Royal Dutch/Shell, the biggest oil producer in Nigeria, has for the first time declared force majeure on shipments from both its Bonny and Forcados crude export terminals in the Niger Delta. Force

Viagra, the anti-impotence drug, could be cleared for sale in the European Union within weeks, after winning approval from an European scientific committee. The EU's standing committee of medicines,

A new wave of treatments is giving fresh hope to the 4m people worldwide who suffer from Parkinson's disease. Five drugs have recently reached the market, several others are in development, and more

Phytopharm, a small British company which develops drugs from plant extracts, has licensed a plant-based appetite suppressing compound to Pfizer, the big US pharmaceuticals group. The collaboration

Aboriginal groups and environmentalists are planning protests across Australia after failing to block the development of a uranium mine on traditional Aboriginal land in the Northern

Monsanto, the agricultural biotechnology company at the centre of growing controversy over plant genetic engineering, defended modified crops when it invited journalists to inspect a field trial of

China, one of the world's largest coal producers, is to close some 22,000 mines by 2000 in a bold move to restructure an industry hit by chronic oversupply nad weakening demand. The plan, reported by

Aboriginal groups and environmentalists are planning protests across Australia after failing to block the development of auranium mine on traditional Aboriginal land in the Northern Territory.

Scientists have discovered a gene mutation that they say plays a significant role in the development of prostate cancer. Men who carry the mutation in the gene CYP3A4 had more advanced prostate

China, one of the world's largest coal producers, is to close some 22,000 mines by 2000 in a bold move to restructure an industry hit by chornic oversupply and weakening