■ United States
Anthropology makes strides
A jawbone found in a cave in Romania may be evidence of the earliest modern humans in Europe, living at the same time as the last of the Neanderthals. Erik Trinkaus, an anthropologist at Washington University in St. Louis, has dated the bone at 34,000 to 36,000 years ago. His findings are reported in this week's online edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The jawbone was found by recreational cavers who gave it to Oana Moldovan, director of the cave research institute in Cluj, Romania. Moldovan, Trinkaus and Ricardo Rodrigo, a Portuguese archaeologist, returned to the cave in June with the cavers and found a facial skeleton, temporal bone and other pieces that are now undergoing analysis.
■ United States
Braun announces candidacy
Carol Moseley Braun formally announced on Monday that she was seeking the presidency of the US, contrasting herself, as a black woman, with the otherwise all-male pool of Democratic candidates. Speaking with the poise that has characterized her performance at the Democratic debates, Braun, who is the only black woman to have served in the Senate, promoted themes of "partnerships for peace, prosperity and progress" and an "American renaissance."
■ Uganda
Bus crash kills 48
At least 48 people were killed on Monday when a bus they were travelling in collided with a food aid truck near the Uganda-Rwanda border, officials said. "A passenger bus coming from Burundi collided with a trailer [truck] carrying maize to Burundi," Uganda police spokesman Assuman Mugenyi said.
■ United States
Stars love KGB's RU-21 pill
A drug created by the former KGB to keep its agents sober so that they could drink opponents under the table before stealing their secrets is being sold on the Internet to Hollywood stars as a defense against hangovers. The drug, known as RU-21, is made in Russia and sold as a natural remedy. Hollywood actors are said to be fond of the fix, which enables them to make the most of LA's party circuit. Its makers claim that it stops the body making an enzyme which turns alcohol into acetaldehyde, a toxic chemical which can damage tissues. The pill lets you get drunk, but indefinitely delays the hangover and damage to the body's organs.
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