International News

Ethiopia - Haile-Selassie discovers human predecessors
(BBC science correspondent Christine McGourty)

Yohannes Haile-Selassie examines an Ardipithecus ramidus kadabba canine tooth

An Ethiopian fossil hunter and paleo-anthropologist, Yohannes Haile-Selassie, has found the teeth and bones of forrest-dwelling individuals who lived between 5.8 and 5.2 million years ago, a discovery that challenges scientists and paleontologists studying early human evolution. The finding was described in Nature journal. The discovery was made in the Middle Awash area of Ethiopia. The 11 fragmentary fossils found over a four-year period include a jawbone with teeth, several hand and foot bones, parts of arm bones and a piece of collarbone. It is thought they represent at least five individuals of a new subspecies of Ardipithicus, called Ardipithecus ramidus kaddaba, explained the discoverer, Yohannes, a PhD candidate of the University of California at Berkeley.

This comes not long after fossil-hunters working in Kenya said they had found the oldest ever hominid - a six million year old creature called Orrorin tugenensis and dubbed "Millennium Man". That claim was also based on fragmentary fossils: a piece of jaw with some teeth, a fingertip, an arm and a leg bone.

The scientists put Orrorin on the human line and relegated Ardipithecus to a chimpanzee ancestor. Haile-Selassie and his colleagues believe it to be the other way round. Clearly both teams cannot be right and Dr Chris Stringer of the Natural History Museum, London, UK, says more fossil evidence will be needed to resolve the issue.

"This latest discovery is very interesting, but it's very fragmentary. It's difficult to say yet whether Ardipithecus really is on the human line," he said. "I will remain cautious until the more complete material comes out," he said. More fossils will also be needed to convince some palaeontologists of the role of Millennium Man in human evolution.

If the latest Ethiopian discovery is proved correct, the scientists believe it will require a fundamental reassessment of the origins of hominids, because the creatures lived in a forested habitat rather than the savannah. Dr. Own Lovejoy, an eminent paleo-anthropologist as Kent State University examined Haille Selassie's fossils and mentioned that, "this is the earliest hominid we have and we have to assume it is the stem unless we find out otherwise!"

Moscow, Russia - World entrusts China with 2008 Olympics 

A blunt controversial joke by Toronto mayor Mel Lastman resulted in Canada losing many African votes during the hot competition for hosting the Olympics in 2008. The Canadian Olympic wrestler, Daniel Igali, criticized the mayor's joke and was personally hurt by it. Mr.Lastman mentioned, "He was afraid to travel to Africa because he might be boiled alive by dancing natives!"

Before the voting, the primary questions raised was should the Olympics finally go to the world's most populous country (with 1.25 billion people) despite its human rights record? Or is it better to choose the splendor of Paris or reliability of Toronto? There was severe competition between the five cities biding for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games during the meetings held in the steamy Moscow trade center. The battle for the spot was initially  between Beijing, Istanbul, Osaka, Paris, and Toronto. On Friday, July 13, The International Olympic Committee (IOC) finally voted  in favor of Beijing, China as the host for the global event with 56 of the 105 votes. China's two vote loss to Sydney in 2000 was on the minds of many voters. After the decision, more than 1-million Chinese marched down the Boulevard of Eternal Peace and took over Tiananmen Square to celebrate their victory. Celebrations were also felt in Taiwan. The view of Prof. Wu, a Chinese-Canadian, from the University of Toronto Asian studies department was that, "the winning of the games will affect China's human rights for the better."

 During the selection process, Moscow was flooded with hundreds of official and non-official ambassadors from these five cities to advertise and promote their bid. These were done through the distribution of a variety of merchandise from each country such as badges, pins, hats, brochures, and post cards. Two Canadian Olympic athletes, cyclist Cort Harnett and field hockey player Sandra Levy, ran down the copple stones of Red Square with Toronto's bid flag. The French delegates advertised the romance of their beautiful capital city, Paris. The Osaka booth was decorated with Japanese foil Origami birds and featured a video about the city. The Turkish delegates presented their interesting history and their strategic geographic location straddling Europe and Asia. Turkish candies were offered in their booth by their 4-foot-11 weightlifting legend, Naim Suleymanoglu (commonly known as "Pocket Hercules"), three-time Olympic gold medallist. 

Kentucky, USA - A Surgical Breakthrough in Bluegrass Country

A patient has received the first completely implanted artificial heart that totally replaces the function of the human heart. The implantation is part of a clinical trial of the device. He remains on a ventilator but is getting some exercise two weeks after undergoing the ground- breaking surgery.

