Things I heard this week... roundup

Good news for arthritis sufferers.
Stem cells rejuvenating arthritic dogs. Hey, there's hope for me yet!

Australian vets say arthritic dogs are responding well to stem cell therapy. Researchers developing similar treatments for humans say the success of the canine treatments is encouraging. More

Good news for Tassie Devils.
Tarkine Devils to be studied by bushwalkers.

Scientists haven't been able to do a full survey of the last disease free devils living in the remote Tarkine region of Tasmania - but a bushwalking company is about to fill in the blanks. They'll be using remote sensing cameras to take photos of the devils that will be sent back to scientists at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. More 

Good news for those who don't like yellow characters.
Pay stoush imperils Simpsons.

After 23 seasons, the American TV hit series The Simpsons is at risk. Rupert Murdoch's Fox television network has warned that it may cancel the show The Simpsons if a pay dispute with the voices behind the characters of the hit cartoon series cannot be resolved in the next 24 hours. More

Boo-f'kin-hoo.
Australian resident jailed for people smuggling. Why is he an Australian citizen?

A refugee who's been living in Australia for 10 years has been jailed by an Indonesian court after he was detained by the country's anti people smuggling task force. Heidar Ali was arrested by Indonesian police in May travelling to Java's south coast with a known people smuggler and 32 people from the Middle East. More

Boo-f'kn-hoo... again. LOL
WikiLeaks site in limbo without architect.

In the secret world of WikiLeaks there is one secret being held closer than most: the identity of a man known simply as the architect. The architect walked out of the operation last year, taking with him the all important submission system which allows whistleblowers to lodge sensitive information and keep their identities secret. Since then Julian Assange and his WikiLeaks organisation have been unable to accept electronic online submissions. More

No Shit Sherlock - Research
New research on links between diet and birth defects.

A new study from the United States suggests women who consume a good diet before and during pregnancy have significantly less risk of having a baby with several different kinds of birth defects. More

Nuts running the asylum.
Independents pressure Commonwealth to fund state tax cuts.

The conservative states agree stamp duty and other taxes should go and are mounting a concerted push for the Commonwealth to give them a share of income tax and excise if it won't consider increasing the GST. The independents, in particular Tony Windsor, are urging the Federal Government to opt for a modest raise to the GST to rid the nation of more than 100 taxes. More

Perfectly natural - I'm sure the thunderstorm on Monday afternoon and  the ones today would have boosted the ozone level.
First hole forms in Arctic ozone layer.

Holes have been forming in the ozone layer above the Antarctic since the 1980s. But now the first hole has appeared in the ozone layer above the Arctic. Scientists say the sharp plunge in Arctic ozone levels means UV radiation has probably increased in the northern hemisphere. More