Today's Top Scoops - July 06, 2007
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LEAD STORY------------
Tornadoes: State of Emergency in Taranaki - The National Crisis Management Centre has activated this evening in support of the state of emergency declared by the Taranaki Civil Defence Management (CDEM) Group after a string of tornados hit the area yesterday. The NCMC has activated at Mode 1 (Monitoring) to be available to assist the Taranaki CDEM Group with central government support if required. More >> [1]
ALSOCivil Defence - Hotline for Taranaki assistance [2] Taranaki Civil Defence - Emergency service clean-up under way [3] Taranaki Regional Council - Be Prepared When Nature Comes A-Knocking [4]
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NZ POLITICS------------
Intelligence & Justice: Inspector General's Zaoui Review Hearings To Begin - The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security's review of whether the Security Intelligence Service was
correct in issuing a security risk certificate against Ahmed Zaoui is scheduled to begin on Monday July 9. This is the
first time such a review has been conducted in New Zealand, and is uncharted territory in judicial and executive terms. More >> [1]
BACKGROUND:Scoop Documentary - Scoop Video: Algeria Amnesty & An Intel Turntable [2] Selwyn Manning - Supreme Court Judgment Adds To Uncertainty [3] Scoop Full Coverage - Feature on Immigration and the Zaoui Case [4]
Press Gallery: Broadcasters Join Forces To Defend TV Reporting - New Zealand's major television news organisations today issued a joint public pledge to defy parts of Parliament's
new rules on TV coverage of MPs... TVNZ Head of News and Current Affairs Anthony Flannery said: "The banning of the use
of images from the debating chamber for satire is a precious over-reaction by MPs and unnecessarily puts limits on New
Zealanders' understanding of politics." More >> [1]
ALSO:Lyndon Hood - Scoop Satire: Open Letter To Closed Parliament [2] More Scoop Coverage - New Parliament media rules [3]
Mccully.co.nz: A Humble Man Chronicles Mr Key's Washington Sojourn - Last week's visit to Washington by National Party leader John Key set the scene for a serious consolidation of what
has been a sub-optimal NZ/US relationship for some time. Accompanied by his humble spokesman on Foreign Affairs (whom
modesty will not permit us to name). More >> [1]
Elections: Aardvarks Sweep DHB Votes - National Party Health spokesman Tony Ryall is calling for a shake-up in the way some District Health Boards put
together their ballot papers for elections. "Analysis by the Otago District Health Board shows that where DHB candidates
are listed alphabetically, the A's have more chance of being elected than the Q-Z's. In fact, twice the chance!" More >> [1]
SOEs: TVNZ Charter review process begins - The process for reviewing the TVNZ Charter has begun with the public being invited to make submissions on a suggested
redraft. The Television New Zealand Act 2003 says the Charter must be reviewed every five years by Parliament. In
preparation for the statutory review, TVNZ wishes to present the Minister of Broadcasting with a suggested redraft with
the public's views on it. More >> [1]
ALSO:National - Maharey rearranges the deck chairs [2] Greens - TVNZ fiddles while state broadcasting burns [3]
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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH------------
Electricity: Commission Approves Waikato To Auckland Line - Transpower today welcomed the Electricity Commission's final decision to approve its proposal for a new transmission
line between south Waikato and south Auckland. The proposed new line is New Zealand's largest transmission
infrastructure project and the first upgrade to the national grid in the upper North Island for over 20 years. More >> [1]
ALSO:NZ Govt - Minister responds to Electricity Comm'n decision [2] NZ Govt - Minister commends Electricity Commission efforts [3] Federated Farmers - Farmers Consider Judicial Review [4] New Era Energy - Electricity Commission decision is wrong! [5] Council for Infrastructure Development - Streamlining approvals for Akld lifeline essential [6] Major Electricity Users Group - 220 kV preferred over 400 kV line [7] Manukau City Council - Decision on power transmission line unacceptable [8] Employers And Manufacturers - Electricity Commission pylon plan welcome [9] Alliance Party - Public control of power the only answer [10]
Tourism News: Tourism demonstrates resilience to high dollar - A report released by the Ministry of Tourism today gives insight into the relationships between movements in the
value of the New Zealand dollar and the performance of the tourism sector. More >> [1]
ALSO:Arrival Magazine - New Zealand's Top Tourist Highlights Recognised [2]
Director's Fees: 15% Rise Not Enough - NZ's non-executive directors are remunerated far below their Australian counterparts, despite receiving a healthy
