Top Scoop Stories October 30th 2009 News Summary

Friday, 30 October 2009, 6:38 pm
Column: The Scoop Editor

LEAD STORY

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Outages: North Auckland, Northland Power Now Back To Usual Levels
Power has now been restored to all areas affected by a power outage this morning due to a forklift carrying a container hitting the 220 kV transmission line between Otahuhu and Henderson. Areas were restored by 1pm. The outage, occurring just after 8.00am this morning caused loss of supply to North Auckland and Northland (about 280,000 consumers). More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0910/S00446.htm

ALSO:

Failure of traffic lights - Auckland northwards [2]

Power cuts unacceptable - Mayor [3]

Urgent need for another power cable to North [4]

power cut shows risks of corporatising Super City [5]

Forklift responsible for blackout - Transpower [6]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0910/S00440.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0910/S00810.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0910/S00455.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0910/S00428.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/national/28729.html [6]

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NZ POLITICS

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ALSO:

The Week In Parliament Ending 30.10.09 [2]

Questions and Answers - 29 Oct 2009 [3]

Today In Parliament 29.10.09 [4]

Questions for Oral Answer - 28 Oct 2009 [5]

Today In Parliament 28.10.09 [6]

Questions and Answers - 27 Oct 2009 [7]

Today In Parliament 27.10.09 [8]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00257.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00487.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00255.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00415.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00246.htm [6]

[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00410.htm [7]

[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00229.htm [8]

Legislation: Immigration Bill Passes Third Reading
Hone Harawira: Mr Speaker, the Maori Party also has grave concerns about significant human rights issues in the Bill, such as:
* the abuse of private information; * the prolonged detention of asylum seekers; * the protection of the rights of children born in Aotearoa without citizenship; and * the refusal to allow the Human Rights Commission to have jurisdiction over immigration matters. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00475.htm

ALSO:

The Erosion Of Justice [2]

A disaster for human rights [3]

[2] - http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/2009/07/06/campbell-eroding-justice-creepign-complacency/ [2]

[3] - http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2009/10/disaster-for-human-rights.html" target="_blank [3]

Teachers Day: Minister Does Not Bring Presents
Education Minister Anne Tolley has acknowledged the valuable work being done by New Zealand’s teachers as they celebrate World Teachers Day. “Teaching is a vitally important job, second only to parenting,” said Mrs Tolley. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00483.htm

ALSO:

Recognise early childhood teachers on teachers day [2]

Hands up for Learning! [3]

Celebrate World Teachers’ Day Friday 30 October [4]

Tolley deluged with complaints from colleagues? [5]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0910/S00127.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0910/S00123.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0910/S00456.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00485.htm [5]

Scoop's "Meet The MPs" Project
: More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0909/S00217.htm

Religion: Destiny Church Response To TV3 Campbell Live Item
Destiny Church wishes to state that a number of comments made by the individual were grossly inaccurate and questions the credibility of the source, which the programme fails to identify. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0910/S00427.htm

ALSO:

Secret video reveals the inner workings of Destiny Church [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/national/28700.html [2]

Preschool: Delaying Teacher Registration "Will Not Solve Teacher Shortages
Moving the 80 per cent target for early childhood teacher registration out two years to 2012 is welcomed but will not solve the sector's current and damaging staff shortages, says the Early Childhood Council. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0910/S00125.htm

ALSO:

Minister of Education failing early childhood ed [2]

Govt urged to maintain momentum [3]

Govt Should Not Walk From Qualified ECE Workforce [4]

Minister Welcomes OAG Report On Special Education [5]

Fruit in schools future confirmed [6]

Another Tsunami Threat [7]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00461.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0910/S00413.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0910/S00122.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00470.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00466.htm [6]

[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00065.htm [7]

Burden Of Proof: Collins Introduces Harder Organised Crime Investigators
A team of hardened investigators is to be formed to hunt down and seize the millions of dollars in profits made by organised crime, Police Minister Judith Collins announced today. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00452.htm

ALSO:

Operation REFORM leads to 2 Kilo Ephedrine Seizure [2]

Collins and Broad on Launch of ARU [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0910/S00430.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00252.htm [3]

Auckland: "Super City Corporatisation A Shocker"
Labour has been leaked the details of the new structure which reveal the Auckland Transition Agency is planning to place control of Auckland’s assets in the hands of up to eight commercially run organisations. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00442.htm

ALSO:

Power cut shows risks of corporatising Super City [2]

Report Calls For Auckland Super City [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0910/S00428.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0903/S00344.htm [3]

