The incidence of polio in East Africa dropped by 91 per cent between 1988 and 1995, from 1,813 to 160 cases. Mass vaccination campaigns, in which polio vaccines have been given to under-fives across entire East African nations in the space of days or weeks, have been particularly successful. WHO Press Release. The scientists say that the collapse of a dam at a mine high in the Andes released up to 400,000 tonnes of sludge loaded with heavy metals, which has polluted 300 kilometres of river. The sludge has killed aquatic life and is threatening the livelihood of 50,000 of the region's subsistence farmers.
Rivers swell from a trickle to flood the farmers' smallholdings each time the rains come.
New Scientist , no 2057. Rent rebate When American and Russian officials negotiated a 20-year rental agreement for the US ambassador's ornate Moscow residence in 1995, annual rent was set at 120,000 roubles, to be paid in dollars at the official exchange rate. Understandably, Moscow wants to revise the agreement, but the US is 'in no rush to do so'. World Press Review , vol 43, no 11. A government decision to ease restrictions on gun ownership has sparked a new debate on gun control in Israel.