increase over the past year, according to a recently released survey by HR consultancy, Sheffield Ltd. The survey found
in comparably sized businesses in Australia, non-executive directors were receiving 50 - 150% higher fees than their New
Zealand counterparts. More >> [1]
Science/Enviro't: NIWA announces free data policy - From this month [July 2007], the public will be able to download millions of pieces of climate, water resource, and
other environmental information for free. The National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research (NIWA) is making access to its nationally significant databases free over the web. The initiative
covers archived data on climate, lake level, river flow, sea level, water quality, and freshwater fish from NIWA, the
MetService, and several other contributing agencies. More >> [1]
ALSO:Joint Media Statement - Project launches a website with 10,000 legs! [2] Capital and Coast DHB - C DHB goes filmless [3] NZ Govt - Free data tools to help businesses, local govt [4]
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WORLD------------
UN Report: Biofuel Demand Driving Up Prices - Soaring Biofuel Demand Driving Up Agricultural Prices, Says UN-Backed Report New York, Jul 5 2007 4:00PM Increased
demand for biofuels is leading to changes in agricultural markets that could drive up global prices for many farm
products, according to a new United Nations-backed report. More >> [1]
ALSO:Tasmedia.org - New Report calls for a biofuel 'reality check' [2] Survival International - Peru: Oil Industry Told To Keep Off Land [3]
Number 10: No Timetable for Iraq Withdrawal - The Prime Minister has said it would be "wrong" to set a timetable for withdrawing troops from Iraq. Speaking to MPs
during his first Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Brown said that the UK would not break its obligations to the United
Nations or to the Iraqi government. More >> [1]
Number 10: British Security to be Strengthened - The Prime Minister has announced a number of steps that will be taken to bolster security across Britain.
Speaking to MPs during his first Prime Minister's Questions, Mr Brown said that the Government was looking into a number
of ways to tighten security following the attempted terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow. More >> [1]
US Congress: US House Resolution 333 - Impeaching Richard B. Cheney, Vice President of the United States, for high crimes and misdemeanors. IN THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES April 24, 2007 Mr. KUCINICH submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on
the Judiciary More >> [1]
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LIFESTYLE------------
Public Health: Not So Sun Smart After All - New Zealanders' Chronic Vitamin D Levels Exposes Them To Killer Diseases. A leading researcher from the University of
Auckland says skin cancer campaigns may be causing New Zealanders to get too little Vitamin "D'', with Maori, Pacific
and South Asian peoples the worst off. More >> [1]
ALSO:PHA - Public Health Association Conference 2007 [2] PHA - Asian Adolescents An Obesity Time Bomb [3] PHA - Link Between View of Children, Physical Punishment [4] PHA - Act Now to Prevent Global Impact on NZ Health [5] PHA - Papaarangi Reid, Public Health Champion 2007 [6] PHA - Urban design impacts physical activity levels [7] PHA - Study warns "safety first" over School Travel [8] PHA - "Gimme Shelter" - Time to Think Fresh Bus Stops [9]
Scoop Review: The Woman in Black - As anyone can imagine, it is a challenge to pull off a play within a play. It's even harder to pull off rehearsals of
a play within a play. Impressively, The Woman in Black pulls it off without a hitch. Although not frightening by modern
standards, the production is a fine display of the power of acting and good writing which kept it running for 19-plus
years on West End. More >> [1]
Media: C4 Presenter Assists Inflation Targets By Fleeing NZ - Over the last few years Joel Defries has made David Hartnells " best dressed " at 21. Offended, impressed, shocked
and amused. And...we'll be sad to see him go. That's right a home sick Joel Defries is leaving his second home of the C4
office and heading back to the motherland. To the UK - and to Muswell Hill to be exact. More >> [1]
Laughs: Cult musical duo win top NZ comedy award - Musical comedy act Mrs. Peacock have been selected as the winners of the prestigious Billy T Award for 2007. Perhaps
the most prestigious accolade in New Zealand comedy, the Billy T Award is named for iconic Kiwi entertainer Billy T
James, who passed away in 1991. More >> [1]
Music: Award Enables Royal Academy Study For Clarinettist - Clarinettist Ellen Deverall, a Victoria University of Wellington first-class honours graduate, is the winner of the
Patricia Pratt Scholarship in Musical Performance for 2007 and as a result will now study at the Royal Academy of Music
in London. More >> [1]
And those were the Tops Scoops on this day, July 06, 2007
:)
ENDS