Scoop Images: Paliamentary Staff Fight Wage Freeze
Parliamentary staff picketed parliament today as part of their fight for better pay and the maintenance of redundancy provisions. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00253.htm

ALSO:

Rolling strikes create safety issue at Parliament [2]

Threat to lock out Parliament security staff [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0910/S00422.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0910/S00423.htm [3]

Horn Of Plenty: 'Purchase Advisor' Gets Job He Recommended Creating
"The appointment by Tony Ryall of Dr Murray Horn as the Chair of the new National Health Board reeks of cronyism, and reflects a return to the hard right policies of the 1990s..." More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00440.htm

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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH

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New Road Rules: Research Says Hands-Free Almost As Dangerous
From Sunday drivers in New Zealand will only be allowed to use mobile phones in their cars if they use a hands-free kit or phone cradle. The ban, and its timing, were officially confirmed in August. Mobile phones cannot be used, even while stopped ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0910/S00431.htm

ALSO:

Heather Roy's Diary: OCR & The New Driving Laws [2]

Drugged driving law now includes benzodiazepines [3]

Police Concerned by Attitude Towards Drunk Driving [4]

Road rules to change shortly - but do you know which ones? [5]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00488.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00286.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0910/S00385.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/national/28717.html [5]

Effluent: Bay Of Plenty Has A Cow
Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell is calling on Rotorua farmers to clean up their act following a damming report that the majority of farms in the area are creating more pollution than allowed. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00476.htm

ALSO:

Entries Open In Dairy Awards [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0910/S00795.htm [2]

Vitamins: Surely The Media Would Never Mishandles Drug Science?
TV3’s Wednesday night screening of Inside New Zealand posed the question “Are Vitamins Killing You”. The program viewed more like a propaganda piece, with an intentional political campaign to make Vitamins prescription only drugs. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0910/S00126.htm

ALSO:

Dietary supplements improves health [2]

Kiwi Kids Are Not Getting Enough Vitamins [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0910/S00109.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0910/S00108.htm [3]

Tourism: Giant Educational Rugby Ball Wows Tokyo
The opening of the rugby ball under the high profile Tokyo Tower site was covered by over 100 journalists from Japan’s eleven national television stations, eleven national newspapers and more than forty websites. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0910/S00794.htm

ALSO:

Key opens giant rugby ball in Tokyo [2]

Spreading the rugby word in Tokyo [3]

Japanese put samurai twist on the haka [4]

Long-Term Fiscal Statement highlights choices [5]

No Guts No Glory [6]

Retirement Commissioner welcomes Treasury report [7]

Treasury makes NZ's stark future plain, says PEC [8]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/sports/28679.html [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/sports/28702.html [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/world/28718.html [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00454.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00468.htm [6]

[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0910/S00418.htm [7]

[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0910/S00798.htm [8]

Conservation: Government Pledges $4.7 Million To Help Save Kauri
The Government is to inject $4.7 million into a programme to help save kauri trees threatened by a disease known as kauri dieback (Phytophthora taxon Agathis). More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00445.htm

ALSO:

Kauri Killer Cash Promise [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0910/S00428.htm [2]

Reserve Bank: OCR Remains Unchanged At 2.5 Percent
"Activity in New Zealand's trading partners continued to rebound during the September quarter and financial market sentiment has improved further. However, there remain significant vulnerabilities and challenges to be worked through in many economies. This process could weigh on global growth going forward." More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0910/S00734.htm

ALSO:

Update: Bollard keeps OCR on hold, switches to neutral [2]

NZ dollar extends losses as OCR kept on hold [3]

OCR alone will not rebalance the economy [4]

RBNZ left OCR unchanged [5]

Interest rate decision only one possible [6]

Climbing out of recession still an issue [7]

[2] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/10/29/bollard-keeps-ocr-on-hold-switches-to-neutral/ [2]

[3] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/2009/10/29/nz-dollar-extends-losses-as-ocr-kept-on-hold/ [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0910/S00450.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0910/S00748.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0910/S00746.htm [6]

[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0910/S00407.htm [7]

Agriculture: Everything Fine, Say Authorities
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) and the New Zealand Food Safety Authority (NZFSA) today confirmed that a series of New Zealand and European laboratory tests on a single New Zealand sheep brain have detected the condition atypical scrapie (also known as Nor 98). More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0910/S00718.htm

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COMMENT

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Richard S. Erlich: Thailand & Cambodia Argue About Thaksin & The Coup
BANGKOK, Thailand -- Thailand and Cambodia have descended into a loud political feud about Bangkok's 2006 coup, and Thailand's current threat to demand the extradition of its fugitive former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra. The rift between the two ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00264.htm