"If someone had said at two weeks' time after surgery you would be at this point -- 'What do you think about that?' -- we would have said 'Fine, we'll take it,'" said Dr. Robert Dowling, a surgeon with the University of Louisville in Kentucky.

The patients to be selected for permanent artificial heart implantation had to be too ill and facing death within a month.  The patient selected was so ill before surgery that he could barely walk, and his weight had dropped from 200 pounds to 140. He underwent bypass surgery in the past, suffered multiple heart attacks and was also suffering from kidney failure and diabetes.

Scientists hope that this technique will not only extend the lives of these people, but also will allow them to lead productive lives. In 1982, Dr. Barney Clark, a dying dentist captured world attention as he was pulled back from the brink of death with the imposing mechanics of Jarvik 7 and lived for 112 days.

Surgeons at the Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky implanted an artificial heart weighing less than 1kg in July 2001 in a seven-hour procedure. The AbioCor Implantable Replacement Heart, manufactured by Abiomed Inc., fits inside the body and is battery-operated. The patient is one of five who will be included in initial studies of the experimental artificial heart before conducting wider clinical trials. Two Louisville doctors, Laman Gray Jr. and Robert Dowling, tested the pumping in cows before trying it on a human.

"The device needs to be forgettable. You need to have it on and live your life and not worry about it." said Dr. Mehmet Oz the director of the Cardiovascular Institute of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Columbia University.

More than 700,000 patients die from heart failure each year in the United States. Many of these patients could be helped with heart transplants, but only about 2,000 donor hearts become available each year for transplantation.

Bavarian Alps, Germany - Eagle's Nest stirs controversy 

The resort where the dictator Adolf Hitler relaxed with his dogs and mistress Eva Brown during his last days, was a well-known Nazi center during the Second World War. After the war, Berchtesgaden became a recreation facility for U.S. military who gave it up in 1995. The so-called "Eagle's Nest" was built as a 50th birthday present to Hitler from the Nazi Party.

Builders are now working to establish a $30 million luxury 138-bed resort with saunas, swimming pools, and golf course around the dictator's mountain which is expected to open in 2005. Josef Duerr, the opposition Green Party leader in the Bavarian State parliament, criticized this project as "an attempt to erase history." He fears that the small museum documenting the Third Reich on the Obersalzberg would be dwarfed by the hotel!"

Genoa, Italy - G-8 raise funds for anti-AIDS global campaign

The G-8 Summit held in Italy on July 20 succeeded to collect $1.3 billion for the international fund to stop the spread of infectious diseases and AIDS in developing countries. The fund was organized by UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, who says that up to $10 billion is needed annually to halt AIDS, the disease which has already killed 22 million people - sweeping through some of the world's poorest countries. The G-8 countries contributed with around $1 billion to this anti-AIDS global fund. Each of Britain, Japan and USA contributed with $200 million, France with $129 million, Germany with $125 million and Canada with $100 million. Courtiers outside the G-8 have also responded to Mr. Annan's call, with Norway giving $110 million, Sweden with $60 million, Nigeria $10 million and Uganda with $2 million. Among the private sectors assisting in this campaign, Bill Gates' Microsoft Corporation offered $100 million and Credit Suisse pledged $1 million.

Melbourne, Australia - Eggs fertilized without sperm

Scientists in Australia have found a way to fertilize eggs using genetic material from any cell in the body - and not just sperm. The technique could potentially help infertile couples to have children.

The technique has been developed by Dr Orly Lacham-Kaplan, from Monash University in Melbourne. She told the BBC that her team had been able to successfully fertilize mice eggs in lab cultures using other cells in the body known as somatic cells. Until now this has not been possible because somatic cells contain two sets of chromosomes, while sperm cells only contain one set. The Monash team used chemical techniques to get rid of the spare set of chromosomes.

Dr Lacham-Kaplan said she had started her work to help men who were unable to have children because they had no sperm, or germ cells with the potential to become sperm.

Fertility expert Professor Robert Winston told the BBC: "This is actually genuinely revolutionary and potentially very important. "The real advantage of this technique is for men who cannot produce sperm. Hitherto it has always been said they could clone themselves. "The beauty of this technique is that it makes cloning completely unnecessary. This actually is a much better technique and ethically much more acceptable because you have chromosomes from two partners."

Professor Winston said it was theoretically possible for a person to reproduce themselves using the technique. However, the use of chromosomes from the same person massively increased the risk that a baby would suffer from genetic defects.

