Top Scoop Stories - 18 October 2007 News Summary

Thursday, 18 October 2007, 2:01 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - October 18, 2007

NZ POLITICS:

Questions For Oral Answer - Thursday, 18 October
Legislation: Electoral Finance Bill Gets A Slap For Excluding Youth
Civil Strife: National Trains Guns On Civil Servants
Immigration: Locke Worried Advanced Passenger Processing Working Too Well
Drinking: Govt's Plans For Liquor Laws Receive Mixed Reception

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Take A Bow: Labour Productivity Growth Sustained Since 1978
Crime & Money: Survey Reveals Prevalence Of Economic Crime In NZ
Consumer Affairs: Formaldehyde Tests Prove That Clothes Are Safe

WORLD:

Conservation: Solomon Islands Export Dolphins To Dubai
Pandemic Flu: Towards an Effective Global Preparedness Policy
Karen Hughes: Empowering Women To Change Their Lives and Their World
Somalia: Forced Entry And Detention Of Staff Prompts UN Agency To Suspend Aid

COMMENT:

Michael Collins: American Cassandra - Susan Lindauer's Story
Freedom Rider: Nancy Pelosi, Public Enemy Number One
Bill Berkowitz: Freedom's Watch targeting Iran
Rosalea Barker: Provincial Reconstruction Teams Progress In Iraq
Sherwood Ross: NSA may be Reading your Computer
Bernard Weiner: Will Democrats Commit Political Suicide in 2008?

LIFESTYLE:

Music: Christchurch Prayers For 80s Poodle Rock Answered
Archives: Computer Magic Of Past Decades To Be Preserved
Cuisine: NZ Chefs Celebrate International Chefs Day
Arts: Sydney Resorts To Photography To Avoid Frostbite

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:

• Questions For Oral Answer - Thursday, 18 October [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0710/S00348.htm

Legislation: Electoral Finance Bill Gets A Slap For Excluding Youth - The Human Rights Commission today presented its oral submission on the Electoral Finance Bill. Among other things the Commission was concerned about the potential exclusion of young people from the political process. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0710/S00269.htm

Civil Strife: National Trains Guns On Civil Servants - Questions need to be asked over Ministry of Education figures that show a 150% rise in its payroll at a time when schools are struggling to make ends meet, says National's Education spokeswoman, Katherine Rich. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0710/S00346.htm

Immigration: Locke Worried Advanced Passenger Processing Working Too Well - The use of a United States database for New Zealand's Advance Passenger Processing system raises serious concerns, the Green Party says. "This could easily lead to many innocent people being stopped from getting on planes coming to NZ," Green MP Keith Locke says. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0710/S00343.htm

Drinking: Govt's Plans For Liquor Laws Receive Mixed Reception - The Government today announced proposals to address youth drinking and to tighten the rules around alcohol advertising. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• NZ First - Alcohol Review Nothing But A Paper Tiger [2]
• United Future - Dunne: Liquor reforms generally in right direction [3]
Green Party -
• Green's alcohol bill a better plan for booze laws [4]
• Drug Foundation - Alcohol Review Over Promises, Under Delivers [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0710/S00308.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0710/S00335.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0710/S00318.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0710/S00315.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0710/S00257.htm

Take A Bow: Labour Productivity Growth Sustained Since 1978 - Updated productivity measures, which provide fresh insight on New Zealand's economic performance from 1978, have been released by Statistics New Zealand today. Labour productivity - that is, output per unit of labour input - grew on average by 2.2 percent annually in the measured sector from 1978 to 2006. The growth in labour productivity was driven by average annual output growth of 2.6 percent. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0710/S00303.htm

Crime & Money: Survey Reveals Prevalence Of Economic Crime In NZ - Despite heightened efforts to control economic crime, it continues to pose a significant and growing threat to companies around the world, and NZ is no exception. According to the Global Economic Crime Survey 2007 economic crime is a fact of life for business in New Zealand. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0710/S00299.htm

Consumer Affairs: Formaldehyde Tests Prove That Clothes Are Safe - The New Zealand Retailers Association has welcomed the report from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs confirming that clothes tested within its independent test programme are within acceptable levels of formaldehyde based on the international standard. The Government tested at random items from the major clothes retailers. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0710/S00295.htm

Conservation: Solomon Islands Export Dolphins To Dubai - 30 live Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins left the Solomon Islands on Emirates chartered cargo planes bound for dolphinariums in Dubai. By permitting the export, the Government of the Solomon Islands breaks the ban they imposed in January 2005 - a ban introduced 'to ensure Solomon Islands maintains its good standing in the international community' after widespread international outcry to the export of 28 dolphins to Mexico in 2003. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0710/S00442.htm

