Today's Top Scoops - 05 May 2008
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LEAD STORY------------
Back to the Future: Rail Back In Kiwi's Hands - The Labour-led government has reached agreement with Toll Holdings Ltd for the purchase of Toll New Zealand's rail and ferry business, Prime Minister Helen Clark and Finance Minister Michael Cullen announced today. "Modernising our transport sector is central to transforming our economy and making it truly sustainable," Helen Clark said. "The selling off our public rail system in the early 1990s and the running down of the asset afterward has been a painful lesson for New Zealand," Dr Cullen said. More >> [1]
ALSO: NZ Govt - Questions and Answers - Government rail buy back [2] Progressive Party - Reversal of failed policies of the past welcomed [3] NZ First - Rail Buy Back Welcomed [4]
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NZ POLITICS------------
Justice News: High Court Relaxes Bail Conditions - Allows Tame Iti To Travel To Europe - News Report By Lena Maria Fa'asino: The High Court in Auckland has relaxed bail conditions to allow Tame Iti, to
travel to Europe to play a part in a play that ironically explores sovereignty issues. More >> [1]
Youth Of Today: Knowledge Of Politics Abysmal - The urgent need for civics and citizenship education in our schools has been underlined by the Electoral Enrolment
Centre survey of New Zealanders which showed an abysmal lack of general knowledge of our political system. More >> [1]
Vehicular Disasters: Tauranga Teenager Talks About Terror Crash - Mary-Beth Wood, 15, thought the driver of a car that lost control and slid into the crowd outside a bach in Otahu Rd,
Whangamata yesterday was just "kidding and showing off". More >> [1]
ALSO:Waikato DHB - Whangamata Teenagers Condition Update [2]
Election 08: Gordon Campbell Talks With Rodney Hide - Act Party leader Rodney Hide has always been something of a poltergeist rattling around on the centre right of the
political spectrum - making noise and kind of friendly (except when he isn't) but without ever conveying the sense that he's entirely there. More >> [1]
Lyndon Hood: Scientists Report Colossal Squid "Not Nearly As Tasty As Hoped" - Abstract: The research team investigated the tastiness of the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis Hamiltoni). A complete
specimen was dressed and prepared using a variety of traditional methods. All tests found the squid to be not delicious
in any way. More >> [1]
ALSO:Out-link - Dim-Post: Violent Bible Book Should be Banned (Kiwiblog) [2] R2 Squid-Cam - Recorded squid footage [3]
Health: $164m New Funding For Cancer Immunisation - "The human papillomavirus (HPV) immunisation programme will be offered free to more than 300,000 young women aged 12
to 18 years over the next five years. It will be rolled out from September." More >> [1]
ALSO:NZ Govt - Clark: Announcement of HPV Vaccine Programme [2] Greens - Parents need to know about vaccine potential risks [3] NZ First - Cancer Vaccine Programme Valuable Opportunity [4] Breast Cancer Aotearoa Coalition - BCAC Delighted By Vaccine Funding [5] TV3 Video - Should young girls be vaccinated against cervical cancer? [6] TV3 Video - Govt confirms cervical cancer immunisation programme [7]
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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH------------
Be Happy: Work Till Death - People over 65 but still working feel better than those who have retired, new research shows. Initial results from
the Health, Work and Retirement Longitudinal Study have been released. More >> [1]
Iron Mongery: Paper Less Future No Problem For Advertisers - Production of a Waikato Draught advert on a 20mm-deep corrugated zinc alume flute has fully demonstrated the
expertise available within the New Zealand printing industry. More >> [1]
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WORLD------------
State Department: Moving Forward On The Tracks Of Annapolis - The United States was the first country to recognize Israel 11 minutes after it declared its statehood; a very
difficult decision for Harry Truman. I remember the story of how George Marshall said, "I'll be your Secretary of State
but I'll never vote for you again". More >> [1]
Media: Free Press, Access To Information Vital For Development, Top UN Officials Stress - Marking Press Freedom Day, Top UN officials have stressed the role of a secure and independent media, and access to
information, in empowering individuals and advancing development. A free, secure and independent media is one of the
foundations of peace and democracy. Attacks on freedom of the press are attacks against international law, humanity, and
freedom itself. More >> [1]
Religion: Pope Benedict In Australia For World Youth Day - The Vatican has confirmed that His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI will spend three extra days resting in Australia before
heading to Sydney for World Youth Day 2008. The trip to Australia will be the longest journey the Holy Father has ever
undertaken. More >> [1]
Off The Hook: Greenpeace Frees Pacific Marine Life - Greenpeace freed sharks, tuna, marlin and an endangered Olive Ridley turtle from the hooks of a Taiwanese longline
vessel fishing in the international waters of the Pacific. The activists asked the Captain to release all marine life
hooked on the lines and painted "PIRATE?" on the hull of the ship. More >> [1]
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COMMENT------------
S Kauffman: Rethink Evolution, Self-Organization Is Real - In his new book, Reinventing the Sacred , legendary complexity pioneer Stuart Kauffman continues to challenge the
view of most biologists that natural selection is the only source of order. However, Kauffman is more charitable than
hundreds of other ... More >> [1]
Elections: An Occasional Note On The 2008 Campaigns, No. 9 - Although current news is focused on the North Carolina and Indiana primaries to be held this coming Tuesday, voters
in the Oregon primaries (to be decided May 20) were mailed their ballots last week and some might vote before those
other two primaries are decided. More >> [1]
Uri Avnery: "...Namely The State Of Israel" - Every Time I hear the voice of David Ben-Gurion uttering the words ''Therefore we are gathered here...'' I think of
Issar Barsky, a charming youngster, the little brother of a girl-friend of mine. More >> [1]
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LIFESTYLE------------
Horse Trading: DOC Offers Kaimanawa Horses To Public - Kaimanawa wild horses are once again available to the public with the Department of Conservation's annual muster
scheduled for later this month. More >> [1]
Good Causes: Labour Greens And ACT Find Common Ground - Otaki MP Darren Hughes has come out strongly in support of World Asthma Day, which is this Tuesday, 6 May. Mr Hughes
joins MPs Sue Kedgley and Rodney Hide in endorsing the campaign. More >> [1]
Sign Language Week: Right To Sign - Sign Language Week Kicks Off May 5 - Natasha Burling reports that while opportunities have improved for deaf people in New Zealand there is still much to
be done to assure sign language is accepted not just by governments but also understood. Interpretation is the key. More >> [1]
Trade: Will F Have High Standards In Carmen's Hometown? - Carmen works the grave yard shift in one of Tijuana's 800 Maquiladoras, the multinationally-owned factories
encouraged to move there by the promise of privileged access to the markets under NAFTA, low wages and fewer
environmental standards than in their home countries. More >> [1]
ALSO:Out-Link - Human Rights Film Festival [2] World Vision - Fairtrade Fortnight launches Best Spermarket Award [3]
And those were the Top Scoops on this day, 05 May 2008
:)
ENDS