Today's Top Scoops - August 16, 2007
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LEAD STORY------------
Transport: Dunne Says Air NZ Has Charter Obligations - United Future leader Peter Dunne today slammed Air New Zealand for its 'dopey and myopic' decision to increase its charter business by ferrying Australian troops to the Middle East. "Air New Zealand's board and management should know they are the majority taxpayer-owned flag carrier for New Zealand, not the lickspittle lackeys of the Australian and American Governments. More >> [1]
ALSO:Air NZ - Air New Zealand slams Investigate Magazine report [2] Investigate Magazine - Investigate Magazine Slams Air NZ PR Department [3] Greens - Air NZ ferrying of Oz troops to Iraq 'appalling' [4] Public Service Association - PSA Concerned At Rush To Blame Public Service [5] Scoop Audio - Peters Calls Presser On Air NZ Troop Charters [6] Air NZ - Air New Zealand increases charter revenue [7] Air NZ - Air New Zealand and US Airways Codeshare Agreement [8]
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NZ POLITICS------------
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:
Questions For Oral Answer - Thursday, 16 August 07 [1] Questions And Answers - Wednesday, 15 Aug 2007 [2] Questions And Answers - Tuesday, 14 August 2007 [3]
Immigration: Iranian Christian Too Weak To Sit Handcuffed - Green Party Human Rights Spokesperson Keith Locke has been shocked to hear that Iranian hunger striker Ali Panah has
been handcuffed to a guard while lying in Auckland hospital. "It is plumbing the depths of inhumanity to do this to a
man already in such distress after 33 days without food," Mr Locke says. When I visited him on Monday he was very weak
and could not sit up. More >> [1]
ALSO:GPJA - Dying Ali Panah kept in handcuffs - Day 34... [2] Green Party - Concern over health of hunger striker [3]
Crime: Child Sexual Abuse Pictures Lead to Jail/Home Detention - A US government agency tip-off led to a 64 year old central North Island sickness beneficiary being jailed for
possessing images of children being sexually abused. Bruce Alexander Suttie of Manunui pleaded guilty in the Taumarunui
District Court (August 14) to 20 representative charges of possessing an objectionable publication. More>> [1]
ALSO:Department Of Internal Affairs - Another jailing for child sex abuse collection [2]
Environment: Sun's Power Used To Burn Sausages And Hi-Light Climate Change - Yesterday Greenpeace hosted a solar-powered BBQ on parliament grounds today to highlight the difference between talk
on climate change and substantial solutions to the problem. More >> [1]
Justice: Crime-Fighting Ministers Take Long Break - The Labour Government is being negligent over tackling serious crime, says National Party Police spokesman Chester
Borrows. He is releasing an answer to a parliamentary question which shows the Crime Reduction Ministers' Group has not
met since June 2003. "That's unbelievable. How do they think they're going to fight crime if they haven't bothered to
meet for four years? More >> [1]
ALSO:NZ Govt - Whinging National Bereft of Policy [2]
Politics: Matt Robson Has A Few Questions For Roger Kerr - If we are to believe the media, the National Party in 2007 appears to support every initiative of Jim Anderton and
the progressive Left since 1999 Isn't it a bit odd then that the Business Roundtable isn't on a war-path with Mr. Key's
National Party? More >> [1]
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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH------------
Toys: Mattel Expands Voluntary Toy Recall - Mattel® (NZ) today voluntarily extended the recall in relation to the lead issue announced on 2 August, adding one
new item to the current list of 8 recalled products... Additionally, Mattel announced the voluntary recall of magnetic
toys manufactured between January 2002 and January 2007 including certain dolls, figures, play sets and accessories that
may release small, powerful magnets (e.g. Polly Pocket). More >> [1]
ALSO:NZ Govt - Voluntary recall of Mattel products [2] Manufacturers and Exporters - Matell Recall – Cheap not always cheerful [3]
Technology: Meridian Energy announces electric car trial - State-owned electricity company Meridian Energy has announced it will conduct a small-scale trial of electric cars
early next year. Meridian chief executive Keith Turner says the company has been closely watching overseas developments
in electric vehicles, and is convinced that the technology is about to reach a tipping point. More >> [1]
ALSO:Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority - EECA supports electric car drive [2] Meridian Energy - Start date for Project West Wind confirmed [3] Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority - EECA delighted at Makara Wind Farm Announcement [4] Meridian Energy - Expert advice will create ‘Right House’ for you [5] Meridian Energy - Meridian Energy announces its moving day [6]
Seasons: Pine Pollen Arrives - Pine pollen is becoming noticeable all over the country. This indicates that the annual pollen seasons are now
beginning. "The pine pollen season is late this year," said Dr David Fountain of Envirotech NZ Ltd, who has produced a
pollen forecasting service in association with Metservice for the past 12 years. More >> [1]
ALSO:MetService - Heavy Rain In The North [2]
Transport: Happy Birthday Interislander - Today is an important day in history for Interislander, New Zealand’s leading Cook Strait ferry operator, as it
