Top Scoop Stories - 25 July 2007 News Summary

Wednesday, 25 July 2007, 1:56 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - July 25, 2007

LEAD STORY:

Legislation: Greens Back Youth Rates Bill Despite Tinkering

NZ POLITICS:

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER: [1] [2]
Free Speech: Hearing On Publication Of Mock Report
Public Service: PM Faces Grilling Over Setchell Sacking
Espionage: SIS Meets With Chinese Defector

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Agriculture: Fonterra Lifts Final Payout
Commerce: $5.6 billion proposal for Auckland Airport
Economy: Record High Dollar is Having a Negative Effect
Didymo: Check, Clean, Dry Best Control (But They're Working On It)

WORLD:

U.S. State Dept: Libya Announces Transfer of Medics
Nuke News: Japan Invites IAEA Team To Assess Nuclear Plant
Aussie News: Aus. Governor-Gen Opens Special Forces Facility
Africa News: Lack Of Cash Threatens School Meals In Benin -- UN

COMMENT:

Michael Collins: First One’s Free... Then You Pay
Gordon Campbell: The Aftermath In Europe
Jason Leopold: Cheney Suppressed Evidence in Energy Crisis
Russia and US: Square Off Over Energy Reserves
Bush’s War Policy: When Time Heals Nothing -

LIFESTYLE:

Arts: Leading Indian Dance Company In Wellington
Maori: Ko Tçnei Te Wiki O Te Reo Mâori
Music: Live Jazz at Sandwiches - CD Release Tonight
Theatre: Welly's San Fran Gets Some Chicago Sexual Perversity
Vampires/Crime: New Zealand Movie to Premiere in Dunedin

Legislation: Greens Back Youth Rates Bill Despite Tinkering - "I'm upset some young workers would still have to face extremely unfair and low youth rates. Two hundred hours at the youth pay rate, as suggested by the select committee, might not sound long to some older people but for young and part-time workers including those still at school it could mean up to nine months on low pay," Green Party Industrial Relations spokesperson and sponsor of the Bill, Sue Bradford says. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Youth rates recommendation strikes a balance [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00403.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00407.htm

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER:

• Questions for Oral Answer - 25 July 2007 [1]
• Questions and Answers - 24 July 2007 [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00410.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00409.htm

Free Speech: Hearing On Publication Of Mock Report - A member of the Save Happy Valley Coalition will be arguing the right to use parody as a means of criticising corporate behaviour in court on Wednesday. The activist is being sued by state-owned coal miner Solid Energy for publishing a mock report on the company's environmental performance. The interim hearing will be heard in the Christchurch High Court at 10am on Wednesday 25th July. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00292.htm

Public Service: PM Faces Grilling Over Setchell Sacking - Audio + Text: "Is there anything more substantial anyone would like to ask," was the Prime Minister's question to the parliamentary press gallery after facing a barrage of questions regarding a public servant's recent sacking. The public servant in question, Madeleine Setchell, lost her job as a head of communications at the Ministry of the Environment after three days. Ms Setchell job loss was because her partner is the press secretary of National Party leader, John Key. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Scoop Full Coverage - Public Servant's Sacking [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00320.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00337.htm

Espionage: SIS Meets With Chinese Defector - On Friday 20th July, the former Chinese diplomat Yonglin Chen met with officials from the New Zealand Security and Intelligence Service (SIS) to discuss Chen's allegations of a New Zealand kidnapping by the Chinese government. On Thursday 19th July, at Yonglin Chen's request, Amnesty International contacted the SIS to facilitate a meeting between the SIS and Chen. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Scoop Report - Street Theatre, MP Street At Falun Gong Protest [2]
• Scoop Report - Dissident Slams NZ Govt's Relationship With China [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00269.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00269.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00256.htm

Agriculture: Fonterra Lifts Final Payout - Fonterra Co-operative has announced a final payout for the year ended May 31, 2007 of $4.46 per kilogram of milk solids (kg/MS). The result is an 11 cent improvement on the last payout forecast announced in May... Fonterra’s chairman, Mr Henry van der Heyden said, “The final payout result was positive given the high exchange rate and the fact that commodity prices did not surge until the final quarter of the year. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0707/S00475.htm

