Non-stop contraceptive 
The first contraceptive pill designed to be taken all year round, freeing women from monthly menstruation, may be launched early in 2007. US pharmaceuticals company Wyeth has applied for US and European licences for the drug, Lybrel. The pill contains both oestrogen and progestogen, like most common oral contraceptives, but the dose level is varied so that it can be taken non-stop.  
The Guardian, 21 October 2006 

Home-made war cloth 
Indian soldiers will wear indigenously-developed clothing to protect them against chemical weapons in battle, saving on the high costs of importing such attire. The advanced fabrics, which absorb toxic gases, were designed by Ahmedabad textile industry's research association (ATIRA), together with the Indian Defence Laboratory and the Defence Laboratory of Gwalior, which had been working on the project for 15 years.  
Hindustan Times, 8 November 2006 

Jellyfish medicine 
A world-first study will extract toxins from deadly jellyfish to search for medicinally useful compounds. Venom from the box and irukandji jellyfish might treat heart complications, believes Jamie Seymour of James Cook University in Cairns, who has received an AU$280,000 grant for the project from Australia's national health and medical research council.  
Sydney Morning Herald, 6 November 2006 

Sherries recalled 
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) has pulled four types of sherry from its shelves after routine testing detected the compound ethyl carbamate, a potential carcinogen found in fermenting products. The provincially run retailer removed 9400 bottles of Brights Pale Supreme Sherry, and also recalled three other brands.  
The Globe and Mail, 31 October 2006