Today's Top Scoops - November 15, 2007
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LEAD STORY------------
Sludge Report: Rule Of Law Demands An Inquiry Into "Operation 8" - There is some irony that Wednesday Parliament is debating at length the Madeleine Setchell affair (Scoop Video) [1] - and that only Tuesday an urgent debate into the Decision of the Solicitor General (Scoop Video) [2] not to charge 12 people with Terror offences was refused by the speaker. While the Setchell affair is a fascinating (to the media) and somewhat sordid little affair, it has no punch compared to yesterday morning's revelations in the Dominion Post (link) [3] , The Press - and doubtless several other publications over the next few days. More >> [4]
ALSO:Maori Party - Tariana Turia - General Debate "Terror" Speech [5] Green Party - Crown Law Office should act on terrorism reporting [6] NZ First - Evidence Published "Disturbing And Sinister" [7] TV3 - Did police leak the secret evidence? [8] , Veteran activist claims police responsible for evidence leaks [9] & Ron Mark and Pita Sharples on the terror evidence [10]
MORE COMMENT:GPJA's John Minto - Forget The Courts - A Media Lynch Mob Will Do [11] Russell Brown's Hard News - "The Terrorism Files" [12] SOLO's Lindsay Perigo - Campbell & Greens Reveal Their True Colour: Red! [13] & Dom-Post Publishes - Will It Be Damned? [14] TV3 - Tuhoe protest march reaches parliament and police headquarters [15] & MPs get angry reaction from hikoi [16]
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NZ POLITICS------------
QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:Questions For Oral Answer - Thursday, 15 Nov 2007 [1]
Most Adults Support Fireworks Ban - Most New Zealanders aged 18 or over (63%) support a ban on firework sales to the general public and only allowing
organised public displays of fireworks. This was the result of independent research company UMR's latest nationwide
public opinion poll. The poll also shows those who strongly support (40%) a ban outnumber those who strongly oppose
on... More >> [1]
Police: Two People Arrested In Kaikohe Murder Case - The two people arrested in connection with the death of an 81-year-old man in Kaikohe today will appear in the
Kaikohe District Court tomorrow both facing murder charges. More >> [1]
Energy: Fitzsimons Concerned About Cullen's Optimism - Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons today criticised the lack of concern being shown by Finance Minister
Michael Cullen about the chronic inability of Treasury, the Reserve Bank and MED to accurately forecast the price of
oil. More >> [1]
Full Coverage: The Public Services' Bad Day - While the State Service Commissioner's tie shone brightly the Commissioner himself Mark Prebble had a somewhat less
sunny day facing questions from the media and politicians regarding a report into the handling of the employment of
Madeline Setchell. More >> [1]
More: Scoop Video - Madeleine Setchell Inquiry Press Conferences [2] National - Anderton confirms public service 'blacklist' [3] SSC- SSC Report On Madeleine Setchell Matter [4] & SSC Commissioner - Madeleine Setchell Inquiry [5] Environment Min. - State Services report and findings [6] National - Alarm bells over public service neutrality [7] NZ Govt. - Hunn report provides lessons for public service [8] Report By D.K. Hunn To SSC - Main Body - .pdf [9] Annexures To D.K. Hunn Report - .pdf [10]
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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH------------
Treasury: Saving Falls Despite Earnings Increase - National saving (from all sectors) fell to $1.3 billion for the year ended March 2007 from the recent highs of $5.9
billion in 2005 and $7.4 billion in 2004, Statistics NZ said today. National saving is at its lowest level in fourteen
years. Net investment income flows to the rest of the world increased to reach $11.9 billion, a deterioration of $0.6
billion since the previous year. More >> [1]
Industrial Relations: Pilots Case Shows Holidays Act 'Not Up To The Job' - The case NZ Airline Pilots Association v Air NZ is an indictment of the Holidays Act, says Business NZ. The case
centres on a long-standing employment agreement between Air NZ and its pilots which includes an overall payment to
ensure there are always pilots on duty on public holidays. Following the passage of the new Holidays Act, the pilots
said they should also get time and a half when they work on public holidays. Last year the Court of Appeal found in
favour of Air NZ. More >> [1]
Television: Strong First Six Months For Freeview - Six months after its successful launch, Freeview take-up figures continue to demonstrate New Zealanders are
enthusiastically embracing free-to-air digital television and radio. Latest sales figures show more than 21,000 digital
satellite receivers have been purchased in the last three months. This takes the total number of households reached to
an estimated 62,000, or nearly 4% of all homes. More >> [1]
Aptitude: Rangitoto blows her top ... or did she? - Mintshot.co.nz officially launched this morning at 7am. To many people it appeared that Rangitoto was erupting
however on closer inspection it was revealed that the simulated eruption was part of a guerilla marketing campaign by
