Today's Top Scoops - August 22, 2007
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LEAD STORY------------
Scoop Satire: New Party Logos - Scoop's Lyndon Hood can reveal that in the wake of United Future's bold new logo , frantic efforts are under way by all other parties to spruce up their images. Except Phillip Field, that is, who seems to be busy with something else. Anyway, thanks to the famous hackability of Parliament's servers, some of the proposed logos have been obtained for the public's edification. More >> [1]
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NZ POLITICS------------
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY: Questions For Oral Answer - Wed, 22 August 2007 [1]
Legislation: Key Not In Favour Of Election Finance Bill - This is not just a poorly written bill, not just an ill-conceived bill, and not just a bad bill, although it is
certainly all of those. Most of all, this is a dangerous bill. It is dangerous for all of us as individuals, it is
dangerous for our democracy, and it is dangerous for New Zealand. More >> [1]
Military: Remains Of WWII Servicemen Secured In Solomons - New Zealand police in the Solomon Islands last week secured remains believed to be those of two New Zealand service
men killed when their plane crashed in the islands during WWII New Zealand police serving with Ramsi recently became
aware of the existence of the crash site on Malaita Island in the Solomons including remains believed to be those of
crewmembers. More >> [1]
Taxation: 'Working For Families' Fusillade Launched At Key - John Key must come clean and admit thousands of New Zealand families would be worse off if the National Party was
ever in government, Acting Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey said today. The Minister is
referring to various media reports where Mr Key is quoted as saying National would cut the extension to the Working for
Families package. More >> [1]
Corrections: No Phoning Home For ET If Alien Imprisoned In NZ - An agreement signed today provides a powerful new tool in the fight against crime, Corrections Minister Damien
O'Connor says. Mr O'Connor, Corrections Department chief executive Barry Matthews, Vodafone and Telecom today jointly
announced the successful conclusion of a trial of technical solutions to combat the unauthorised use of cellphones in
prisons, and the signing of an agreement for action in this area. More >> [1]
Neighbourly Relations: Oz Heavy Post-Cabinet Question Session - The Prime Minister took a number of Australian related questions at this week's post cabinet media conference.
Initially the PM expressed some surprise and annoyance at actions taken by Australia's Foreign Minister Alexander
Downer. More >> [1]
Trade Disagreements:Scoop Audio - NZ To Take Australia To WTO Over Apples [2] NZ Govt - NZ To Take Australia To WTO Over Apple Access [3] Labour - Barker welcomes WTO apple decision [4]
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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH------------
Science: GE Free Concerned By Transgenic Research - New Zealand's transgenic research centres are potentially able to cause the spread of virulent unwanted disease and
must be investigated in light of the new evidence on Foot and Mouth in England. A Foot and Mouth outbreak in Surrey
England has been linked to a transgenic vaccine that was under research at the Pirbright /Merial Animal Health research
farm. More >> [1]
Research: NZ's Innovation Report Card Reaction - The latest OECD report on innovation policy provides valuable insights into New Zealand’s strengths and weaknesses in
research, science and technology, says Business NZ Chief Executive Phil O’Reilly. More >> [1]
ALSO:NZ Govt - OECD report highlights innovation policy [2] National - Labour’s R results woefully inadequate [3] Professional Engineers - OECD Report Resonates With Engineering Sector [4]
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WORLD------------
AIDS Watch: Asia-Pacific Urged To Scale Up AIDS Response - The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has warned that countries in Asia and the Pacific will face
serious difficulties in sustaining their response to the disease unless they become less reliant on external donors and
commit more national funds to their AIDS programmes. Resources for national AIDS programmes in the region, while
increasing, are insufficient for a long-term response to the pandemic. More >> [1]
Damage Control: UN Teams Assessing Damage in Aftermath of Hurricane Dean - The UN has sent Disaster Assessment and Coordination teams to Jamaica and Belize. A state of emergency had been
declared in the southern part of Jamaica and some 6,500 people are temporarily living in 268 shelters. Preliminary
findings reveal significant damage to roofs, storm surges, flooding, collapsed structures and impassable roadways
throughout the country. There are reports of severe damage to power lines and water supply system. More >> [1]
On Your Marks! Safe Games Kits Packed and Ready to Go! - Delegates from the Safe Games Campaign worked tirelessly to complete the packing of 5000 Safe Games Kits, for the
South Pacific Games. Each bag contains male and female condoms, information pamphlets that include information on
HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections, testing and treatment, and of course prevention of these infections. More >> [1]
Electioneering: Aussie Government Finds An Extra A$3.7b For Election Campaign - Australia's Treasurer, Peter Costello, today announced that Australia's budget outcome for the year ended June 2007
was unexpectedly large, at an underlying cash surplus of A$17.3 billion (1.7% of GDP). This is substantially higher than
the A$13.6 billion surplus estimated back at budget time in May. For the fifth straight year, therefore, the government
substantially under-estimated the size of the final budget outcome. More >> [1]
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COMMENT------------
Brad Friedman: Insider Trading at Diebold? - On a recent Tuesday in August, several days after California Secretary of State, Debra Bowen's pronouncement of
decertification and then new, restrictive recertification of Diebold Inc.'s voting systems, ten officers of the company
simultaneously sold off some 10,379 shares of stock at a near 52-week high for the troubled company. The ten Diebold
insiders sold at $53.05 per share, netting more than half a million dollars in the transactions. The stock would begin
to plummet nearly 15% a week later, just before it was disclosed that Diebold... More >> [1]
Bernard Weiner: Bush Bunker Crew's Legacy: "Dangerous Losers" - President Lyndon Johnson gave up his chance for re-election in hopes that the ongoing Vietnam War eventually would
resurrect his political reputation and land him a place of honor in history. George W. Bush sacrificed Donald Rumsfeld
in the hope that by jettisoning that unpopular baggage, the ongoing Iraq War (and perhaps the attack on Iran that is
coming) eventually will demonstrate that he was right and that history will rebuild his historical legacy... More >> [1]
Voting Machine Secret Ballot: Who Voted For What? - Buckeye State Election Integrity Advocates Match Votes to Voters on the State's ES Voting Systems, Systems from Other Companies, Such as Diebold, Have the Same Problem...No Matter How Much Their
Spokespeople Lie About It... Enough. Enough. Enough already... More >> [1]
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LIFESTYLE------------
Dance: An Alturnative Version Of Your Life - Virginia and Lorna met at the gym, discovered they were both dancers, and wanted to have a dance together! Lorna
teaches step and Virginia is a mathematician, but please don’t hold this against them. They have created dance this
dance that reflects their everyday confusion and dissatisfaction. More >> [1]
And those were the Top Scoops on this day, August 22, 2007
:)
ENDS