The Society for the Protection of the Unborn Child (SPUC) was outraged by the technique. A spokesman said: "The proliferation of novel ways to produce embryos is increasingly reducing the human being to a commodity in many people's eyes. "We believe the interests of the child come before the wishes of anyone else, including the parents. We shall be calling for a moratorium on this kind of development."

New York, USA - Can thalidomide defeat Ferraro's blood cancer?

Thalidomide, the drug pulled from the global market during the 1960s because of its bad reputation as a causal agent of major limb birth defects (phocomelia), is shaking its notoriety with Geraldine Ferraro's declaration that it has put her blood cancer into remission.

Ferraro (65 years-old), the Democratic Party's 1984 vice presidential nominee, recently went public with her 2.5 year battle with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer – an incurable disease, which claims 50% of sufferers within five years of diagnosis.

Ferraro’s doctor mentioned, "The studies are old and we do not know what effect on the impact that thalidomide has had in prolonging life," Anderson said. However, he said thalidomide "has the ability not only to kill the tumor cell directly, but also to act in the neighbourhood or in the bone marrow to make it impossible for the myeloma cell to grow and survive there."
In the USA alone, 11,000 die of this disease yearly. Report from CNN.

British Columbia, Canada - Flax-fed diet increases longevity in cancer patients

Canadian Chicken farmer Frank Born, founder and chief executive of Born 3 Marketing Corp., sells millions of low-cholesterol eggs yearly. Borne 3 Eggs have 23% less cholesterol than regular eggs and contain artery-cleansing omega-3 fatty acids (believed to keep blood thin and free of heavy fats) and vitamin E. Mr. Born started his chicken odyssey about ten years ago by feeding his chickens a special flax-based diet free of any animal byproducts. He is also now working on producing and distributing a low-cholesterol chicken. Elsewhere in Durham, North Carolina, a pilot study conducted at Duke University stated that flax-seed and a low fat diet leads to a significant slowing the growth of prostate tumors. Dr. Dehmark-Wahnefried said " the longer the men stayed on the diet, the less the cells were proliferating." Dr. Lillian Thomspon, a researcher at the University of Toronto has shown promising results that indicate that flax-seed may reduce the rate of breast cancers. 

Florida, USA -  Surgeons reattach arm to shark attack victim

The 8-year-old Jessie Arbogast of Mississippi remains in critical condition after 11 hours of surgery to re-attach his arm, which was bitten off by a 2-meter bull shark in knee-deep water in Florida beach. The boy's uncle, Vance Flosenzier of Mobile, Alabama, stopped the attack and wrestled the shark to shore. A park ranger then shot the shark, killing it. As Jessie was airlifted to the hospital, emergency medical technicians retrieved his arm from inside the shark's mouth and brought it to the hospital in an ambulance.

Surgeons at Baptist Hospital reattached Jessie's arm in 12 hours of surgery. On Tuesday, one of his doctors reported the limb was "pink, warm, [and] with a good pulse." Two weeks after a shark attack, Jessie Arbogast was upgraded from critical to serious condition. Jeb Bush, Governor of Florida visited Jessie in the intensive care unit and mentioned to his family that all Americans are praying for his recovery.

A Florida-based organization confirmed just 79 unprovoked shark attacks occurred last year. The doctor's who cared out the operation said that the boy is healing well, but cautioned the possibility of brain damage due to the length of the surgery. Dr. Northup said to AP that Jessie was showing evidence of brain, lung, heart and liver damage. 

Sister Jean Rhodes, who heads Sacred Heart's pastoral program in Pensacola Florida, said e-mails have been coming in for Jessie from as far away as Australia and England and several prayer chains have been started in his name.

California, USA - Genetics conference focuses on genetic isolates and modern diseases 

The 51st annual meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics will be held in San Diego, California from October 12-16, 2001 (President, Prof Huntington F. Willard, and chairman of the program committee Prof. Harry T. Orr). There will be a separate meeting focusing on the genetics of isolated population as well as new insights in metabolic diseases and cardiovascular disorders (atherosclerosis and hypertension). The conference venue will be in the San Diego convention Center while satellite events will be held in the San Diego Marriott Hotel and Marina. On the final day of the conference there will be the Allan Award Presentation and Address and the Distinguished Speakers Symposium entitled Human Genetics in Three Dimensions with talks by Bob Gorlin (University of Minnesota) David Potstin (Stanford University) and Mark Fishman (Massachusetts General Hospital). Five awards will be offered for outstanding pre-doctoral and post-doctoral student research in 2001.  