Commerce: $5.6 billion proposal for Auckland Airport - The directors of Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) today announced a proposed transaction with Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) which would see DAE acquire an interest between 51% and 60% in the AIAL business and become a strategic partner. Under the proposal, AIAL shareholders will receive value of up to NZ$3.80 per share. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• NZ First - NZ Set To Lose Yet Another Plum [2]
• NZ First - Who Will Profit? [3]
• Greens - Airport sell-off has risks for tourist industry [4]
• Manukau City Council - Council to consider proposal released by AIAL [5]
• NZ Govt - Auckland International Airport proposal [6]
• Mark Gosche MP - Gosche Opposes Sale of Auckland Airport [7]
• Len Brown - Mayoral Candidate - The Airport Shares; Hold, hold,hold [8]
• Elaine West - Elaine West - Open Letter Regarding Airport Shares [9]
• Alliance Party - Auckland Airport should be in public ownership [10]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0707/S00415.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00366.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00388.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00370.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0707/S00258.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00374.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00404.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0707/S00262.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00302.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00277.htm

Economy: Record High Dollar is Having a Negative Effect - Unsurprisingly, as the New Zealand dollar breaks through US81 cents, the exchange rate is the number one issue of concern to businesses, according to initial analysis of a Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce survey that has been running today. “The dollar’s appreciation is having a negative affect on the export sector”, said Chamber CEO Charles Finny. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• J P Morgan - RBNZ Preview: Rate Hike Followed by More Rhetoric [2]
• Export New Zealand - Exporters face record high for dollar [3]
• Small Business Expo Ltd - Help for exporters offered by SBE speakers [4]
• Canterbury Manufacturers Association - A Bridge too far... [5]
• CMC Markets - NZ Traders Flocking to Foreign Exchange [6]
• NZ First - "How High Must It Go?" Asks Winston Peters [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0707/S00468.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0707/S00473.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0707/S00461.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0707/S00460.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0707/S00451.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0707/S00450.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00390.htm

Didymo: Check, Clean, Dry Best Control (But They're Working On It) - “Two-and-a-half years of coordinated research conducted by science providers, under contract to MAFBNZ, has provided a body of scientifically sound information regarding the detection, distribution, impacts, containment and control/eradication of didymo. We now know much more about didymo than when it was first discovered in Southland in 2004.” More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0707/S00051.htm

U.S. State Dept: Libya Announces Transfer of Medics - US State Dept applauds today's decision by the Bulgarian and Libyan governments to transfer the five Bulgarian nurses and the Palestinian doctor to Bulgaria, which follows the Libyan Higher Judicial Council's July 17 commutation of the medics' death sentences. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0707/S00322.htm

Nuke News: Japan Invites IAEA Team To Assess Nuclear Plant - Following Quake, Japan Invites IAEA Team To Assess Nuclear Plant After receiving an invitation from Japan, the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced today that it will send a team of experts to the Asian country which was rocked by a powerful earthquake on 16 July. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0707/S00332.htm

Aussie News: Aus. Governor-Gen Opens Special Forces Facility - Governor-general Opens Special Forces Training Facility At Holsworthy The Governor-General, His Excellency MAJ GEN Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC, officially opened the new Special Forces Training Facility (SFTF) at Holsworthy Barracks today. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0707/S00325.htm

Africa News: Lack Of Cash Threatens School Meals In Benin -- UN - Lack Of Cash Threatens School Meals In Benin, Warns UN Food Agency The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) today warned that tens of thousands of children in Benin will not receive their daily school meal when schools reopen in September unless additional funds are made available immediately. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0707/S00333.htm

Michael Collins: First One’s Free... Then You Pay - Where did all these electronic voting machines come from anyway? They produce nothing but controversy. You can’t see where your vote goes. You can’t watch the votes being counted. Even if you could, it’s all done by computer. Have you ever watched a computer do anything? Our voting machines come from a bipartisan bill produced by the Congress with strong White House support: the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It was going to solve the problems of Florida 2000... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00336.htm

Gordon Campbell: The Aftermath In Europe - To the critics of Ahmed Zaoui, his convictions in Europe are a knock-down argument. The man has been convicted in Belgium and France - and that’s the end of it. The fact that the Refugee Status Appeals Authority analysed the dubious methods by which the convictions were gained, and the weight that should be given to the convictions – as they were compelled to do when assessing whether Zaoui... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00333.htm

