Canary in the Mine

New Zealand has the balance "about right" in relation to the freedom of expression and the protection of minority and vulnerable groups, the Human Rights Commission told the government's Inquiry into Hate Speech. "The vast majority of New Zealanders deplore hate speech and the harm it can cause individuals and groups. But legislation alone is limited in curbing the most harmful effects of hate speech. The Commission believes the promotion of positive relations between groups in society through education and public awareness are equally important," said Commissioner Judy McGregor. But there was a sting in the tail of the submission. The HRC proposed that section 131 of the Human Rights Act 1990 should be replaced by criminal legislation covering race, colour, nationality, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, age or disability. In other words, discrimination should not just be prohibited, it should now be criminalised.

Confused employers are ignoring school leavers' NCEA qualifications and setting their own tests for job applicants.

American stem cell scientists now have guidelines which will allow them to handle, destroy and clone human embryos ethically. A long-awaited report from the National Academies of Sciences recommends thorough documentation and close scrutiny of embryo research even though it sets few firm ethical boundaries. Given the prestige of the National Academies, these recommendations are likely to be widely followed although they have no legal status. At the moment, the Bush Administration effectively discourages embryonic stem cell research and there are no coordinated national guidelines for scientists to follow.

A British research team has discovered a new argument in favour of sending baby to day care. A 10-year study by the Leukaemia Research Fund has produced compelling evidence that exposure to childhood infections in infancy can prevent childhood leukaemia by priming the immune system.

In January the Journal of the American Medical Association reported that a child who, before turning seven, has a younger brother or sister less than two years of age, has a significantly lower risk of developing multiple sclerosis later in life. The research showed that the more siblings, the greater the protection.

Virgins rank higher on scales of life satisfaction, per capita income, positive net worth and lower divorce rates, according to a study published in the journal Adolescent and Family Health.

The Methodist Church’s expected decision to move towards the appointment of bishops could potentially result in the second largest church in Christendom, The Times believes. A positive decision at the Church’s Torquay conference next month could result in the consecration of bishops in 2010 and pave the way for full unity with the Church of England. If Methodists and Anglicans moved to unity worldwide, they would create a church of 150 million members, second only to the 1.1 billion-strong Roman Catholic Church.

Giving school class time to the concept of creation is the claim behind six days of courtroom-style hearings which began in Topeka, Kansas, on May 5. Debates over what children should be taught about the origins of life are going on in more than a dozen states of the USA, and there is a bill in the Kansas legislature allowing for the theory of intelligent design to be discussed in class alongside the theory of evolution. Many scientists have said they will boycott the Topeka hearings, which they allege are part of a nationwide effort by religious interests to gain control over government.

Tail-out: A monastery-based TV reality show has changed the lives of its five participants far more than they or their hosts had expected. Five men, including a producer of sex chatline trailers and a former UDA paramilitary, spent 40 days following the disciplined rules of Benedictine life in BBC 2’s The Monastery. The experience affected atheist Tony Burke so deeply that he gave up his pornography industry job and ex-paramilitary Gary McCormick began to overcome his inner demons. Fr Christopher Jamison said the monks had hoped their visitors would find the experience "a spiritual health farm", but they hadn’t grasped "how this particular kind of break … would change them".