World hunger overestimated

A few years ago the United Nations announced that the number of hungry people around the world had gone through the one billion mark. But the UN agencies now say that at the time their data tended to exaggerate the problem. They say progress in the fight against hunger has actually been better than was thought.

But all the same, new and more accurate figures show that just under 870 million people are malnourished today. That's more than 12% of the global population. And in Africa the battle is being lost. More and more people there are hungry. One of the UN agency chiefs said that in this advanced age it was "entirely unacceptable " that 100 million children don't get enough to eat.

The report talked of the need for economic growth that might provide vulnerable communities with greater income-earning opportunities. But, as it looked for long-term solutions, the UN also spoke of the importance of good governance, political stability and the rule of law. The creation of conditions in which economies, and education and health services, might develop in the poorest parts of the world.

5. America's changing identity

The US census bureau recorded that just over two million babies were born to ethnic and racial minorities in the year to July 2011, making up just over half of new arrivals. In 1990, just 37% of births were from racial minorities. It means for the first time non-Hispanic white babies being born in the US are in the minority.

Analysts have pointed to several factors which could account for the shift. The overall birth-rate in the US is declining, but that drop is steepest among white people, thought to be the fault of the weaker economy. The economic slow-down could also account for fewer Hispanics entering the United States from abroad.

Sociologists have suggested the data is evidence of a sweeping change underway in the racial make-up of the United States. The older generation is dominated by white people, but the younger demographic is increasingly diverse. Racial minorities make up just over a third of America's population. Trends such as the one identified here suggest that is likely to change over time.

6. Shark blood may help fight cancer

Australian scientists have found that shark blood could contain a weapon in the fight against cancer. Sharks have immune systems similar to humans and researchers believe that their biological and chemical defences could help slow the spread of certain diseases. Phil Mercer reports:

Sharks have unusual antibodies which are exceptionally resilient, as you'd expect from predators with such a fearsome reputation. Scientists have found that these disease-busting substances can withstand high temperatures as well as extremely acidic or alkaline conditions.

What's of particular interest to Australian researchers is the antibodies' ability to survive in the harsh environment of the human gut, which is crucial to the development of a cancer-fighting pill.

Sharks were chosen for the project because they have robust immune systems and rarely succumb to infections. There is evidence that their antibodies can slow the spread of breast cancer.

Дата добавления: 2015-11-14