Indian universities ordered to cut length of science courses

Thousands of students and staff at some of India’s leading universities, including the prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, have been left in turmoil after the institutions were ordered to cut the length of their undergraduate science courses to fall in line with national policy.  Read more

Last remaining support for controversial stem-cell papers collapses

The retraction of two controversial papers which promised a simple way to create embryonic-like stem cells appears imminent today after the lead author unexpectedly gave her full consent. Haruko Obokata, of the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan, had been the last obstacle to the retraction of both papers.  Read more

IDRC–Nature science journalism award

Canada’s International Development Research Centre is offering a six-month, full-time science journalism award worth up to CAD$60,000 to an English-speaking Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada. The successful applicant will receive training and work as an intern in the London news room of the leading international science journal Nature before spending up to four months reporting science stories from developing countries. He or she will be at an early stage of his or her career, but with at least three years’ experience as a journalist.  Read more

Millions of TB cases going undetected, says WHO

Around 3 million people who were infected with tuberculosis in 2012 were not picked up by global health systems, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed. In addition, the testing and treatment of patients with drug-resistant forms of the disease are inadequate, according to the body’s 2013 Global Tuberculosis Report, published today.  Read more

Minister halts Italian stem-cell therapy trial

The clinical trial of a controversial stem-cell therapy supported by the Italian government has been stopped before recruiting any patients – to the relief of scientists who have been fighting the trial for months.  Read more