Top Scoop Stories - 14 April 2008 News Summary

Monday, 14 April 2008, 2:01 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - 14 April 2008

LEAD STORY:

Agenda Transcript: John Key Rules Out Asset Sales

NZ POLITICS:

Politics: Postcards From The 2008 Labour Party Conference
Politics: More Grist For English EFA Mill
Housing: Anderton Appalled By Christchurch council Rent Hike
EFA: National Seeks To Un-Register EPMU

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Safety: How to Avoid A Chainsaw Massacre
The Matrix: Activesmart Website Honoured at "Webby" Awards

WORLD:

Economy: Global Unions Demand Policy Shift to Respond to Economic Slowdown
Technology: Internet Pioneer Urges Pacific Islanders To Face Internet Challenges
Criticisms & Concerns: Critical Assessments Upon UPR review of Indonesia

COMMENT:

Sherwood Ross: US May Not Release Innocent Guantanamo Prisoners
Uri Avnery: Manifest Destiny?
Computer Scientists say the 2008 Election can be Hacked'
Jason Leopold: Iraq War Costs Skyrocketing

LIFESTYLE:

Mysteries: Chinese Cultural Clash Proves A Drag On Resources
Arts News: Diocesan Gives Modern Day Twist To Shakespeare
Liqour Abuse: Teenage Binge Drinking A 'Rite of Passage'

Agenda Transcript: John Key Rules Out Asset Sales - National's had some time to reflect on that and the position that we've decided to have is the following one. That in the first term of the National government there will be no state assets that will be sold either partially or fully. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - National cannot be trusted on asset sales [2]
• Greens - Be wary of privatisation by stealth Greens say [3]
• CAFCA - CAFCA Commends John Key on Privatisation Pledge [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00195.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00320.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00334.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0804/S00217.htm

Politics: Postcards From The 2008 Labour Party Conference - Scoop attended this year's Labour Party conference held in Wellington. In a homage to Scoop's glorious print-post postcard function here are some images from the conference...More >> [1]

MORE:

• (KiwiFM): Wallace n Manning on PM's 'Plan For The Future' [2]
• (KiwiFM): KiwiFM: Wallace n PM On Her Congress Speech [3]
• (Kevin List): Labour Party Disruptor Caught On Camera [4]
• Scoop Full Coverage - Labour Party Conference 2008 [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00181.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00192.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00191.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00178.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00200.htm

Politics: More Grist For English EFA Mill - "Does Labour plan to use government department publicity as part of its election campaign or not?" National Party Deputy Leader Bill English says Helen Clark wouldn't give a straight answer to that question in media interviews today. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00337.htm

Housing: Anderton Appalled By Christchurch council Rent Hike - Christchurch City is behaving unconscionably with unfair rent rises for the city's most vulnerable tenants, local Wigram MP Jim Anderton says. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Progressive Party - Strength to care for NZ - Robson [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00321.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00322.htm

EFA: National Seeks To Un-Register EPMU - The Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union has been served notice that the National Party is seeking to overturn the union's status as a third party under the Electoral Finance Act. The National Party is also seeking an injunction to remove the EPMU's third party status until the case is decided - a process that could take months. More >> [1]

• National - National seeks court clarity on election law [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0804/S00210.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00310.htm

Safety: How to Avoid A Chainsaw Massacre - The inaugural STIHL Chainsaw Safety Awareness Week launched throughout the country today with a strong but simple message for the Kiwi 'weekend warrior'. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0804/S00129.htm

The Matrix: Activesmart Website Honoured at "Webby" Awards - ACC's sports injury prevention and fitness website, ActiveSmart, has been selected as an Official Honouree for the ``Health'' category in the 12th Annual Webby Awards. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0804/S00088.htm

Economy: Global Unions Demand Policy Shift to Respond to Economic Slowdown - The ITUC and its Global Unions partners called on the 2008 Spring Meetings of the World Bank and IMF to mandate significantly increased assistance to countries that seek to protect their workers and citizens against the shock of an economic crisis. "The dramatic rise in financial and economic uncertainty since mid-2007 will lead to increased unemployment, declining living standards and higher poverty, particularly affecting women, in many countries," said ITUC General Secretary Guy Ryder.More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00143.htm

Technology: Internet Pioneer Urges Pacific Islanders To Face Internet Challenges - "The Internet is one of the most valuable contemporary tools for linking to the world-wide community for business, education, cultural exchange and travel. No one has a 'corner' on creativity ," -- Dr Vinton G. Cerf, a co-founder and creator of the Internet More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00145.htm

Criticisms & Concerns: Critical Assessments Upon UPR review of Indonesia - "Dialogue and considerations were disproportionately based on the state report of the Government of Indonesia. The compilations of UN information and the summary of stakeholders' information as submitted by the OHCHR were neglected." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00146.htm

Sherwood Ross: US May Not Release Innocent Guantanamo Prisoners - Even if a Guantanamo prisoner is acquitted on all counts at his trial, the Pentagon may still not release him on grounds he might return to the battlefield, according to an article in the April 14th issue of The New Yorker. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00188.htm

Uri Avnery: Manifest Destiny? - Next Month, Israel will celebrate its 60th anniversary. The government is working feverishly to make this day into an occasion of joy and jubilation. While serious problems are crying out for funds, some 40 million dollars have been allocated to... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00197.htm

Computer Scientists say the 2008 Election can be Hacked' - Systems Made by Diebold, Sequoia and Hart InterCivic Are 'Still Going to Have Same Viral Vulnerabilities Found' During California's 2007 Study... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00177.htm

Jason Leopold: Iraq War Costs Skyrocketing - Nearly all of the $516 billion allocated by Congress to fund the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq has come in the form of emergency spending requests, a method the White House has abused, depriving Congress the ability to scrutinize how the Pentagon spends ... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00166.htm

Mysteries: Chinese Cultural Clash Proves A Drag On Resources - As the Divine Performing Arts Chinese Spectacular is blazing a trail of beautiful and traditional Chinese culture through Australia; the New Zealand organising team is experiencing some bizarre actions from some Chinese. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0804/S00121.htm

Arts News: Diocesan Gives Modern Day Twist To Shakespeare - Emily Kernot writes: Shakespeare's works are being revamped with some modern day twists this weekend, as Diocesan School for Girls hold the regional heats for the festival named after the bard. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00169.htm

Liqour Abuse: Teenage Binge Drinking A 'Rite of Passage' - Binge drinking had become an initiation ceremony or 'rite of passage', for teenagers, an Alcohol Advisory Council of New Zealand (ALAC) speaker told a Nelson conference today. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0804/S00078.htm

ENDS

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