The Global Gender Gap Index annually benchmarks the current state and evolution of gender parity across four key dimensions (Economic Participation and Opportunity, Educational Attainment, Health and Survival, and Political Empowerment). It is the longest-standing index tracking the progress of numerous countries’ efforts towards closing these gaps over time since …
a recent spurt has been witnessed in the demand for ultra low sulphur diesel (ulsd), with several European countries switching over to the green fuel (containing 50 parts per million of sulphur). The resultant shortage has pushed up ulsd prices on the Rotterdam (Netherlands) barge market by us $20 a …
Why has a ban been imposed on shark hunting in particular? Sharks have a vital role in the marine ecosystem since they are the apex predator at the top of the marine food chain. But today they are almost extinct, being a major target of the fish hunters. Their slow …
smog is not only suffocating human beings, but is also choking plants. Air pollution is indirectly responsible for the destruction of trees and, for the first time, researchers of Finland have found evidence supporting their argument. According to them, due to air pollution there has been a decline in the …
Reducing heavy metal pollution can help improve bird populations, report Finnish researchers. Tapio Eeva and Esa Lehikoinen of the University of Turku, Finland, studied pied flycatchers ( Ficedula hypoleuca ) and great tits ( Parus major ) around the copper smelter at Harjavalta, southwest Finland. A decade ago the plant …
reports from Finland of excessive pesticide levels in sweet peppers from Spain have led the ministry of agriculture, fishery and food's (maff) to test samples on sale in uk supermarkets. The results show high levels of organophosphate in the peppers. Ten out of 24 samples imported from Spain tested positive …
Backache is the second major cause of employee absenteeism after common cold. Now, Susanna Annunen and her team from the University of Oulu in Finland report that inter-vertebral disk disease, also called sciatica, may well run in the families with a gene called COL9A2 that is responsible for the condition. …
the Finland government has appointed a committee to compare the country's energy tax rates with those in other parts of the world. In the long-run, this exercise will indicate the potential of raising eco-taxes. The committee, appointed by the Economic Council which comprises government officials, representatives of trade unions, employers …
Kids who thrive on bubble guru may well be keeping the doctor away. Research just published by Matti Uhari and his team from the University of Oulu in Finland shows that a sweetener commonly used in bubble gum, chewing gwn and some foods may prevent ear infections. The plant sugar …
BLOOD donors are usually looked upon as altruists. But what most people, including the donors themselves, do not know is that by donating blood they are only prolonging their lives. Finnish researchers claim that they have discovered striking evidence that blood donors are far less likely to succumb to heart …
Do not use antibiotics every time you sneeze, researchers at the National Public Health Institute of Finland have advised patients suffering from symptoms of common cold. A new study confirms that almost all colds are, in fact, caused by viruses, and so antibiotics should not be used to treat them. …
scientists in the us , Finland and India have reported significant breakthroughs in research that could help develop vaccines for rotavirus infection. Rotavirus infection is caused due to ingestion of the viral particles in water or other means of child-to-child infection. According to the World Health Organisation, the disease accounts …
chlorination of water may lead to thyroid and liver cancers, according to a study conducted by H Komulainen and colleagues at the National Public Health Institute, Kuopio and Institute of Bio-medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland. When a by-product of chlorine called mx was given to rats for two years in …
WITH babies vying with each other in bornny baby contests the world over, baby fat has never been a serious issue with mothers and paediatricians. A chubby baby is considered a healthy baby by all. Some Finnish researchers, however, decided to have a fresh look at the dietary requirements of …
With the help of a grant assistance of US $1.8 million from Finland, the Nepal government will be preparing a complete inventory of Nepalese forest resources under the forest resources information system project. The government has already compiled information on about 40 percent of land area as part of the …
Chewing gum contains the natural sweetener xylitol, which can help reduce chronic ear infections, say researchers from the University of Oulu, Finland. About 300 pre-school children were given chewing gum, half containing xylitol and the rest plain gum. The incidence of ear infections fell by 50 per cent in those …
the world's first anti-gravity device which could have an immense effect on everything from transport to power generation has been developed by researchers at the Tampere University of Technology in Finland. The device is said to significantly reduce the weight of any object placed above it. Such has been the …
THIS is a delightful portrait of the now' extinct Ursus spelaues, largest of the bear family. Known to have coexisted with the Neanderthal human and later, with humans of our own spe Icies during the later part of the Ice Age, the cave bear survived to, or even beyond the …
With the development of a new type of computerised mattress containing sensors, researcher Jukka Alihanka of Biorec Oy in Turku, Finland, has solved the problem of monitoring patients with coronary or breathing problems throughout the night. The mattress is sensitive to the heart beats, respiration and limb movements of a …
FINLAND'S forestry and paper industries have attracted world attention but for all the wrong reasons. The country is ravaging its ancient forests with mechanical tree harvesters, according to an article in the German news weekly, Der Spiegel. These accusations have been rejected vehemently by Finland's forestry industry as an example …
What have been Finland's major environmental concerns? How has your government responded to global environmental issues in general? Finland and other industrialised countries use 80 per cent of the world's resources. We are part of a problem and are responsible for it. That's why our emphasis has always been on …