the new entertainment website www.mintshot.co.nz... More >> [1]
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WORLD------------
Terrorism: First Duty Is To Protect The British People - PM - In an article for the Sun newspaper, Mr Brown promised that police and security services would be provided with
"every tool they need" to protect the public and combat terrorism. "My first duty is to protect the British people and
our national security. There is no greater priority, no more important responsibility than the safety of all our
citizens. More >> [1]
Asian News: Yahoo! Settlement in Chinese Journalists' Case Does Not Fix Dangers of Doing Business in China - Amnesty International USA (AIUSA), released a statement today in response to the announcement that Yahoo! settled an
Internet repression case involving two Chinese journalists jailed and allegedly tortured for e-mails that the company
turned over to the Chinese government. Compensation may help, but it does not fix the underlying problem. More >> [1]
Online Travel: EU Crackdown On Misleading Airline Ticket Websites - EU Consumer Commissioner announced the results of an EU wide investigation against misleading advertising and unfair
practices on airline ticket selling websites. The clampdown covers Europe's leading airlines, low cost carriers as well
as other websites selling airline tickets. The results of the inquiry show that over 50% of all websites showed
irregularities. More >> [1]
Afghanistan: Leaders Discuss Bamyan Development, Visit Historical Ruins - or more than 1,500 years they stood watch over the people of Afghanistan's Bamyan province. The Buddhas of Bamyan
remained untouched, nestled in the heart of the Hindu Kush Mountains until they were destroyed by the Taliban in March
2001. A series of caves remains where the Buddhas of Bamyan used to stand prior to their destruction in 2001 by the
Taliban. More >> [1]
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COMMENT------------
Greg Palast: Mrs. Clinton's forgotten fling with the Killer of Karachi - You've seen all those creepy photos of George Bush rubbing up against Pakistan's President Pervez Musharraf, the two
of them grinning and giggling like they're going to the senior prom. So it's hard to remember that it was Hillary and
Bill who brought Pervez to the dance in the first place...More >> [1]
Jason Leopold: Valerie Plame Still Wants to Know - Former covert CIA operative Valerie Plame Wilson would still like to know the identity of the CIA official who passed
her name to the office of Vice President Dick Cheney in the spring of 2003, and "under what circumstances."... More >> [1]
Bill Berkowitz: Philip Anschutz: Transforming the culture one Hollywood blockbuster at a time - He's a Denver, Colorado-based billionaire whose net worth was recently tabbed by Forbes magazine at $7.6 billion; his
corporate holdings include the nation's largest movie theater chain, Regal Entertainment, some of the world's most
prominent sports and entertainment venues, and a stack of professional sports teams including the National Hockey
League's Los Angeles Kings and several soccer teams including the Los Angeles Galaxy...More >> [1]
Zach Roberts: Tasered Florida Student on Palast Report - Meyer, who appeared this morning on the Today show sandwiched between reports on Britney Spears, Oprah Winfrey and
Heather Mill's, was the only guest who managed to sneak in a matter of substance on the gossip and title broadcast.
Meyer told Today that the real issue isn't the volts he received, but the votes uncounted...More >> [1]
Martin LeFevre: Father and Son Presidents--Bookending America - The picture of octogenarian George the First jumping out of a plane strapped to some schmuck's back was the shot of
the past week. His plummet to earth came the day after Daddy Bush excoriated the critics of poor Georgie, rhetorically
asking this senile non-sequitur: "Do they want to bring back Saddam Hussein, these critics [of George Junior and the
war]?"... More >> [1]
Barbara Sumner Burstyn: Vivisection For Hire - Margaret Harkema is well groomed, her well appointed home is set in expansive grounds. She owns her own business and
her daughter attends a private school and competes in an equestrian team. In short Ms. Harkema is an upwardly mobile,
financially secure businesswoman, wife and mother. She is also a vivisectionist... More >> [1]
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LIFESTYLE------------
Telly Stuff: Best On The Box Name NZ's Top Gunn - Jason Gunn has been crowned New Zealand's top TV entertainer in the 2007 TV Guide Best on the Box awards in the
magazine's annual people's choice poll. More >> [1]
Artiness: Wellington Artists Lend Favourite Works - Found objects, Trade Me bargains, paintings, posters, carvings, ceramics and sculpture are just some of the works
that make up Living Together, the latest exhibition at City Gallery Wellington's Michael Hirschfeld Gallery. More >> [1]
DOCNZ 2007: A Summer Not to Forget - In July 2006, Hezbollah captured 2 Israeli soldiers and Israel reciprocated with 34 days of continuous Israeli
bombardment. Using powerful and disturbing images, the film tells a story of yet another war on Lebanon. More >> [1]
And those were the Top Scoops on this day, November 15, 2007
:)
ENDS