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    News From Around The World Today
    By Sarda Sahney | May 29th 2007 12:14 PM | 2 comments | Print | E-mail | Track Comments
    About Sarda

    Sarda Sahney is a Ph.D. student at the University of Bristol studying macroevolution, with focus on the evolution of vertebrate communities. View Sarda's Profile

    Too many weird stories to blog about today so here are some links:

    Poland inquiry to probe 'gay' teletubbies
    Poland's conservative government sees the teletubbies as homosexual propaganda on the small screen, and is taking aim at Tinky Winky and his friends. Ewa Sowinska, government-appointed children rights watchdog, told a local magazine published on Monday she was concerned the popular BBC children's show promoted homosexuality.

    Bonnethead Sharks and Komodo Dragons reproduce without sex
    Sex is not necessary for all members of the animal kingdom. Of course it has its advantages, primarily, combining genetic material adds to the diversity of a species and makes it more ‘hardy’. But in vertebrates, organisms that are considered ‘more complex’ (ie. fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals) asexual reproductions is extremely rare and is thought to be limited because of the complexity of vertebrate genetics and body plans.

    New Zealand cows produce skimmed milk
    Experts at a biotechnology company in New Zealand have discovered that some cows have a gene giving them a natural ability to produce skimmed milk. The finding could be used to develop a dairy herd that produces low-fat milk. A cow with the "skimmed milk" gene was identified in 2001, and the team have since been able to breed calves that also produce the low-fat variety.

    Outcry over TV kidney competition
    The show comes from Big Brother creators Endemol. A Dutch TV station says it will go ahead with a programme in which a terminally ill woman selects one of three patients to receive her kidneys. Political parties have called for The Big Donor Show to be scrapped, but broadcaster BNN says it will highlight the country's shortage of organ donors.

    Comments

    Ewa Sowinska should be put in a Tinky Winky suit and rolled into a river! The Washington Post's Offbeat column says her Jerry Falwell like intolerance has given the world yet another reason to make fun of Poland. As if the screendoor on the submarine wasn't enough?

    Hank
    I always thought teletubbies were creepy - they're strange, sub-literate aliens with TV attachments - like being gay is their biggest issue?

    They'd have a lot less irritating color schemes if they were gay,

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