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Year on From The Asian Tsunami, Satellites Are Aiding Regional Rebuilding
December
23, 2005
The
deadly Indian Ocean tsunami that swept across coastlines on 26 December 2004
took the lives of more than 200,000 people. The sheer scale of the catastrophe
meant that Earth Observation was vital both for damage assessment and for
co-coordinating emergency activities. Through the year that followed,
satellite-based maps from ESA's Respond consortium continued to support
rebuilding efforts.
Source:
European space Agency
Cloning
Pioneer Did Fake Results, Probe Finds
December
23, 2005
Most
of the key results in a landmark stem cell paper by South Korea’s cloning
pioneer Woo Suk Hwang were faked, an investigation panel convened by Seoul
National University revealed on Friday. The study had offered great hope to
patients as it meant that embryonic stem cell lines – which could be used to
repair or replace damaged cells – might be tailored to specific individuals.
Source:
New Scientist.com
How
Technology Is Aiding Medicine
December 24, 2005
Computers
and mobiles phones are playing an increasingly valuable role in helping doctors
and patients monitor conditions such as diabetes on a daily basis, new
technology can also be harnessed to help elderly people live independently for
longer.
Source:
BBC News
Grapefruit
'May Cut Gum Disease'
December
25, 2005
Eating
grapefruit could help fight gum disease, a study suggests, Researchers
found people with gum disease who ate two grapefruits a day for a fortnight
showed significantly less bleeding from the gums. They believe this is due to an
increase in blood levels of vitamin C, known to promote wound healing.
Source:
BBC News
Death
Sentences Against Nurses Are Lifted
December
26, 2005
Bulgaria
welcomed the decision by Libya's Supreme Court to scrap death sentences against
five Bulgarian nurses and order a retrial of the cases, the nurses and a
Palestinian doctor were sentenced to death by firing squad in May 2004 after a
court found them guilty of knowingly injecting 426 children with HIV.
Source:
Independent.co.uk
China
Dumps Chemicals to Try to Clean Toxic River
December
26, 2005
China
is dumping chemicals into a southern river to try to neutralize a toxic spill
and contain the second environmental disaster to hit the country in as many
months, The cadmium-containing slick, which has cut tap water for tens of
thousands of people downstream for five days, was flushed into the North River
running across Guangdong province north to south from a Shaoguan zinc smelter
last week.
Source:
Environmental News Network
Europeans
Missing Their Kyoto Targets
December
27, 2005
Britain
and Sweden are the only European countries honoring their Kyoto commitments to
cut greenhouse gasses, Although the US is portrayed as the ecological villain
for refusing to sign up to the agreement, 10 out of the 15 European Union
signatories - including Ireland, Italy and Spain - will miss their targets
without urgent action.
Source:
Independent.co.uk
First
Galileo Satellite on Orbit to Demonstrate Key Technologies
December
28, 2005
ESA
PR 61-2005. The first Galileo demonstrator is in orbit, marking the very first
step to full operability of Europe’s new global navigation satellite system,
under a partnership between ESA and the European Commission (EC).
Source:
European space Agency
How
Fatty Diet May Cause Diabetes
December
29, 2005
Researchers
say they have discovered how a high-fat Western-style diet may increase the risk
of type 2 diabetes.
Source:
BBC News
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