Havana, Cuba - Student exchange with Canada flourishes    

An academic link between Canada and Cuba in the field of International Development Studies has flourished in the past few years. Dalhousie University (Halifax, NS, Canada) and University of Havana (Cuba) have been undergoing exchange programs for Canadian students in Cuba. These programs offers undergraduate students the unique opportunity to live and study in Cuba while exploring the nation's development experience and become immersed in the country's rich culture. Student can either participate in the summer Cuba Study Tour which involves 2-weeks of classes in Havana university, or spend a complete semester starting in September or January of every year. (For more information go to http://www.dal.ca/~intdwww/intdwww.html or email to mmackinn@is.dal.ca) 

London, UK - Princess Diana & Mother Theresa anniversary

They are two figures that will never be forgotten for their many humanitarian activities. This year, people remember them in the 4th anniversary of their death by placing flowers at both of their tombs.

Princess Diana with the 87-years-old Albanian nun, Mother Teresa, whose tomb has become one of Calcutta's most popular pilgrimage sites for people of all faiths. Both Mother Teresa and Princess Diana died in the same month. Mother Teresa received the Nobel Peace Price in 1979. Both Mother Teresa and Princess Diana of Wales were strong advocates for peace, equality and development. In this photo, the two exit the meeting room, after discussing their campaign against landmines.

The humanitarian assistance of Mother Teresa is felt far and wide, even in Yemen, where she helped in the establishment of three programs. The first was a hospital for the elderly, established in Hudaida (1971). A leprosy clinic with 100-beds opened in Taiz in 1972. The third project was an orphanage in Sanaa which opened in 1973.

Alexandria, Egypt - New study on early intervention in Down Syndrome

Dr Rasha (third from right) with Profs. Suzanne Roshdy, Nadia Halim (Alex), Prof. Farag (Canada), Drs. Imbaby Rashid (Cairo), and Dr. Magdy (Alex)

Down Syndrome was one of the key subjects discussed in the sessions held in Alexandria and Damanhoor province (Egypt) during the intensive community genetics courses for family doctors. Many of the key figures working in the pediatric and genetics departments at Alexandria University, presented their studies to the family doctors. Dr. Rasha N. El-Kharadly presented with her team, their personal experience with early intervention and training of thirty Down Syndrome children. The data was published recently In the Alexandria Journal of Pediatrics, 2001 (Volume 15: 13-17) in a study entitled, "Assessment of Children with Down Syndrome receiving Early Intervention" which confirmed that early stimulation and intervention programs enhanced the development of children with Down Syndrome.

Comments from international figures attending this meeting were very stimulating, such as Profs. Suzanne R.Ismail, Bayoumi Ghareeb, Nadia Halim, and Emad Eid. Dr. Rasha and her colleagues were congratulated for their excellent work for Down Syndrome children by Dr. Hisham Kandil and Dr. Mohamed Fakhir Hassan, consultant pediatricians and clinical geneticists (Alexandria), Dr. Rashid M. Rashid, consultant pediatrician (Cairo), and Prof. T.I. Farag (Canada).

WHO - A new study about the rebuilt Marib Dam

A recent study entitled the Marib Dam: the importance of environmental and health impact studies for development projects (EMHJ 2000, 6 (1): 106-117) by Dr.Ilham A.A. Basahi from the faculty of Engineering at Sanaa University- Republic of Yemen. This is the first study to discuss the medical, social and economic consequences of the ancient Marib Dam, which was recently re-built by the United Arab Emirates. The article was published in the World Health Organization (WHO) Eastern Mediterranean region's journal which serves 23 member states: Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cyprus, Djibouti, Egypt, Islamic Republic of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Republic of Yemen. The journal (EMHJ) was created in 1995 and publishes six issues annually and includes international contributors from Canada and the USA. The editor in-chief is Dr.Haythem Khayat MD, while Dr. Abdul Moneim M. Aly, MD, is the executive editor with an excellent editorial board and international advisory panel. 

Thailand - Talented elephant attracts tourists by the thousands

Tourists from around the world are being drawn in to Thailand by a zoological phenomenon. The Thai Elephant Conservation Center showcases the incredible skills of their resident elephants. This is where one particularly popular and well-trained elephant lives. He has proven his special talents to many onlookers and has been featured in many television and media reports. He enjoys playing soccer with other elephants. In addition to displaying his artistic skills in several paintings, the new star also demonstrates his musical attributes playing instruments such as the drums. 
BBC Online

Texas, USA - American psychologist shares wisdom with lovers

Prof Teow-Chong Sim, psychologist at Sam Houston State University found that emotional words got through to people best when spoken through the left ear than through the right. If you are a new lover and are going to whisper romantic words to your sweetheart, make sure you do so through his/her left ear.

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