Top Scoop Stories - 27 July 2007 News Summary

Friday, 27 July 2007, 1:53 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - July 27, 2007

LEAD STORY:

Parliament News: PM Announces David Benson-Pope's Resignation

NZ POLITICS:

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER: [1] [2] [3]
Crime: Sensible Sentencing's Model Prison in Torture DocoPublic Service: Dunne Invokes McCarthy In Relation To A-G
Parliament: Maori TV Covers Debate That Didn't Happen
Free Speech: Hearing On Publication Of Mock Report
Crime: Wellington And Auckland Aggravated Bank Robberies Linked

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Weather: Stormy Weather Coming To North
Resrve Bank: Sludge Report #178: Let The Squealing Begin

WORLD:

UK Govt News: Gordon Brown Outlines His Security Strategy
Asia-Pac News: Timor-Leste: UN May Boycott Truth Panel
UN News: Ban Ki-moon To Meet Haiti & Barbados Leaders
Australia Defence News: Return From Afghanistan Due To Pregnancy
Goodwill News: Ewan Mcgregor On UNICEF Motorcycle Ride
Nuke News: UN Nuke Watchdog Announces Visit To Iran

Parliament News: PM Announces David Benson-Pope's Resignation - The Prime Minister this morning announced that Hon David Benson-Pope has offered his resignation from all portfolio positions. The Prime Minister has forwarded advice to the Governor General to accept that offer. "The way in which certain issues have been handled this week has led to a loss of credibility and on that basis I have accepted Mr Benson-Pope's offer to stand aside," Helen Clark said. Scoop will keep you abreast of the aftermath with full coverage of this issue. More >> [1]

EARLIER:

• National - Benson-Pope trips up – Clark must act [2]
• National - Benson-Pope admits multiple calls to MFE [3]
• National - The Mapp Report: Bye Bye Mr Benson-Pope [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00475.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00451.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00419.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00474.htm

QUESTIONS FOR ORAL ANSWER:

• Questions and Answers - 26 July 2007 [1]
• Questions And Answers - Wednesday, 25 July 2007 [2]
• Questions and Answers - 24 July 2007 [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00473.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00423.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00409.htm

Crime: Sensible Sentencing's Model Prison in Torture Doco - Joe Arpaio's Tent City prison in Arizona was a main feature of Wednesday night's TV One documentary Torture: America's Brutal Prisons. The Sensible Sentencing Trust announced last week that it would be visiting the prison with a televison team, to look at alternatives to the current prison system, and to reduce the burden of cost on the New Zealand taxpayer. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Sensible Sentencing Trust - A Reply To Critics Of The SST's US Trip [2]
• NZ Govt - Criminal Justice Reform Bill changes make sense [3]
• NZ Govt - Criminal Justice Reform Bill passed [4]
• National - News Worthy - 20 July 2007 [5]
• ACT - Heather Roy's Diary - Gone For A Burton [6]
• Sensible Sentencing Trust - Parole in a Civilised Society? [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00325.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00330.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00405.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00396.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00337.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00344.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00293.htm

Public Service: Dunne Invokes McCarthy In Relation To A-G - United Future leader Peter Dunne today called on Parliament to tell the Auditor-General to stick to his job of checking the Government's books and not recommend witchhunts among the public service, in the manner of the late Senator Joe McCarthy. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• United Future - Dunne warns of 'new McCarthyism' [2]
• Greens - No political witch hunts, Greens say [3]
• National - Reassurance lacking from Clark on public servants [4]
• National - Erosion of respect for public servants lamentable [5]
• Public Service Association - PSA: Conflicts of Interest Registers Statement [6]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00453.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00431.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00460.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00414.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00470.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00329.htm

