Portuguese doubts on depleted Uranium

The Portuguese prime minister, Antonio Guterres, has called for a full investigation into the potential hazards of depleted uranium.

It comes amid concerns that weapons tipped with the substance could be responsible for cases of leukemia among peacekeepers who served in the former Yugoslavia.

Sixteen soldiers from six different countries have already died of the disease since returning from service in the Balkans.

NATO, whose forces used the depleted uranium weapons, says the risk is negligible.

The United Nations has admitted that known concentrations of the substance may not have been fenced off in Kosovo, although health official monitorings the situation in the province point to the fact that there has been no increase in cases of leukemia among civilians. The United States army says its peacekeeping troops in Kosovo are still equipped with weapons containing depleted uranium.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service