BBC NEWS | South Asia | UN warns of soaring Afghan opium

Seeded on Sat Sep 2, 2006 2:36 PM EDT (BBC News)

Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is expected to soar by 59% this year, providing 92% of the world's supply of opium, the United Nations says. The $2.7bn drugs trade accounts for about a third of Afghanistan's economy.

afghanistan, drugs, politics, opium, war-on-drugs, poppies

NPR : Father, Son Barred from Returning to U.S.

Seeded on Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:04 PM EDT (NPR)

Two U.S. citizens have been barred from entering the United States for refusing to talk to the FBI. Both are California men of Pakistani descent who are related to a father and son who were recently convicted on a terrorism-related case in Lodi, Calif.

fbi, terrorist, illegal, legal, us-news, no-fly-list, citizens, us-government, re-entry, citizens-rights

TV Found to Be a Painkiller for Children - Newsday.com

Seeded on Fri Aug 18, 2006 8:59 AM EDT (Newsday.com)

Sometimes the numbing effect of TV can be helpful. Especially if you're a kid being stuck with a needle at the hospital.

television, science, medicine, distraction, pain-reduction, psychological-effect

BBC NEWS | Health | Breast cancer 'blood test hope'

Seeded on Fri Aug 4, 2006 11:25 AM EDT (BBC News)

A blood test could detect the earliest stage of breast cancer, early stage research has suggested. Among 345 women the blood test picked up 95% of cancers, making it much more sensitive than existing tests.

cancer, science, detection, blood-test

BBC NEWS | Health | Hormone could cut spider phobia

Seeded on Fri Aug 4, 2006 11:20 AM EDT (BBC News)

The team, led by Dr Dominique de Quervain, suggest that cortisol treatment, in conjunction with behavioural therapy, could be used to reduce or even extinguish phobias and post-traumatic stress disorders which are triggered by a particular stimulus.

science, treatment, medicine, behavior, phobias

BBC NEWS | Europe | Austria gripped by fear of spider

Seeded on Fri Aug 4, 2006 11:17 AM EDT (BBC News)

A spider with a painful but not life-threatening bite has spread alarm through Austria in the past two weeks ... A doctor at Vienna's main hospital, Dieter Gruber, told the BBC it was a "wave of hysteria", saying hundreds of callers had asked about the spider.

odd-news, panic, spider, phobia

Hair Soy Sauce ... Yes, That's HAIR Soy Sauce

Seeded on Sat Jul 29, 2006 5:35 PM EDT (ispub.com)

Recent reports of problem foods in Mainland China have raised global concerns about the safety of Chinese food products.

china, health, hair, toxicology, biohazard, soy-sauce, and-can-i-just-say-ick

OMG! I ate WHAT?!?!

Tue Jul 25, 2006 5:24 PM EDT

First, I must tell you that I have been functioning on only a couple hours of sleep and have been working in the inner circles of Hell for the last two days (it made Dante's Inferno a rollicking day at the beach by comparison).

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