World

Breakaway Abkhazia Ponders Russian Neighbor

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The contested region of Abkhazia is struggling to balance its hopes for independence from Georgia with its links to Russia, reports the Christian Science Monitor. A secessionist movement led by ethnic Abkhazians declared independence from Georgia in 1994, leading to war and more than a decade of unrest. Abkhazia sided with Russia when it invaded Georgia over the breakaway region of South Ossetia in August, and in September signed a treaty strengthening economic and military ties with the former communist superpower. Russia’s new military presence offers Abkhazians security, but may come with the price tag of economic dependency. Russians are buying up property abandoned during the secessionist strife, raising concerns about inflated home prices.

World

Giant Robot from Japan? Not *Quite* Yet

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Elderly or disabled people with mobility problems in Japan are now able to rent a robotic suit that will enable them to walk. Agence France-Presse reports that a company called Cyberdyne is making the suit, which detects electrical signals through the skin, then relays them to mechanical braces that lift the user’s limbs for them. The suits, which will first be leased to patients in hospitals and rehabilitation centers, are said to enable even paralyzed people to walk. Several countries are interested in renting the suits, which are available for up to five years. The HAL suit, or Hybrid Assistive Limb, weighs 24 pounds, although officials say the user won’t notice the robot’s weight.

World

Skype In … On Your Chat About China

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Canadian researchers have discovered that the Chinese wing of Skype, Ebay’s Internet communications company, has been monitoring its users’ text chats and scanning for sensitive keywords, including the word “democracy.” The Register, a British technology publication, reported that a text filter scanned messages for the sensitive phrases that, if found, were uploaded and stored on servers in China. Skype said that its Hong Kong-based partner, TOM Online, had put the text filter in place surreptitiously, and apologized for the breach of privacy. The Citizen Lab, based at the University of Toronto, exposed the surveillance and created a list of words that triggered the text filter, the article said. The filter looks for words like Taiwan independence, earthquake and milk powder — the latter referring to China’s recent tainted milk powder scandal.

Environment

Dutch Town in Hot Water for Energy Needs

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In the southern Dutch province of Limburg, the city of Heerlen is now the first in the world to heat and cool homes with geothermal energy. According to The Times of London, geothermal energy will be sourced from water heated in coal mines that were abandoned and flooded in the seventies. With a 55 percent reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in Heerlen expected, the mine water concept “can be adapted by former mining regions all over the world,” said Heerlen councilor Riet de Wit. At the moment the project is relatively small and able to heat around 350 homes and businesses, mainly because heating and cooling efficiency depends on proximity to the mines. Water drawn from deeper down the mines – up to 800 meters – can reach 95 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas cold water higher up will be used for cooling.

Economy

Credit Crisis Doesn't Break Scandinavian Ice

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The current financial crisis may be affecting economies around the industrialized world — but there’s one region that doesn’t seem overly worried: Scandinavia. Sweden and Finland, which suffered through a similar financial mess in the early 1990s, are apparently now well-positioned to survive the current woes — and despite the struggles facing Iceland and other neighboring nations. “Let me be clear that Sweden differs from some other European countries,” Swedish finance minister Anders Borg told London’s Financial Times. “We don’t have any failed banks and thus reconstruction needs are not as great.” Next door, Norway is feeling the pain — up to a point.

World

Hundreds of Immigrant Children Missing in Italy: Report

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Of the 1,320 unaccompanied minors who entered Italy illegally from the southern island of Lampedusa this year, hundreds have disappeared, according to the charity Save the Children. The group believes that the missing children may have fallen prey to human traffickers or criminal groups. Italy’s La Repubblica newspaper reported that approximately 400 minors between the ages of 15 and 17 have vanished from their host communities in southern Sicilian provinces. According to Adnkronos International news, a Save the Children spokesperson said there is no clear evidence of what happened to the youth. The organization has been monitoring the issue since June and will report the exact number missing later this year.

Nation

Kentucky Questions Psychiatric Drugs for Children

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Kentucky is the most recent state with plans to curb anti-psychotic drug prescriptions for children. The educational program should save state Medicaid millions of dollars and is already established in 19 other states. The Lexington Herald-Leader reports that although “atypical anti-psychotic” drugs can be used to successfully treat schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and autism in children, they can be inappropriately or over-prescribed. Healthcare providers fear that substantial weight gain from the drugs, a common side effect, could lead to higher rates of Type II diabetes for young patients. The plan will launch in early 2009 with letters to prescribers detailing the latest guidelines for appropriate use, prescription and risk.

Featured

Ozone Link to Appendicitis?

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Canadian researchers say they’ve found a connection between high levels of air pollution, particularly ozone, and appendicitis, reports the BBC. Appendicitis is a common but potentially fatal ailment in which the appendix — a small structure with no clear function, although it may play some role in digestion and fighting off infection — becomes inflamed, and can burst, unless surgically removed. The new research suggests a reduction of smog could be a preventative factor. The Calgary-based research team presented their findings at the annual meeting of the American College of Gastroenterology in Florida. According to principal researcher Dr. Gilaad Kaplan, “If the relationship between air pollution and appendicitis is confirmed, then improving air quality may prevent the occurrence of appendicitis in some individuals.”

Economy

Poking Holes in the Golden Parachute

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The Wall Street bailout bill recently passed by Congress includes a provision that puts a $500,000 cap on the executive pay that the leaders of affected companies can deduct from their taxes. According to the Christian Science Monitor, any executive pay on Wall Street exceeding that cap is taxable — yet some are concerned Wall Street executives will find loopholes that allow them to walk away with millions. Initial versions of the taxpayer-funded bailout had no executive pay restrictions, but outrage from citizens and politicians alike forced Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to make revisions. Although it’s possible the executive salary cap could reverse the excessive trends of previous decades, Doug Elmendorf, a Brookings Institute expert, said “These are the most clever people when it comes to writing financial contracts. They will hire people to figure out how to get around it.”

Economy

Icelandic Economy Headed for Deep Freeze?

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Iceland is selling off foreign-owned assets in an attempt to ward off national bankruptcy. An article in the Telegraph newspaper said all of Iceland’s banks and investment firms have been blocked from the national stock market and urged to get rid of overseas investments and assets. Iceland’s currency — the Krona — has lost “more than half” its worth over the last few months. In a televised address, Prime Minister Geir Haarde said, “There is a very real danger, fellow citizens, that the Icelandic economy in the worst case could be sucked with the banks into the whirlpool and the result could be national bankruptcy.” The country’s bank debts — most of which are related to foreign investments — are more than eight times the national gross domestic product.