Parliament: Maori TV Covers Debate That Didn't Happen - Maori Television’s screening of a debate in Parliament that never actually took place has outraged National Party Maori Affairs spokesman Tau Henare, who has laid a complaint with Speaker of the House, Margaret Wilson. On Te Kaea last night, there was a report on Tariana Turia’s Private Member’s Bill on the Foreshore and Seabed, which portrayed a debate in Parliament among MPs, including Tau Henare, which never happened. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Maori TV - Te Kâea Story Clarification [2]
• Out-Link - Maori TV: Te Kaea News, 25 July [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00445.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00331.htm
[3] - http://www.maoritelevision.com/programmes/news/2007-07-25_clip1.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. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Save Happy Valley - Freedom of Speech preserved [2]
• Solid Energy NZ - Trademark rights preserved [3]
• Greens - Solid Energy digging a hole for itself [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00292.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0707/S00321.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0707/S00501.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0707/S00467.htm

Crime: Wellington And Auckland Aggravated Bank Robberies Linked - Police have linked an aggravated robbery of the National Bank 188 Lambton Quay Wellington, which occurred at 3.46pm yesterday, with an aggravated robbery of the ANZ Bank, 166 Great South Road Manurewa, which occurred at 11.05am on Monday 23 July. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0707/S00293.htm

Weather: Stormy Weather Coming To North - MetService meteorologists have issued heavy rain for Northland, Auckland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, and northern Gisborne. A low-pressure system is forecast to intensify as it approaches from the north to lie west of Northland on Saturday night. The rain will be accompanied by northeast gales in exposed areas. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Northland Regional Council - Forecasters: More Heavy Rain, Gales for North [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0707/S00059.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0707/S00311.htm

Resrve Bank: Sludge Report #178: Let The Squealing Begin - Video + Text Report: Around 8.16 am this morning the sound system in the Reserve Bank's media room malfunctioned. A roaring noise from outside on the road could be heard and a Radio New Zealand wit expressed the view that it must be the bank's money dragon roaring. By then we were all locked in with the knowledge that Dr Bollard has raised the Official Cash interest Rate by a further quarter of a percent to 8.25%. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Scoop Full Coverage - Full Coverage: Interest Rates Rise, July 2007 [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00359.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0707/S00363.htm

UK Govt News: Gordon Brown Outlines His Security Strategy - The PM has proposed a series of measures to increase national security and help defeat terrorism. They include a range of options for changing the current 28-day limit on holding terror suspects without charge, the introduction of a border force and increased use of biometric visas, the use of ID cards, and support for local authorities and community groups to fight violent extremism. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0707/S00377.htm

Asia-Pac News: Timor-Leste: UN May Boycott Truth Panel - Timor-Leste: UN to boycott truth panel unless it bars amnesty for gross abuses United Nations officials will boycott a commission set up jointly by Indonesia and Timor-Leste to foster reconciliation after the latter's bloody struggle for independence, unless it is precluded from recommending amnesty for crimes against humanity and other gross violations of human rights. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0707/S00372.htm

UN News: Ban Ki-moon To Meet Haiti & Barbados Leaders - Ban Ki-moon to meet with leaders of Haiti and Barbados next week Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will meet with Government officials, civic leaders and United Nations staff during official visits to Haiti and Barbados next week, a spokesperson for the world body announced today. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0707/S00373.htm

Australia Defence News: Return From Afghanistan Due To Pregnancy - Australia Defence Force has confirmed that a member from the 1st Reconstruction Task Force was returned to Australia from her deployment to Afghanistan in October 2006 due to pregnancy and on the flight back to Australia, the woman miscarried. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0707/S00378.htm

Goodwill News: Ewan Mcgregor On UNICEF Motorcycle Ride - UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and Scottish actor Ewan McGregor is riding his motorcycle from northern Scotland to the southernmost tip of Africa to raise awareness of the plight of vulnerable children. McGregor and Charley Boorman will make several stops as part of the Long Way Down journey.More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0707/S00371.htm

Nuke News: UN Nuke Watchdog Announces Visit To Iran - The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that its inspectors will visit Iran's Arak reactor early next week, ahead of further talks planned for August 2007. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0707/S00358.htm

ENDS

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