Doctor Who ‘thunderingly racist’

Doctor Who has been accused of many things during its 50 years on TV – most to do with cheesy special effects – but “thunderingly racist” is probably not one of them. A group of academics claim the popular British sci-fi show is steeped in attitudes “that continue to subjugate people of colour” and shows contempt for “primitive” people

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H1N1 vaccinations rolled out in UK

A mass H1N1 immunization program began in the UK Wednesday, with the country’s health minister urging all priority groups to take up the vaccine. Health and social care workers are among those identified in the “priority” group given first access to the vaccine against the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu.

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Fears over cancer vaccine as schoolgirl dies

The death of a 14-year-old girl in England after she received a vaccination for Human Papilloma virus (HPV) has prompted a widespread freeze on the country’s national vaccination program. More than 1.4 million girls have received the vaccination in England since the National Health Service (NHS) started administering it in September 2008

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Brazil’s soap operas linked to dramatic drop in birth rates

The love-triangles, family feuds and paternity mysteries of Brazil’s telenovelas have commandeered the nation’s airwaves for decades and generated a fortune for Globo — the powerful TV network that produces many of the genre’s most popular shows. But aside from lining the pockets of television executives, evidence is emerging that the telenovelas have had a surprising impact on the fabric of Brazilian society.

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