Top Scoop Stories - 15 April 2008 News Summary

Tuesday, 15 April 2008, 2:03 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - 15 April 2008

LEAD STORY:

Multimedia: PM'S Pamphlet Press Conference

NZ POLITICS:

Questions For Oral Answer - Tuesday, 15 April 2008
MMP: Peters Talks About Re-Joining National
Vaccination: Minister's Claims Over MENZB Campaign Disputed
Agenda Transcript: John Key Rules Out Asset Sales In First Term

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

CPI: Tomatoes Cause Inflation
Business Confidence: Million Dollar China Deal 48 Hours After FTA
Retail: Less Money Spent On Cars, More On Food

WORLD:

Food Crisis: Steps Needed To Fight Escalating Global Food Crisis
Busted: $600,000 Of Heroin Stopped At Australian Border Concealed In Bag And Sandals
Distant Replay: Fresh Polling For Nepal's Constituent Assembly Needed In 98 Centres - UN

COMMENT:

Gordon Campbell: Breakthrough for the West Memphis Three
Suzan Mazur: The Enlightening Ramray Bhat: Origin Of Body Plans

LIFESTYLE:

Good Deeds: Save the Children Assists Kiwi Film-makers
Athleticism: NZ Free Diver Gives Seals Stiff Competition
Artiness: Artist Pays Homage To Ambience

Multimedia: PM'S Pamphlet Press Conference - Today's cabinet readout was brief owing to budget secrecy, this was followed by a Q&A concentrating around the revelations in this morning's NZ Herald regarding discussion at the Labour Party Congress of the distribution of Government PR material by party activists. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• National - Clark confirms Labour's sidestep of election laws [2]
• Out-Link - Public Address: "Campaigns" [3]
• Republic Of NZ Party - Labour's Little Red Rule Book [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00205.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00337.htm
[3] - http://www.publicaddress.net/default,4927.sm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0804/S00227.htm

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:

• Questions For Oral Answer - Tuesday, 15 April 2008 [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00356.htm

MMP: Peters Talks About Re-Joining National - "We could work with either Helen Clark or John Key. But, we do have a proviso about National because of our past experience. Like all New Zealanders we want to know exactly," explained New Zealand First Leader Winston Peters in a speech last night. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00357.htm

Vaccination: Minister's Claims Over MENZB Campaign Disputed - "The Minister of Health's claims that the effectiveness of the MeNZB campaign 'had been such a success' are bizarre and at odds with available facts," says independent Risk & Policy Analyst, Ron Law. More >> [1]
ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Successful MeNZB campaign comes to an end [2]
• SDHB - Meningococcal B Campaign drawing to an end [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0804/S00091.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00335.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0804/S00094.htm

Agenda Transcript: John Key Rules Out Asset Sales In First Term - "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]
• NZ Govt - What about ACC Mr Key? [3]
• Greens - Be wary of privatisation by stealth Greens say [4]
• Progressive Party - Near-worthless pledge on asset sales [5]
• CAFCA - CAFCA Commends John Key on Privatisation Pledge [6]

[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/S00344.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00334.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00346.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0804/S00217.htm

CPI: Tomatoes Cause Inflation - Food prices increased 0.7 percent in the March 2008 month, Statistics New Zealand said today. The increase was mainly due to higher prices for the fruit and vegetables subgroup (up 3.1 percent), in particular tomatoes (up 79.9 percent). More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Statistics NZ - Higher food prices push up CPI [2]
• J P Morgan - NZ CPI growth slows, non-tradables still elevated [3]
• NZ Govt - CPI figures timely reminder of economic challenges [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00267.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00268.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00273.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00362.htm

Business Confidence: Million Dollar China Deal 48 Hours After FTA - New Zealand apparel company Norsewear is one of the first to benefit from the recently signed free trade agreement with China - securing an order worth close to a million dollars. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Paul Holmes Mana Lodge - Holmes sells oil to China [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00271.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00250.htm

Retail: Less Money Spent On Cars, More On Food - Seasonally adjusted total retail sales fell 0.7 percent in February 2008, Statistics New Zealand said today. This fall was largely due to a 5.8 percent decrease in motor vehicle retailing. Excluding the four vehicle-related industries, core retail sales rose 0.2 percent, lifted by a 1.6 percent increase in supermarket and grocery store sales. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Business New Zealand - Service sector activity lacklustre in March [2]
• QV Valuations - Property market continues to soften [3]
• J P Morgan - New Zealand: retail sales fall 0.7%m/m in February [4]
• J P Morgan - Australia and NZ - Weekly Prospects 14 Apr 2008 [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00242.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00243.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00240.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00247.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00249.htm

Food Crisis: Steps Needed To Fight Escalating Global Food Crisis - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for both immediate and long-term measures to tackle the growing global food crisis, warning that it could not only push millions of people deeper into poverty but also have larger political and security implications. More >> [1]

ALSO

• Caritas - Caritas Warns On International Food Crisis [2]

RECENTLY

• Global Unions Demand Policy Shift In Slowdown [3]
• G8 Must Press For Action On Food Crisis - UK's PM [4]
• UN Wants Urgent Action On Spiralling Food Prices [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00149.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00148.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00143.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00135.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00122.htm

Busted: $600,000 Of Heroin Stopped At Australian Border Concealed In Bag And Sandals - Two people will face court following separate arrests at Perth & Sydney airports, resulting in the seizure of approx. two kg of heroin. The powders are undergoing testing to confirm substance & determine the exact quantity/purity. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00151.htm

Distant Replay: Fresh Polling For Nepal's Constituent Assembly Needed In 98 Centres - UN - Nepal's Election Commission has announced that re-polling following last week's historic Constituent Assembly election will be required in 98 stations out of some 20,000 across the country, a spokesperson for the United Nations said. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00150.htm

Gordon Campbell: Breakthrough for the West Memphis Three - The West Memphis Three murder case is back in court today. Gordon Campbell begins a two part overview, via an exclusive interview with Arkansas journalist Mara Leveritt, the author of the definitive book on the case. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00202.htm

Suzan Mazur: The Enlightening Ramray Bhat: Origin Of Body Plans - "Our theory does not stand against natural selection in its entirety - it relegates it to a less important role," says Ramray Bhat, cell biologist Stuart Newman's co-author of the just published paper in Physical Biology: "Dynamical patterning ... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00213.htm

Good Deeds: Save the Children Assists Kiwi Film-makers - Save the Children New Zealand online voters have given young Kiwi film-makers the thumbs up for their thought-provoking films about sustainability. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0804/S00147.htm

Athleticism: NZ Free Diver Gives Seals Stiff Competition - New Zealander Kathryn McPhee yesterday (10 April 2008) became the fifth woman in the world to crack a depth of 50m, in the constant weight (no fins) category of the freediving Vertical Blue competition in the Bahamas. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0804/S00137.htm

Artiness: Artist Pays Homage To Ambience - A film with live accompaniment by musician/video artist Johannes Contag. Contag's previous Sleepytime musical releases were a homage to ambient music while this current work explores the notion of ambient film. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0804/S00135.htm

ENDS

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