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The Holy Trinity

Do you have several hours, a car and barrelful of patience? Then you can get a hold of the best beer in the world
© Ruben Catalan Lopez, www.flickr.com/pelukas

Oh, the infamy of Westvleteren. Although the general public outside of Belgium have never even heard of this West Flemish brew, let alone tasted it, beer connoisseurs worldwide covet it. Several years ago, the internet helped elevate the beer to further international acclaim – much to the chagrin of its brewers.

Westvleteren is a beer made by the Trappist monks of the Saint Sixtus abbey in Westvleteren, a subdivision of the village of Vleteren, near Ypres. In 2005, the Westvleren 12 beer was deemed the "best in the world" by ratebeer.com, a popular website for beer fans. A barrage of articles around the globe followed, leading to a huge spike in demand for the beer.

Melissa Maki
(August 18, 2010)

Breast cancer rates highest in Europe

Increased screenings mean more cancers detected
© shutterstock

Belgium has the highest rate of breast cancer in Europe, according to the latest research by scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organisation. The figures appear in an article published in the British Medical Journal, which looked back at mortality figures from breast cancer in 30 European countries.

he study showed a reduction of 19% in mortality from breast cancer overall between 1989 and 2006. For individual countries, the trend ranged from a 45% fall in Iceland to a 17% increase in Romania. In 15 countries, the fall was over 20%, but these tended to be countries where the initial rate was higher.

Alan Hope
(August 18, 2010)