Good Food is First Food. It is not junk food. It is the food that connects nature and nutrition with livelihoods. This food is good for our health; it comes from the rich biodiversity of our regions; it provides employment to people. Most importantly, cooking and eating give us pleasure. …
us politicians and insurance companies proclaim they offer the best healthcare services in the world. These are nothing more than tall claims. Recently, top us experts have admitted that the system is about to collapse. During the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
an unprecedented legal battle is being fought in Pakistan's Lahore High Court. Responding to a petition filed by two food rights groups against the import of genetically modified (gm) soyabean from the us, the Pakistan government has declared that the transgenic variety is safe in terms of its impact on …
an unsavoury row has erupted in the us over the import of Vietnamese frozen fish fillets. On January 27, the us department of commerce (doc) slapped anti-dumping duties on the product stating that it was being sold in the domestic market at less than the fair price. Duties ranging from …
Oxygen is not just for breathing. Researchers in the us say it heals wounds too. They have found that exposing wounds to pure oxygen cures them more quickly and applying bags of pure oxygen on the skin can even prove effective against severe abrasions. Patients with a wide range of …
The us state of Vermont has taken a small step forward in combating the threat posed by mercury. It is now mandatory for manufacturers of fluorescent lamps in the state to label all lamps and packages containing the liquid metal. The step follows the nationwide ban on mercury thermometers in …
Three green groups have filed a suit in a US district court alleging that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is dawdling over their 1999 petition on the use of the Clean Air Act to curb vehicular pollution. The EPA is not doing enough to protect the environment, contend environmental pressure …
At a recent meeting of the World Medical Association in usa, doctors warned that terrorists could very easily get hold of biological weapons. Donald Henderson, senior advisor on bioterrorism to the us government, said: "At the top of the list is smallpox, followed by anthrax, plague and botulinum toxin.' According …
AIDS Messages What do Sushma Swaraj and George W Bush have in common? A mutual contempt of condoms, for one. The us president is known to prefer spreading the word about abstinence over safe sex. Sushma Swaraj too favours this mode. The bbc World Service Trust, in partnership with Doordarshan …
US scientists have mooted a database containing genetic details of all types of bacteria and viruses that are potential bioweapon agents. It is felt that such a record will give scientists quick answers in the event of a major attack. The experts made this and a host of similar suggestions …
Southern California residents can take it easy. State health officials have decided to more than triple the number of potassium iodide (ki) pills distributed among communities around the state's two nuclear plants. The decision comes after health experts and residents near the San Onofre and Diablo Canyon nuclear power stations …
A us federal judge has blocked scientists from carrying out trials of newly developed sonar on migrating grey whales. The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Scientific Solutions Inc. had planned the tests off the coast of central California during the whales' southward movement, but environmentalists protested. The us government argues …
in the famous television series Dark Angel, a colossal electromagnetic pulse wipes out the entire electronic infrastructure of the us. Perhaps this series has inspired us scientists to devise a new type of memory, that too within living organisms. "Protection of information is a must in case of a nuclear …
Microsoft has decided to share one of its most closely guarded trade secrets. But there is a catch. The software giant will let governments and international organisations study its source code for Windows opera-ting systems, authorising them to improve their software security. The serious challenge mounted lately by open source …
dispute settlement under the World Trade Organisation (wto) rules has been fraught with disagreements. The us has now put forth a proposal to grant countries that are parties to the dispute more control over such proceedings. The plan was announced at the three-day meeting of the wto dispute settlement body …
scientists have at last measured the speed at which the force of gravity moves. A landmark experiment shows its speed is similar to that of light (300,000 kilometres per second). The find supports Einstein's theory of relativity. Assuming that gravity moves at the speed of light, Einstein evolved the theory …
research carried out in Bangladesh has shown that giving zinc supplements to children suffering from diarrhoea can reduce the duration and severity of the disease. The study has been carried out by researchers from the Baltimore-based John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh …
