Today's Top Scoops - 17 January 2008
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LEAD STORY------------
Politics: Parliamentary Dreadlocks Going On Holiday - Green MP Nandor Tanczos announced today that he will not be putting his name forward as a candidate for this year's election. "I went into Parliament with the stated intention of doing three terms. I have now given almost a decade of service to the Green Party in Parliament. During that time I have achieved a number of initiatives of which I am proud, including the passage of Clean Slate legislation," Mr Tanczos said. More >> [1]
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NZ POLITICS------------
Crime: Largest Reward Offered For Return Of Stolen Medals - Commissioner Broad and General Gardiner said the reward of $300,000 is being offered through the generosity of Lord
Michael Ashcroft, the owner of the largest collection of Victoria Crosses, and a New Zealand businessman who wishes to
remain anonymous. More >> [1]
ALSO:New Zealand Defence Force - Medal Reward Welcomed [2]
Crime: NZ First Wants Crackdown On Teen Violence - The government, police and judiciary must crack down on violent youth offending, which is clearly increasing to
epidemic proportions, says New Zealand First law and order spokesman Ron Mark.
His comments follow two separate attacks on Auckland's North Shore. More >> [1]
Whaling: Whalers Make Demands For Return Of Hostages - Sea Shepherds write: The Institute of Cetacean Research, the front group for the illegal Japanese whaling operations are making demands for
the release of the two Sea Shepherd crew being held hostage onboard the Japanese whaling vessel Yushin Maru. More >> [1]
ALSO:Greens - Whalers on shaky ground, need help in hostage hand [2] Institute Of Cetacean Research - Sea Shepherd Activists in Custody [3] Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Sea Shepherd Crew Continue to Be Held Hostage by J [4] Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Whalers Kidnap Two Sea Shepherd Whale Defenders [5] Sea Shepherd Conservation Society - Japanese Whalers holding two crew members [6] Greens - Antarctic situation demands end to hands-off approach [7] Maritime Union - Call for urgent action on whaling, overfishing [8] SOLO - Op-Ed: Greens' Hypocrisy Exposed [9] IFAW - Japan's Whaling - More Sushi Than Science [10] KiwiFM Audio - Wallace & Esperanza's Carly Thomas on Whaling [11] TV3 Video - Japanese whalers continue to hold activists [12] TV3 Video - Greenpeace's Esperanza keeps whalers at bay [13] Law Commission - Sir Geoffrey Palmer on Int. Whaling Commission [14] NZ Govt - Illegal fishing vessel found in the Ross Sea [15]
Hone Tuwhare: Politicians Pay Tribute To Great Artist - The Maori Party today lamented the loss of Icon Poet, Hone Tuwhare, of Ngapuhi-nui-tonu. "Hone Tuwhare was a great
artist, and a great philosopher whose real talent was his simplicity," said Hone Harawira, Maori Party MP for the Tai
Tokerau. More >> [1]
ALSO:NZ Govt - PM pays tribute to Hone Tuwhare [2] Greens - Tribute to a literary icon [3] Out-link - Hone Tuwhare ~ Poems [4] Out-link - Hone Tuwhare Profile - TVNZ ondemand [5]
Privacy: Locke Warns Of Big Brother - Green MP Keith Locke is warning of the dangers of the New Zealand police buying into the FBI-led 'Server in the Sky'
network to share biometric and other information. International reports suggest New Zealand has already committed in
principle to participating in the US initiated programme. More >> [1]
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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH------------
Economy: Higher Prices "Hit Workers" - "Higher food and petrol prices alongside a lift in mortgage interest rates mean that workers are feeling the cost
pressures as we start the year", said Peter Conway, CTU Economist. The Consumer Price Index was updated today and showed
a 1.2 percent rise in the December quarter, taking annual inflation to 3.2 percent. More >> [1]
ALSO:Statistics NZ - Food prices pushed up by grocery food [2] Statistics NZ - Transport drives increase in CPI [3] J P Morgan - NZ CPI: headline high, non-tradables low [4]
Groceries: Fruit And Veges Hit Consumers In The Wallet - Food prices increased 0.9 percent in the December 2007 month, Statistics New Zealand said today. The increase was