Jason Leopold: Cheney Suppressed Evidence in Energy Crisis - In-depth investigation shows how Vice President Dick Cheney pressured federal energy regulators to conceal evidence of widespread market manipulation by energy companies during the California electricity crisis in 2001. In March 2001, while California's two largest utilities were teetering on the brink of bankruptcy... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00326.htm

Russia and US: Square Off Over Energy Reserves - Russian President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President George W. Bush spent most of their time at the “lobster summit” at Kennebunkport, Maine, discussing how to prevent the growing tensions between their two countries from getting out of hand. The media and international affairs experts have been portraying missile defense in Europe and the final status of Kosovo as the two most contentious issues between Russia and the United States, with mutual recriminations over “democracy standards... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00304.htm

Bush’s War Policy: When Time Heals Nothing - - The news of recent weeks emanating from Washington and Baghdad point to one clear, if not final, conclusion: The Bush administration's adventures in Iraq have been a complete failure. What the media have eagerly dubbed as the Republican Revolt is now reinforced by two of the most distinguished Republican senators: John Warner of Virginia and Richard Lugar of Indiana. Before the Democrats' takeover of the two positions in Congress, Warner was the chairman of the Armed... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00303.htm

Arts: Leading Indian Dance Company In Wellington - Beautiful motifs of traditional Indian dance collide with experiments in rhythm, design and original music, flowing together to form STEM Dance Kampani’s world famous signature style. STEM (Space Time Energy Movem
ent) began in 1995, to explore and create new expressions in dance. Today, it has emerged as one of India’s leading contemporary Indian dance companies More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0707/S00243.htm

Maori: Ko Tçnei Te Wiki O Te Reo Mâori - “My thoughts are with all our early Maori Language Pioneers today” said Te Ururoa Flavell in marking Te Wiki o te Reo Maori. “Thirty five years ago, on 14 September 1972, we recall a petition which bore witness to the mandate of some 40,000 signatures to call for Maori language being offered in schools.” More >> [1]

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Horomia: Health of the Mâori Language Survey [2]
• NZ Govt - Survey shows more Mâori are speaking te reo [3]
• NZ Govt - Mâori student achievement improving [4]
• Maori Party - Truths of Taranaki a Gift for their Descendants [5]
• Maori Party - Labour’s Ethnic Cleansing Policy for Local Govt [6]
• Environment Bay of Plenty - It’s cool to korero [7]
• Public Health Association - Racism in Health Will Continue If Treaty Removed [8]
• Wintec - Mâori Language Week at Wintec [9]
• Out-Link - Kôrero Mâori: www.korero.maori.nz [10]
• Out-Link - Hau Kâinga - Nô Wikipedia Mâori [11]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00379.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00378.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00386.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00363.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00364.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00352.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0707/S00240.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0707/S00080.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0707/S00075.htm
[10] - http://www.korero.maori.nz/
[11] - http://mi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hau_K%C4%81inga

Music: Live Jazz at Sandwiches - CD Release Tonight - Down Courtenay Place way, every Wednesday evening, the mood at Sandwiches kicks back with glass clinking, foot tapping sonic jazz grooves. Led by the Ford / Tipping / Wise Trio, the weekly residency at Sandwiches was recently recorded for posterity and the band is proud to release their debut live CD... eight tracks from the live recordings made on 30th August and 6th September 2006. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0707/S00134.htm

Theatre: Welly's San Fran Gets Some Chicago Sexual Perversity - Sexual Perversity in Chicago is a wicked comedy that examines the lives of two men and two women thrust into the harsh and lubricious world of dating in 1970s Chicago. This production of Sexual Perversity In Chicago has been tailor-made to integrate seamlessly with the architecture of the San Francisco Bath House. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0707/S00235.htm

Vampires/Crime: New Zealand Movie to Premiere in Dunedin - "Perfect Creature showcases the vast imagination and ingenuity at work in (New Zealand’s) film industry with a very original twist on the vampire movie. Part horror film, part sci-fi epic and part cop thriller, it’s a genre junkie’s wet scream." More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Out-Link - Perfect Creature Website [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0707/S00229.htm
[2] - http://www.perfect-creature.com/

ENDS

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