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BioSci Daily Highlights

Friday, 20 February 2004, 11:55 am
Press Release: BioScience News and Advocate

Nobel winning geneticist to visit NZ HortResearch studies secrets of better tasting fruit First Cartagena meeting next week Ethical debate over research funding heats up Umbilical stem cells offer hope for spinal injuries German biotech regs an offensive against innovation

Nobel winning geneticist to visit NZ The Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution based at Massey University is hosting a visit by renowned geneticist Professor Jim Watson.The Nobel laureate is credited, along with Fra... More... http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6300

HortResearch studies secrets of better tasting fruit State-owned HortResearch is genetically modifying a standard plant to work out which genes produce better flavours, shapes or colours in fruit. HortResearch scientist Dr Robin MacDiarmid told ... More... http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6304

First Cartagena meeting next week Governments that have signed the United Nations Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety - a pact protecting natural biological diversity from organisms modified by modern biotechnology - will meet for the fir... More... http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6306

Ethical debate over research funding heats up Scientists who receive financial support from the tobacco industry will soon be barred from receiving grants from the American Cancer Society, which awards about $125-million annually. For academic sc... More... http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6308

Umbilical stem cells offer hope for spinal injuries There could be fresh hope for sufferers of spinal injuries.Overseas research has shown that stem cells from umbilical cord blood may hold the key to recovery - a prospect which has doctors in New ... More... http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6310

German biotech regs an offensive against innovation The biotech industry and environmental groups have both attacked the German government for the manner in which it last week (February 11) gave the green light to genetically modified (GM) farming.... More... http://www.BioSciNews.com/files/news-detail.asp?newsID=6302

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.
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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>>