Death toll rises in Uganda's Ebola outbreak

KAMPALA -- Two more Ugandans have died of a new strain of the deadly Ebola virus in an outbreak near the border with Democratic Republic of Congo, bringing the death-toll to 18, health officials said on Saturday. "We have had two more deaths in the last 24 hours, and the disease continues to spread," Sam Zaramba, the Ugandan Health Ministry's director of health services, told Reuters.

Stem cell progress

WASHINGTON -- Researchers who figured out how to make valued embryonic stem cells out of ordinary skin cells said on Friday they had found a way to cut one cancer-causing ingredient out of the mix. But it came at a price -- the method may be safer, but it is also less efficient.

Prints stoke Yeti talk

KATHMANDU -- A U.S.-based television channel investigating the existence of the legendary Yeti in Nepal has found footprints similar to those said to be that of the abominable snowman, the company said on Friday. A team of nine producers from Destination Truth, armed with infrared cameras, spent a week in the icy Khumbu region where Mount Everest is located and found the footprints on the bank of Manju river at a height of 2,850 meters (9,350 feet).

Experts: Gene tests a waste:

LONDON -- Genetic tests to assess disease risk are proliferating but many are a waste of money and tell people little more than they would know from studying family history, medical experts said on Friday. A host of companies now offer tests, typically costing hundreds of dollars, to calculate genetic risks for common conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease that involve multiple genes.

EU satellite gets support

BRUSSELS -- The European Union's planned satellite navigation system cleared a major hurdle on Friday, gaining backing from all EU countries including Spain. Problems have plagued the project, meant to rival the U.S. Global Positioning System, ranging from squabbles about national influence to questions about its viability, timing and cost.

Ancestor slow to grow up

LONDON -- One of our closest ancestors had more in common with gorillas than previously thought, with males of the species taking far longer to reach maturity than females, scientists said on Thursday. Males of Paranthropus robustus -- an extinct relative of humans that lived almost 2 million years ago -- continued to grow well into adulthood, before a lucky few finally established "harems" of females for breeding.