Other Stories

Ukraine Marks Chernobyl's 19th Anniversary

Tuesday marked the 19th anniversary of the nuclear disaster at Chernobyl, Ukraine which killed thousands of people, made millions sick and covered much of northern Europe, ruining agricultural land.

Australia to Cull Wild Camel Population

Australia is planning to cull camels from the air. Camels were introduced to Australia in the mid-1880s to transport supplies in the outback. There may now be 500,000 wild camels, increasing at 11 percent a year and using up water needed for cattle and sheep. Opponents say that it is impossible to check that animals have been killed from the air, and it is harder to kill from the air. Other invasive species which have spread across Australia include rabbits and noxious cane toads.

Interior Dept. Halts Delivery of Mustangs

For 34 years up to last December there was a ban on slaughtering mustangs, then Congress allowed older, unwanted horses to be sold, amid warnings that they would be slaughtered for pet food or even human food. Now some have been slaughtered and the Bureau of Land Management has rescued some from an animal processing facility and temporarily banned sale of any more.

EU Asks Nations to Lift Some Biotech Bans

The European Commission called on Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, France and Greece to lift bans on those biotech crops which Europe has tested and found safe. These do not include Bt10, the biotech corn that was imported from the USA without authorization recently.

Del. to Use $6M Grant to Study Ecosystem

The National Science Foundation has given a Delaware academic partnership a grant of $6 million to study the effect of biotech crops on the ecosystem.

Official Alleges Improper Pesticide Use

A whistleblower claims that the Forest Service endangered the public by spraying of pesticides and weed-killers in the Southwest near camp sites in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest.

Grasshopper Infestation Hits S.D. Ranchers

Ranchers in South Dakota are already suffering from drought, and their problems are being made worse by an infestation of Haldeman's grasshopper eating the young grass.

Official: West Nile Still Threat in Wyo.

West Nile caused few problems in Wyoming last year, and nobody died, but residents are being warned not to be complacent. Care should be taken to prevent mosquitoes from breeding by preventing water from standing for a week or more, even in small depressions or discarded cans.

Vietnam Bird Flu Puzzle Has Many Missing Pieces

41 people have fallen sick from the H5N1 bird flu virus since December 2004, and 15 have died. Attitudes towards chicken vary now. It is not clear why chicken slaughterers and foreigners seem immune, and families more prone to get it? The measures taken have restricted it, but the puzzles need to be solved.

WHO Hopeful About Beating Angola's Marburg Virus

The U.N. World Health Organization hopes that the outbreak of Marburg virus in Angola will come under control. Incidence has slowed as public health messages reach ordinary people.

Antarctic Glaciers in Retreat from Climate Change

The British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has studied changes to the glaciers on the west side of the Antarctic Peninsula and found that most have retreated more and more quickly over the past 50 years. It is believed that the regional warming affect is due to global warming.

Herd of Buffalo Disrupt Traffic in Md.

Residents of a suburb of Baltimore had unusual visitors Tuesday; a herd of about 10 buffalo. Nearby major roads were shut, including part of the Beltway, until a police helicopter and more than a dozen police cars herded the animals into a tennis court.

What do you think that the best way is for asbestos disease sufferers to be compensated?

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