BioScience News Daily Highlights 21st January

Thursday, 22 January 2004, 9:46 am
Press Release: BioScience News and Advocate

Daily Highlights

1. NZ to join global cattle ID meeting
2. World's largest solar power station to open in Germany
3. Synchrotron development on track in Melbourne
4. Earth entering unchartered waters
5. Panel advises stricter rules for biotech crops & animals
6. Researchers urge science-based approach to UK policy on GM crops
7. FRST announces new CEO
8. SARS vaccine to be tested by China

NZ to join global cattle ID meeting
Five of the world's major beef producing countries are investigating a uniform cattle identification scheme, to improve the traceability of diseased animals around the world. Cattle Council Presid...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=5888

World's largest solar power station to open in Germany
The world's biggest solar power station will be connected to the German electricity grid at the end of July near the eastern city of Leipzig, the firms involved in the project said.Made up of 33,5...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=5884

Synchrotron development on track in Melbourne
The Victorian Government says construction of the Australian Synchrotron at Clayton in Melbourne is on track and on budget. Scientists will use the synchrotron to see tiny particles, too small for...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=5883

Earth entering unchartered waters
The Earth has entered a new era, one in which human beings may be the dominant force, say four environmental leaders. In the International Herald Tribune, they say the uncertainty, magnitude and s...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=5881

Panel advises stricter rules for biotech crops & animals
With genetic engineering becoming increasingly common, a United States advisory panel issued a note of caution on Tuesday, urging more attention to methods of preventing the inadvertent spread of engi...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=5879

Researchers urge science-based approach to UK policy on GM crops
More than 150 scientists from across the world, including Nobel laureate of DNA structure fame James Watson, signed a letter delivered to British Prime Minister Tony Blair drawing attention to "the po...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=5873

FRST announces new CEO
The government agency that funds most of New Zealand's research, science and technology has a new Chief Executive. He's Murray Bain who is currently Assistant Governor at the Reserve Bank.Announci...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=5875

SARS vaccine to be tested by China
The Chinese government has approved a series of tests of a new vaccine against the SARS virus.State television said on Tuesday that the Chinese volunteers chosen for the tests are healthy adults a...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=5868

From the BioScience News Team

BioScience Communications Limited
Editor: Christine Ross

Business Headlines | Sci-Tech Headlines

BUSINESS, SCIENCE & TECH > >

Sky City : Auckland Convention Centre Cost Jumps By A Fifth

SkyCity Entertainment Group, the casino and hotel operator, is in talks with the government on how to fund the increased cost of as much as $130 million to build an international convention centre in downtown Auckland, with further gambling concessions ruled out. The Auckland-based company has increased its estimate to build the centre to between $470 million and $530 million as the construction boom across the country drives up building costs and design changes add to the bill.
More>>

ALSO:

RMTU: Mediation Between Lyttelton Port And Union Fails

The Rail and Maritime Union (RMTU) has opted to continue its overtime ban indefinitely after mediation with the Lyttelton Port of Christchurch (LPC) failed to progress collective bargaining. More>>

Earlier:

Rail And Maritime Transport Union - Lyttelton Port workers begin overtime ban
Lyttelton Port of Christchurch - LPC operations will continue as usual during overtime ban
Environment Canterbury - Next phase of Lyttelton Port recovery underway

Science Policy: Callaghan, NSC Funding Knocked In Submissions

Callaghan Innovation, which was last year allocated a budget of $566 million over four years to dish out research and development grants, and the National Science Challenges attracted criticism in submissions on the government’s draft national statement of science investment, with science funding largely seen as too fragmented. More>>

ALSO:

NZ Govt - Submissions on future of science system
Science Media Centre - Year in Review: the big science stories of 2014

Scoop Business: Spark, Voda And Telstra To Lay New Trans-Tasman Cable

Spark New Zealand and Vodafone, New Zealand’s two dominant telecommunications providers, in partnership with Australian provider Telstra, will spend US$70 million building a trans-Tasman submarine cable to bolster broadband traffic between the neighbouring countries and the rest of the world. More>>

ALSO:

Spark NZ - New trans-Tasman telecommunications cable plan confirmed
InternetNZ - New cable a positive sign for the future

Scoop Business - ComCom pushes out final decision on Chorus copper pricing
Commerce Commission - Backdating prices for Chorus’ copper lines and broadband
TUANZ - TUANZ welcomes further clarification by Commerce Commission
Spark NZ - Spark New Zealand Moving Ahead in 4g Network Build

Statistics: Current Account Deficit Widens

New Zealand's annual current account deficit was $6.1 billion (2.6 percent of GDP) for the year ended September 2014. This compares with a deficit of $5.8 billion (2.5 percent of GDP) for the year ended June 2014. More>>

ALSO:

Scoop Business - NZ Sept quarter current account deficit near six-year high

Still In The Red: NZ Govt Shunts Out Surplus To 2016

The New Zealand government has pushed out its targeted return to surplus for a year as falling dairy prices and a low inflation environment has kept a lid on its rising tax take, but is still dangling a possible tax cut in 2017, the next election year and promising to try and achieve the surplus pledge on which it campaigned for election in September. More>>

ALSO:

BusinessDesk - Economy can grow faster than thought before inflation bites
Audio - Treasury Forecast Announcement for 2015
NZ Treasury - Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update 2014
Office of the Clerk - Public Submissions - Budget Policy Statement 2015
NZ Govt - Government focused on surplus in 2014/15 - English: National is focussed on achieving surplus
Labour - Bill English’s face is redder than his books - Failure to diversify puts prosperity at risk
United Future - Dunne Speaks - Christmas Edition
Greens - Irresponsible tax cuts lead to seventh successive deficit
NZ First - Dishonesty Only Thing in Surplus in Forecasts
CTU - Cuts in public services likely from Budget Policy Statement
PricewaterhouseCoopers - New Zealand Government signals reversal of fortune
NZ Taxpayers' Union - Cut Taxes + Cut Waste = Surplus
TV3 Video - Don't blame deficit on tax cuts - English
Earlier - Cuts to Health Suggested

Job Insecurity: Time For Jobs That Count In The Meat Industry

“Meat Workers face it all”, says Graham Cooke, Meat Workers Union National Secretary. “Seasonal work, dangerous jobs, casual and zero hours contracts, and increasing pressure on workers to join non-union individual agreements. More>>