11 June, 2004

Whereto 'search'?

A cloud of uncertainty hangs over retail pharmacy employees as the Pharmaceutical Society of SA (PSSA) tries to negotiate the new medicine pricing regulations with the department of health to avoid 21 000 potential job losses (Business Report 2004-05-27).

South African National Parks has shot more Himalayan tahrs on Table Mountain and is seeking permission from the health authorities to be allowed to give the tahr meat to staff to eat (IOL 2004-05-27).

Why is Internet searching getting harder and less productive? And what might reasonably happen over the next several months to search engines as we know them? And finally, what does this mean for searchers? (LLRX 2004-05-24).

United States
In Kremen v Cohen, a federal appellate court accepted the view that a domain name is "property" and that domain name registrars should be held liable for the conduct of third-parties when a third-party interferes with the property interests of a domain name registrant by stealing their domain name. What is remarkable about the decision is its far-reaching implications and its potentially severe impact upon domain name registrars (CircleID 2004-05-06).

A federal appeals court yesterday upheld the only law in the nation authorizing doctors to help their terminally ill patients commit suicide. The decision, by a divided three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in San Francisco, said the Justice Department did not have the power to punish the doctors involved (New York Times 2004-05-27).

Scientists are preparing to perform the world's first full-face transplant. The 24-hour operation involves lifting an entire face from a dead donor - including nose cartilage, nerves and muscles - and transferring them to someone hideously disfigured by burns or other injuries (Mail & Guardian 2004-05-27).