Gather to the Chapel: Destiny Churchism in Theory and Practice
Amidst the terror and debauchery of the Old Testament are some passages of striking intrigue and beauty. Among these is Psalm 79 - a passage I was drawn to ponder during a recent visit to a ‘Miracle Faith Healing’ service held by one of our country’s... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00261.htm

The Serbian Iron Lady Returns: Biljana Plavsic And Modern Justice
The only woman convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia has returned to Serbia. Biljana Plavsic, former Bosnian Serb President (1996-8), had spent two-thirds of her 11-year sentence in a Swedish prison after being convicted... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00250.htm

Globalization and terror: Dollar militarism, ALBA humanism
Many themes of global importance inter-relate when discussing events in Central America. An apparently simple discussion of local developments in the Nicaraguan economy ends up covering global issues. One has to look at the role of the dollar, the price of ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00237.htm

Martin LeFevre: Free The United Nations!
Fittingly, when you click on the official button for United Nations Day (October 24) it takes an inordinate amount of time for Ban Ki Moon’s brief message to load up. Most people give up; a few look elsewhere. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00231.htm

UN Agencies: US Blockade of Cuba Undermines Their Work
In a report recently posted on the United Nations website [i] , numerous United Nations agencies condemned the United States blockade of Cuba, saying it impacts on their – and the Cuban Government’s - ability to provide prompt and affordable humanitarian... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00230.htm

Product Launches: "News To Make You Feel Good"
In times like this, with bird flu, SARS, killer dogs and ‘Internet Hackers’, New Zealanders need a pleasurable laugh or two. The More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00242.htm

Sherwood Ross: Chomsky Receives Highest Pentagon Honor
The Pentagon has paid anti-war activist Noam Chomsky the highest honor any totalitarian entity can bestow upon an author: they’ve banned his book “Interventions” at Guantanamo Bay prison. They won’t say precisely why they “honored” Chomsky... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0910/S00226.htm

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LIFESTYLE

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Handle The Jandal: Parallel Dance Ensemble Eats Way To Music Video Victory
With a video that featured loads of colour, plenty of lips and lots of lollies, Parallel Dance Ensemble won the Golden Jandal for best video, as voted by the audience at last night's Radio Active 89FM Handle the Jandal DIY Music Video Awards. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0910/S00484.htm

Lulz: Announcing The Comedy Christmas Gala
Tired of having to clean up the office the morning after the Christmas party? Fed up with recycling bins full of photocopies of lewd body parts? Or do you just fancy treating yourself to a night out where the speeches will actually be funny? More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0910/S00452.htm

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WORLD

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Hillary Clinton: Pathways To Prosperity Women Entrepreneurs
SECRETARY CLINTON: (In progress.) – this conference for women entrepreneurs, to bring you all together and not only to have you meet one another, but also to meet people here in the State Department, because we want to promote more social inclusion, ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0910/S00311.htm

Democracy: Burma: Release Political Prisoners Before Election
An independent United Nations expert has called on Myanmar’s Government to release all political prisoners before the national elections planned for 2010 so that the polls can be as inclusive as possible. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0910/S00307.htm

World News: Climate Change Could Stem Global Tourism
Rising sea levels could inundate coastal holiday spots while melting snow caps could spell an end to ski resorts, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has warned, as climate change threatens tourism, a lucrative industry for the world’s ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0910/S00290.htm

Governance: Democracy Vital In Spurring Development
Democratic governance both reinforces and is bolstered by development and human rights, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon underscored in a message to a high-level event drawing thousands of representatives of both governments and non-governmental organizations. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0910/S00301.htm

Atomic Energy Agency: Draft Deal On Iran’s Nuclear Fuel
Nearly three days of talks supported by the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wrapped up today with a draft agreement on how to provide Iran with fuel for a civilian nuclear research facility. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0910/S00285.htm

Non-Political Crime: Central America Most Crime-Ridden Region In World
Central America has become the region with the highest levels of non-political crime worldwide, with an average murder rate of 33 per 100,000 inhabitants last year, three times greater than the global average, a new United Nations report warns, noting ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0910/S00283.htm

INTERPOL: Calling For More Female Police
A senior United Nations official today welcomed a recent landmark agreement with the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) to strengthen police units in peacekeeping missions around the world, and called on Member States to contribute ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0910/S00265.htm

ENDS

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Top Scoop Stories October 30th 2009 News Summary