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BioScience News and Advocate Daily Highlights 30/1

Friday, 30 January 2004, 6:00 pm
Press Release: BioScience News and Advocate

Daily Highlights
1. Bayer notifies import of GM rice to Europe
2. US patent law changes could ease Africa's use of biotech
3. Biotech crops good for SA, study finds
4. Everyday chemicals killing animals, WWF says
5. New form of matter may help improve energy efficiency
6. Brazil agrees to pay Monsanto royalty fees
7. Reverse genetics could speed bird flu vaccine

Bayer notifies import of GM rice to Europe
Bayer CropScience has issued notification of the import of its genetically modified rice (LLRICE 62) for use in food, feed and other industrial purposes in the European Union.LLRICE 62 has been br...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6008

US patent law changes could ease Africa's use of biotech
In their new study, American Patent Policy, Biotechnology, and African Agriculture: The Case for Policy Change, Resources for the Future (RFF) Senior Fellow Michael Taylor and Jerry Cayford document c...
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http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6007

Biotech crops good for SA, study finds
A debate on whether South African small-scale cotton farmers should opt for genetically modified (GM) seeds continues with the release of a study on the subject.Environmental action group Biowatch...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6006

Everyday chemicals killing animals, WWF says
Fumes given off by cancer-causing chemicals used to make non-stick frying pans are killing hundreds of pet birds every year, environmentalists say. The Worldwide Fund for Nature says it is hearing r...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6004

New form of matter may help improve energy efficiency
United States' scientists say they have created a new form of matter and predicted it could help lead to the next generation of superconductors for use in electricity generation, more efficient trains...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6003

Brazil agrees to pay Monsanto royalty fees
The farm sector in Brazil's Rio Grande do Sul state agreed to pay royalties to biotech seed giant Monsanto Co for the use of its genetically modified soy, the state cooperatives federation and Monsant...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6001

Reverse genetics could speed bird flu vaccine
A prototype vaccine strain of the H5N1 flu virus causing havoc in Asia will probably be ready next week, John Wood of the UK National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) told The Sc...
More...
http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6000

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>>