celebrates a birthday today marking 45 years since the company began operations in August 1962. More >> [1]
Retail: Wow, NZ Has Six Billion Transactions…Man! - A humble proprietor at the Knuckle Sandwich café in Takapuna, Auckland, has made history by processing the six
billionth payment for NZ company Paymark, arguably the world’s most advanced Eftpos network. Simon Tong, Chief Executive
Officer, Paymark, says the milestone reflects the phenomenal volume of electronic payments taking place each day More >> [1]
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WORLD------------
ILO News: Sustainable Approach To Growth Crucial In Asia - A sustainable approach to development is crucial to keep pace with Asia’s unprecedented economic growth,
Director-General Juan Somavia of the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) said at a three-day
conference wrapping up today in Beijing, calling for national measures across the continent to ensure social welfare. More >> [1]
UN News: UN Calls On Iraqi Leaders To Set Aside Differences - UN Calls On Iraqi Leaders To Set Aside Religious Differences After Deadly Car Blasts. United Nations officials today
called on Iraqi leaders to set aside religious and political difference and protect civilians after yesterday’s multiple
car bombings in the north of the country that reportedly left at least 200 people dead and many more wounded. “Nothing
can justify such indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement.More >> [1]
UN News: Seven Arrested In Attack On Convoy In Timor-Leste - Seven people have been arrested in connection with last week’s attack on a United Nations convoy in Timor-Leste
during post-election violence in the small South-East Asian country, UN Police (UNPOL) reported today. Meanwhile, the
security situation over the past 24 hours remained tense More >> [1]
COHA News: Haiti’s Cautious Improvement, Questions Unanswered - Continued Funding and the Creation of a Reliable Force not a Slam Dunk In recent months, the Haitian government has
announced plans to explore the potential creation of a national security force intended to eventually replace U.N.
peacekeeping units now stationed mainly in the urban areas of the Western Hemisphere’s most impoverished nation. More >> [1]
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COMMENT------------
Outfoxed: Fox News Changes Wikipedia To Smear Rivals - Stephen Colbert, whose “Wikiality” has entered reality. There are a few news stories breaking about people editing
Wikipedia - including the CIA, Diebold, and U.S. Congressional Offices. So we went ahead and took a look at other
changes to Wikipedia allegedly made by the people from the Fox News offices - the changes originating from IP address
“12.167.224.228“. (Here’s the DNS lookup for 12.167.224.228.)… More >> [1]
Michael Collins: General Strike In USA on Sept. 11, 2007 - A general strike is proposed for the United States on September11, 2007, the sixth anniversary of the
9/11/2001 attacks on New York City and Arlington, Virginia. The general strike movement has no clearly named leadership.
It’s described as an Internet viral effort. Wikipedia defines viral efforts on the Internet as... More >> [1]
Bernard Weiner: A News Quiz: Real or Fake? - Satire is getting harder and harder to recognize. Just think how many times lately you've come across a news story
and said to yourself: "That couldn't be true; it must be a joke." The real news too often is just as scarily ridiculous
as the faux news Jon Stewart "reports" on The Daily Show...More >> [1]
Michael Winship: The Jaundiced Rove of Texas - Mother of Mercy! Is this the end of Karl Rove? Not bloody likely. If you think otherwise, you've got greater faith in
the power of wolf's bane, garlic and wooden stakes than I have. But why is he leaving that Cloud Cuckooland of
Make-Believe known as the White House on such seemingly short notice? Part of me conjures Claude Rains asking Bogart why
he exiled himself to Casablanca: "I like to think you killed a man. It's the romantic in me."... More >> [1]
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LIFESTYLE------------
Drama: 'Perversity in Chicago' Begins Tonight At San Fran Bath House - Sexual Perversity in Chicago is a wicked comedy that examines the lives of those thrust into the harsh and lubricious
world of dating in 1970s Chicago. This production of David Mamet's play has been tailor-made to integrate seamlessly
with Wellington's San Fran Bath House. More >> [1]
Compassion: Artists And Fashion House Step Up To Save Life - Laura Marie is a young girl living in Honduras whom I meet when I lived there for 6 months. She has a cranial tumour
that is both life threatening and debilitating. I came back to New Zealand and set about organising an art auction
fiesta. More >> [1]
Race Relations: Make Way for The New Mainstream - A popular and signature cultural event which celebrates and explores the journeys of local and overseas born Chinese
through personal storytelling returns to Auckland on Saturday 18 and 19 August at The University of Auckland Business
School. More >> [1]
Music/Haute Cuisine: Flip Grater Returns With The Cookbook Tour - In 2006 singer-songwriter Flip Grater went on an epic tour of NZ to promote her debut album Cage For A Song. She sang
for her supper in small towns and big cities, blagging accommodation, food and – most importantly – recipes along the
way. More >> [1]
And those were the Top Scoops on this day, August 16, 2007
:)
ENDS