mainly due to higher prices for the grocery food subgroup (up 1.4 percent) and the fruit and vegetables subgroup (up 2.6
percent). More >> [1]
Dodgy Clothing: Kids Today Face Worse Threat Than Flares - Family First NZ is calling for a national debate on the sexualisation of young children and teenagers. Its call comes
as it slams the retailer Jay Jays for marketing the Little Losers line of clothing shirts to teenagers and children as
young as 10 with slogans such as "Miss Bitch". More >> [1]
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WORLD------------
Tai-Pan: China Relationship A Source Of Prosperity - Gordon Brown - British PM, Gordon Brown, said: ''The important thing...is to build a relationship with a country where we can
influence the development of a country by working together with the Chinese people over a long period of time. More >> [1]
Methamphetamine: Among Mexico's most Dangerous Exports to the U.S. - The average price per pound of methamphetamines in the U.S. is 13 thousand U.S. dollars, according to the United
States Department of Justice, for an estimated value of 7.56 billion dollars of methamphetamines produced and exported
to a worldwide market. More >> [1]
South Asia: UN Agency Seeks $22M To Feed Bangladeshis - The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has appealed for $22 million to continue feeding more than 2 million
Bangladeshis affected by Cyclone Sidr which tore through the South Asian nation late last year. More >> [1]
False Profits: Japan's Whaling - More Sushi Than Science - While the drama unfolds in the Southern Ocean, IFAW (the International Fund for Animal Welfare) reiterates the only
way to permanently stop the Government of Japan's illegal whaling activity is through international courts. More >> [1]
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COMMENT------------
Ernest Partridge: The Great American Election Charade - The more the American public is persuaded to believe this pleasant myth of the "free and open election process," the
longer that public will believe that each new Chief Executive is the legitimate "people's choice." And that persisting
public belief suits the powers that be in the military-industrial-corporate-media complex (MICMC) just fine. In fact,
the US is one of the few two-party nations in which one party gets to choose both its own candidate, and also the
candidate of the "opposing" party. More >> [1]
Jim Miles: Canada Report 2007 - Part II - Canada's Policy on Israel/Palestine - Canada argues that the Palestinian refugee problem "should respect the rights of the refugees, in accordance with
international law." Sounds great, except that the argument says we continue "to focus international attention on the
situation of the more than four million Palestinian refugees, and to promote preparations for the eventual resumption of
negotiations." More >> [1]
Bobby Ramakant: Philip Morris' Indian Subsidiary Violates Tobacco Control Act - The rules clearly mention that on point-of-sale of tobacco products, only type of tobacco product should be mentioned
and no brand name, or any other promotional message or picture is permitted under the Indian law. More >> [1]
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LIFESTYLE------------
Art Funding: Get Up Close and Personal With Greyfriars Bobby - The British Council is offering full cost scholarships for two successful applicants, including all UK travel, studio
costs, daily expenses and accommodation to the value of approximately NZD$8,000. More >> [1]
Charity: Kiwi's Flip Flop Their Way To $250,000 - The shoe was on the other foot late last year when hundreds of thousands of Kiwis came to the assistance of Surf Life
Saving NZ. Office workers and ordinary New Zealanders donned their jandals for December 7's Bach 22 National Jandal Day,
in the process donating nearly a quarter of a million dollars for the privilege. More >> [1]
'Sport': Force Back World Series Is Back! - Dust off your footy boots because the Tui Force Back World Series is back for its third consecutive year! There's
still time for teams to organise their uniforms and start practising their punts, grubber kicks and catching skills in
preparation for the February 16 event. More >> [1]
And those were the Top Scoops on this day, 17 January 2008
:)
ENDS