Pandemic Flu: Towards an Effective Global Preparedness Policy - "I need not belabor you with facts you already know, such as the devastating impact that a severe pandemic, similar to that of 1918, would have on the globe. Instead I have a special opportunity to share concerns and compare notes. The question of what is at stake has been addressed repeatedly by all of you but unfortunately has faded from the news headlines outside of those countries most directly affected by avian influenza in poultry. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0710/S00430.htm

Karen Hughes: Empowering Women To Change Their Lives and Their World - "As I have traveled to more than 40 countries to listen to concerns and reach out to people, I have witnessed first-hand that it is increasingly the women of the world who are agents of change, arbiters of peace and reconciliation, and advocates of education and health. Today I'd like to talk a little about the challenges these women–and all of us–face to juggle our work and family lives". More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0710/S00429.htm

Somalia: Forced Entry And Detention Of Staff Prompts UN Agency To Suspend Aid - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has suspended food distribution in the Somali capital after Government forces invaded the UN compound in Mogadishu today and abducted the local head of the agency in a move immediately condemned by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. According to WFP between 50 and 60 armed members of the Somali National Security Service (NSS) entered the UN compound in an unauthorized manner. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0710/S00432.htm

Michael Collins: American Cassandra - Susan Lindauer's Story - Susan Lindauer sent her eleventh and last letter on the Iraqi political situation to then Bush chief of staff Andrew Card on January 6, 2003, just two months before General Franks gave the command to invade on March 20, 2003. She'd sent ten other letters on Iraq to Card, her second cousin, over a two year period... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00266.htm

Freedom Rider: Nancy Pelosi, Public Enemy Number One - Her machinations since Democrats took over the U.S. House in January 2007 show that Speaker Nancy Pelosi isn't scared of the Republicans - "her eagerness to cooperate with the Bush regime is matched only by her incompetence in leading Congress." Pelosi and her leadership clique have never had the slightest intention of seriously opposing George Bush, since they are quite content... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00281.htm

Bill Berkowitz: Freedom's Watch targeting Iran - After successfully holding the line on Congressional support for the surge in Iraq, wealthy Bush backers are turning their attention and money to drumming up support for military action against Iran. If the U.S. undertakes military action against Iran, you can credit such longtime neoconservatives as Norman Podhoretz, William Kristol, Michael Ledeen and the swarm of ideologues buzzing about... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00279.htm

Rosalea Barker: Provincial Reconstruction Teams Progress In Iraq - Monday morning, the State Department hosted a videoconference for the media on the topic of provincial reconstruction teams embedded with troops in Iraq. The two sequential linkups were with Fallujah and Baghdad, each site fronting both a civilian and military EPRT leader who gave brief statements and answered questions. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00264.htm

Sherwood Ross: NSA may be Reading your Computer - Sooner or later, a country that spies on its neighbors will turn on its own people, violating their privacy, stealing their liberties. President Bush's grab for unchecked eavesdropping powers is the culmination of what the National Security Agency(NSA) has spent forty years doing unto others. And if you're upset by the idea of NSA tapping your phone...More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00260.htm

Bernard Weiner: Will Democrats Commit Political Suicide in 2008? - Many of you may remember that the last time you had me here, a month or so before the 2006 midterm elections, I said that it looked like the Democrats could well sweep into control of the House and Senate, but, if that happened, CheneyBush might react with even more criminality and desperation. And that having majority...More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0710/S00254.htm

Music: Christchurch Prayers For 80s Poodle Rock Answered - Incoming Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker hasn't even had time to put on the chains of office before letting New Zealand know that one of the biggest touring bands in the world today is to perform a one off NZ concert at AMI Stadium on Sunday January 27 , 2008. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0710/S00203.htm

Archives: Computer Magic Of Past Decades To Be Preserved - While home computers of the 1980s remain a distant memory for many, a team of Victoria University staff are working on preserving the software they brought into Kiwi homes. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0710/S00053.htm

Cuisine: NZ Chefs Celebrate International Chefs Day - Chefs from around Auckland will be turning out in force to serve lunch to 150 pupils at Onepoto Primary School in Northcote this Friday (19 October) to officially celebrate International Chefs Day. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0710/S00197.htm

Arts: Sydney Resorts To Photography To Avoid Frostbite - Freezing temperatures in Antarctica forced New Zealand realist painter Grahame Sydney to abandon his preferred medium of painting for photography. Using pencils and watercolours in the harsh frozen conditions of Antarctica was impossible. Instead, he used photography. More>> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0710/S00200.htm

ENDS

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