body warned that conflict, complacency and the growing anti-vaccine movement threatened to undo decades of work to tame the disease.
Friday, March 1st 2019 - 20:05 UTC
Peru hit by earthquake also felt in Bolivia, Brazil and Chile

An earthquake measuring 7.0 degrees on the Richter scale Friday rattled southern Peru, 67 km (41 miles) north-northwest of Juliaca, near the Bolivian border, it was reported.
Friday, February 15th 2019 - 10:43 UTC
Yellow fever warning for travelers to Brazil

A recent disease outbreak news from the World Health Organization highlights that in Brazil it is currently the seasonal period for yellow fever and that further transmission of the disease is expected in the coming months based on seasonal patterns.
Friday, February 15th 2019 - 07:08 UTC
International Childhood Cancer Day 2019

Each year, an estimated 215 000 cancers are diagnosed in children younger than 15 years, and about 85 000 cancers in those aged 15–19 years. These estimates are based on data collected by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) from population-based cancer registries around the world.
Wednesday, February 13th 2019 - 08:48 UTC
New WHO-ITU standard aims to prevent hearing loss among 1.1 billion young people

Nearly 50% of people aged 12-35 years – or 1.1 billion young people – are at risk of hearing loss due to prolonged and excessive exposure to loud sounds, including music they listen to through personal audio devices.
Monday, February 11th 2019 - 09:36 UTC
Shackleton blog: Agulhas II positioned where the Endurance went down crushed by ice

South African icebreaker Agulhas II, 05.24 hours GMT. Ice Pilot Freddie Ligthelm over ship’s intercom: “Good Morning from the Bridge. This is to say we have reached the Endurance sinking position. Lekker Lekker Lekker [Afrikaans for “Nice, Nice, Nice”]”
Saturday, February 9th 2019 - 06:56 UTC
Measles 2017/18 outbreak in Europe, the highest in a decade

The number of recorded measles cases in Europe more than tripled between 2017 and 2018, marking the highest it’s been in a decade, the World Health Organization said. According to newly released data from the WHO, in 2018, more than 82,000 people were infected with the disease and 72 people died in Europe. In 2017, there were more than 25,000 measles cases in Europe and 42 deaths.
Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 10:01 UTC
All horse racing in UK cancelled because of outbreak of equine fever

All British horse racing meetings on Thursday have been cancelled because of an outbreak of equine flu. The decision by the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) comes after three vaccinated horses in an active yard tested positive for the disease.
Thursday, February 7th 2019 - 09:50 UTC
New Zealand' dairy industry struggling with an outbreak of Mycoplasma bovis

While experts struggle to pinpoint the original source of the Mycoplasma bovis outbreak, New Zealand Agriculture Minister Damien O'Connor says resources may be better spent on bio security systems that prevent similar outbreaks. Last May the New Zeland government announced it would try to eradicate the disease, which can cause mastitis and abortions in cows, ordering a phased culling program that's expected to cost close to US$ 700 million.