Russia鈥檚 lost talent
More must done to stem the brain drain of scientists out of Russia, admitted President Vladimir Putin at a meeting of the Russian Council of Science and High Technology in Moscow on Monday. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 the number of scientists in Russia has halved, with over 200,000 researchers leaving in recent years. The average age of researchers has risen to 59.
The worm turns again
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Yet another version of the MyDoom computer worm has been released, the second with a similar design since MyDoom infected a million PCs in just a few days last week. The new worm, called DoomJuice, spreads via 鈥渂ackdoors鈥� 鈥� vulnerable computer data ports, which MyDoom was programmed to leave open.
Frozen embryo record
A 39-year-old woman in Jerusalem has given birth to healthy twin boys after the transfer of embryos kept frozen for 12 years. The previous record was seven years. Details appear in the latest issue of Human Reproduction.
Sabotage spill
A spill of 13,000 litres of diesel fuel into New Zealand鈥檚 pristine Milford Sound is being investigated by police as a deliberate act of sabotage. Milford Sound is part of a World Heritage List national park, and one of the country鈥檚 most popular ecotourism destinations. There are no suspects at present, but the spill might be the work of someone opposed to tourism in the area.
Galileo talks fail
Talks to resolve a dispute between the European Union and the US over how the EU鈥檚 new satellite navigation system Galileo will work ended without agreement last week in Washington DC. American officials say the publicly available Galileo signal will interfere with the US鈥檚 encrypted military signals. They have suggested an alternative system, but it would be less accurate.