Health & environment

• 6 February 2012, 09:03 President of Tatarstan: “2012 is going to be critical for the Tatarstan’s medical branch”

  Rustam Minnikhanov lauded the republic’s healthcare system.

• 3 February 2012, 17:21 Vitamin D deficiency may cause human infertility: study

  The finding was published in the latest issue of European Journal of Endocrinology.

• 3 February 2012, 10:15 Europe freeze: More deaths in Ukraine and Poland

  Another 20 people have died in Ukraine and nine in Poland as temperatures fall below -30C (-22F), officials say.

• 2 February 2012, 12:01 Tatarstan delegation attends Movement Against Cancer convention in Moscow

  World’s leading oncologists have gathered in Russia, to discuss issues and share experience in battling cancer.

• 1 February 2012, 16:35 Ulcer drugs 'link to fractures'

  Women who take certain ulcer drugs have a small increased risk of hip fractures in later life, particularly if they smoke, US research suggests.

• 31 January 2012, 16:24 U.S. FDA approves new treatment for most common type of skin cancer

  Erivedge is a pill taken once a day and works by inhibiting the Hedgehog pathway, a pathway that is active in most basal cell cancers.

• 31 January 2012, 13:10 Skin transformed into brain cells

  Skin cells have been converted directly into cells which develop into the main components of the brain, by researchers studying mice in California.

• 30 January 2012, 14:47 African solutions key to end "AIDS dependency crisis"

  According to the UNAIDS executive director, it is time for a new development paradigm that is developed and owned by the leaders of Africa.

• 27 January 2012, 15:44 More men 'have oral cancer virus'

  Oral human papillomavirus infection is more common among men than women, leading to an increased risk for men of head and neck cancers, a study says.

• 26 January 2012, 11:22 Children’s Republican Clinical Hospital planned to be modernised before end of summer

  Half of the buildings have been repaired.

• 26 January 2012, 10:23 Fried food 'fine for heart' if cooked with olive oil

  Eating fried food may not be bad for the heart, as long as you use olive or sunflower oil to make it, experts say.

• 25 January 2012, 16:10 Russia, Iran agree to closer anti-drug cooperation

  Russia and Iran would enhance cooperation in fighting drug trafficking, visiting Iranian Interior Minister said Tuesday.

• 24 January 2012, 11:26 Big Tokyo earthquake likely 'within the next few years'

  A big earthquake is much more likely to hit the Japanese capital, Tokyo, in the next few years than the government has predicted, researchers say.

• 23 January 2012, 17:12 Genes determine 40% of lifetime intelligence: Australian scientists

  The research was carried out by scientists of University of Queensland of Australia and was led by geneticist Professor Peter Visscher.

• 20 January 2012, 13:55 R.Minnikhanov: “Tatarstan’s forest industry sees many positive developments”

  The Tatarstan Forest Ministry has held an end-of-year staff meeting.

• 20 January 2012, 10:26 WHO Director-General Margaret Chan nominated for second term

  The World Health Organization Executive Board on Wednesday nominated its sitting Director-General, Margaret Chan, for a second term on the post.

• 20 January 2012, 09:08 World-standard forest selection and seed production centre opens in Tatarstan

  President of Tatarstan Rustam Minnikhanov attended the ceremony.

• 19 January 2012, 13:03 Tatarstan and Rosleskhoz authority sign cooperation agreement

  The agreement envisages some joint events aimed to ensure multipurpose and efficient use of forests.

• 19 January 2012, 09:58 US study shows La Nina weather pattern may lead to flu pandemics

  The authors cite other research showing that the pattern alters the migration, stopover time, fitness and interspecies mixing of migratory birds.