Top Scoop Stories - 19 December 2007 News Summary

Wednesday, 19 December 2007, 2:00 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - December 19, 2007

LEAD STORY:

Movie Magic: Jackson's Affair With Hobbits' To Continue

NZ POLITICS:

Questions And Answers - Tuesday, 18 Dec 2007
EFG: Bill Begets Billboards
Spam: Anti-Spam Raid In Christchurch
Scoop Report And Audio: New Victims Rights Agency Mooted
EFB Shocker: Bill Passes Without United Future
Tertiary: Union Tells Mayor To Get His Facts Straight
Procurement: Government Luxury BMWs Exceed Own Energy Targets

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Employment: Minimum Wage Increase Welcomed

WORLD:

US Immigration: A Report On New National Survey On Immigration
Technology: ITU Announces Global Standards For IPTV Services
Capitol Idea: House Passes Bill To Honor Aung San Suu Kyi With Congress' Highest Award
Russian Front: Putin Speech At United Russia's 8th Party Congress

COMMENT:

Michael Collins: Internet Thought Control Bill Under Fire
Bernard Weiner: George's Christmas Carol
Matt Renner: Dodd Wins Battle in Spy Bill Standoff

LIFESTYLE:

Music: Hayley, Brooke & Hollie dominate album sales

Movie Magic: Jackson's Affair With Hobbits' To Continue - Peter Jackson and New Line Cinema have jointly announced today that Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh will serve as Executive Producers of two films based on "The Hobbit." New Line will manage the production of the films, which will be shot simultaneously. Peter Jackson and New Line have also settled all litigation relating to the "Lord of the Rings" (LOTR) Trilogy. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Scoop Features: LOTR Headlines [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0712/S00240.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/features/onering.html

Questions of the Day:

• Questions And Answers - Tuesday, 18 Dec 2007 [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00428.htm

EFG: Bill Begets Billboards - The Free Speech Coalition has launched a billboard campaign today against the parties which voted for the Electoral Finance Act. "The Electoral Finance Act was correctly labeled by the New Zealand Herald as an "Attack on Democracy" so we think it is fitting that Democracy should attack back." Said spokesperson David Farrar More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0712/S00254.htm

Spam: Anti-Spam Raid In Christchurch - The Department of Internal Affairs has seized 22 computers and boxes of documents from four Christchurch addresses as it investigates an international spamming operation. The Department's recently-established anti-spam unit is checking claims that a Christchurch business organised affiliates around the world to send spam on its behalf offering pharmaceutical products and watches. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0712/S00250.htm

Scoop Report And Audio: New Victims Rights Agency Mooted - A single agency to oversee all matters relating to victims issues could be established if the recommendations of an inquiry into victims' rights are heeded. The Justice and Select Committee's report into the rights of victims in the criminal justice system was tabled in parliament yesterday. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Greens - 38 ways to better protect victims of crime [2]
• Sensible Sentencing Trust - Victims Taken To Heaven And Hell All In One Day [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00242.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00404.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0712/S00241.htm

EFB Shocker: Bill Passes Without United Future - "No matter what it says, or how well it has been crafted, or what official interpretations are placed upon it, in the court of public opinion it is held to be a self-serving attack on the freedom of our electoral process. That perception has become the new reality, whatever we in this House may think of it. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Govt to appoint expert EFB panel [2]
• Greens - Greens win Citizens' Jury [3]
• Scoop Full Coverage - Election Finance Bill [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00416.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00433.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00434.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00319.htm

Tertiary: Union Tells Mayor To Get His Facts Straight - The National Secretary of the Association of Staff in Tertiary Education said today that it was time Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt got his facts right about the funding for SIT. "The failure of the management of the Polytechnic to take on board the changes signalled by the reforms... is demonstrated by the fact that Penny Simmonds refuses to open the Polytechnic's books to the TEC." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0712/S00078.htm

Procurement: Government Luxury BMWs Exceed Own Energy Targets - The Government agreement to purchase 34 luxury six cylinder BMWs over the next three years contravenes their own fuel efficiency standard for diesel vehicles as laid out in the Energy Efficiency Conservation Strategy, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Government car choice is a win for sustainability [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00423.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00418.htm

Employment: Minimum Wage Increase Welcomed - The Green Party is delighted that the Government will honour its commitment to increase the minimum wage to $12 an hour in line with Labour's agreements with the Green Party and NZ First after the 2005 election. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Govt delivers early on $12 minimum wage promise [2]
• National Distribution Union - Expect industrial campaign for a $15 minimum wage [3]
• NZ First - NZ First Welcomes Rise in Minimum Wage [4]
• Council of Trade Unions - Momentum On Making Low Wages History [5]
• National Distribution Union - Expect industrial campaign for a $15 minimum wage [6]
• Subway - Media Statement From Subway Developments [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00399.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00429.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0712/S00247.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00415.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0712/S00248.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0712/S00247.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0712/S00278.htm

US Immigration: A Report On New National Survey On Immigration - Stan Greenberg, Al Quinlan, Mark Feierstein, and James Carville offer a progressive approach to illegal immigration that shows Democrats are very serious about getting the problem under control. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S01010.htm

Technology: ITU Announces Global Standards For IPTV Services - ITU, the lead United Nations agency for information and communication technology (ICT), today announced the first set of global IPTV standards for providing television services over the Internet. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S01006.htm

Capitol Idea: House Passes Bill To Honor Aung San Suu Kyi With Congress' Highest Award - Congressmen Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Don Manzullo (R-IL), secured unanimous passage of their legislation (HR 4286) to honor the world's only imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize recipient, Aung San Suu Kyi. The measure was passed 400-0 by the House of Representatives. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S01016.htm

Russian Front: Putin Speech At United Russia's 8th Party Congress - "If our people, the citizens of Russia, show their confidence in Dmitry Anatolevich Medvedev and elect him as the new president of Russia, then I also would be ready to continue our joint work, in this case, as Prime Minister of the Russian Federation." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S00988.htm

Michael Collins: Internet Thought Control Bill Under Fire - On Monday, Dec. 17, the Senate Committee on Homeland Security posted this document in response to the many criticisms of House Resolution 1955, The Violent Radicalization and Homegrown Terrorism Prevention Act of 2007. Part 1 of this series examined the ... More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Michael Collins - Michael Collins: Thought Control on the Internet (Part I) [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00248.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00247.htm

Bernard Weiner: George's Christmas Carol - Bob Cratchit turned the thermostat up a notch, to take the chill off the 49-degree room, steeled his courage and walked up to the boss, who was oiling his shotgun. "Sir," said Cratchit, "I was wondering if you would be considering a holiday bonus this year, so that I can buy a small -- a very small -- goose for our family's Christmas dinner... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00249.htm

Matt Renner: Dodd Wins Battle in Spy Bill Standoff - After a full day of debate on Monday, Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Connecticut) prevailed in his effort to halt an Intelligence Committee bill that included legal immunity for telecommunication companies that may have broken the law in cooperating with the Bush administration's warrantless spying programs... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00240.htm

Music: Hayley, Brooke & Hollie dominate album sales - Three Kiwi artists make the top 10 selling albums in New Zealand for 2007 - and it's the women who have been belting out the biggest tunes. The figures for the year aren't yet final but heading the list is Hayley Westenra's 'Treasure', the country's top selling album based on over-the-counter and legal digital sales to December 9. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0712/S00241.htm

ENDS

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