Scoop Top 30 Daily Ratings 08 February 2010

1: Scholarship Results In The Post

New Zealand Qualifications Authority

NZ Scholarship examination results for nearly 9000 students have been posted today (8 February) and will be delivered from tomorrow. Scholarship students will also be able to log-in and check their results on the NZQA website tomorrow afternoon ...
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1002/S00021.htm

2: 2010 Sevens Street Party Pics (part 2)

Carl Suurmond

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http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1002/S00063.htm

3: 2010 Sevens Street Party Pics (Part 1)

Carl Suurmond

The capital celebrated in colourful style on Saturday night at the Sevens Street Party on Courtenay Place. Hordes of costumed Sevens fans partied into the night at the end of Wellington's biggest weekend.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1002/S00062.htm

4: Personal Income Tax Reform in New Zealand

Keith Rankin

We have heard a lot of talk recently about how New Zealand's tax system is broken and that it requires radical surgery, the latest being the January 20 Report of the Victoria University tax working group ( http://www.victoria.ac.nz/sacl/cagtr/pdf/tax-report-website.pdf ...
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1002/S00057.htm

5: Binoy Kampmark: Trouble at The Lancet

Binoy Kampmark

‘It has became clear that several elements of the 1998 paper by Wakefield et al are incorrect, contrary to the findings of an earlier investigation.’ So concluded one of the longest misconduct inquiries in medical history. The editors of Britain’s ...
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1002/S00056.htm

6: Whaling: Japanese Authorities Breach Human Rights

Greenpeace

The Japanese government breached a series of internationally guaranteed human rights by detaining two Greenpeace activists who had uncovered major corruption in the Japanese whaling programme, according to a working group of the United Nations Human Rights ...
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1002/S00196.htm

7: PM's Presser – No Taxation Without Presentation

Rory MacKinnon

Speculation was rife in Monday’s post-Cabinet press conference, but John Key was having none of it. The Prime Minister said little on the eve of his statement to Parliament, which is tipped to focus heavily on an overhaul of the tax system.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL1002/S00064.htm

8: NZ leads way in high temp superconductors

Science Media Centre

This week, the 18th International Superconductivity Industry Summit (ISIS-18) will take place in Wellington. The Summit brings together various companies - both local and international - involved in the commercialisation of high temperature superconductors.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC1002/S00032.htm

9: Michael Jackson’s 12’ Statue Carved In India

Rajan Zed

A 12-feet 3.5 ton black granite statue of entertainment icon Michael Jackson has been etched in India and the creators want to donate it for display at Neverland Valley Ranch (Santa Barbara county, California, USA), according to reports.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1002/S00177.htm

10: Women And Students Are The New Targets

Omamh Group

Palestinian forces loyal to president Mahmoud Abbas in West Bank have raised their assaults against Palestinian activists, whom most are loyal to Hamas Movement. Since last Thursday, 18 people were arrested and tens others were called for inquiry.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1002/S00187.htm

11: Spencer Prepares For Speaking Tour

Ian Hampton

Following the successful Peter Spencer Tower of Hope Property Rights rally in Canberra on the 2nd February, Peter Spencer, Alastair McRobert and Agmates Steve Truman are making plans for Peter and Alastair to embark on a speaking tour all over Australia.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1002/S00194.htm

12: Hudson Recruitment: 2010 Salary Guide - ICT

Hudson

Despite standard salary bands being in place, salaries on offer have been lower due to budget constraints. Many candidates have been open to accepting lower base salaries due to the scarcity of roles.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1002/S00204.htm

13: MARKET CLOSE: NZX 50 hits 5-mth low; PGC, PRC fall

Businesswire

Feb. 8 (BusinessWire) – New Zealand shares fell, pushing the NZX 50 Index to a five-month low as Pyne Gould Corp. said it would take a charge against a loan on Marac’s books and Pike River Coal fell amid expectations it will tap investors ...
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1002/S00207.htm

14: College Has Brighter Future Thanks Kiwi Engineers

Engineers Without Borders NZ

Hundreds of students and staff at Tonga College now have the opportunity to access the latest computers, books and technical equipment thanks to the efforts of a group of young Kiwi engineers.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1002/S00024.htm

15: Name Suppression Under Fire

Stop Demand

A decision to grant permanent name suppression to a prominent Manawatu man who downloaded more than 300,000 pornographic images, many of young girls, has come under fire by child advocacy group Stop Demand Foundation.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1002/S00051.htm

16: Disgraceful Arsonists Putting Kiwi at Risk

New Zealand Government

Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson is calling on the public to help put an end to the series of apparently deliberately-lit fires on the West Coast that is putting the resurgence of New Zealand’s rarest kiwi at risk.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1002/S00085.htm

17: Kiwibank lowers floating rate

Businesswire

Feb. 8 - Kiwibank is the first bank to change its floating mortgage rate this year, cutting it by 14 basis points to 5.65% which is the second lowest floating rate behind BNZ's TotalMoney product offering the lowest rate of 5.59%.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1002/S00201.htm

18: Log on and sign up to keep 7’s in the capital

New Zealand Labour Party

Labour’s Wellington Central MP Grant Robertson is asking sevens fans to sign his on-line petition to ensure the IRB’s New Zealand leg remains at its natural home, in the capital.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1002/S00089.htm

19: Providing A Launch Pad For Kiwi Businesses

Telecommunications Industry Group

Innovative New Zealanders keen to set up their own business will have a chance to turn their dreams into reality in a competition being run as part of the Planet 2010 Communications and Technology Conference in Auckland next month.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1002/S00206.htm

20: Bethells Spraying Risks Environment and Community

SOIL and HEALTH Assn of NZ

The intended helicopter spraying of crack willow with herbicide over 23 ha of wetland at Te Henga, near Bethells Beach, is another example of New Zealand’s use of crude chemical solutions without deep understanding of environmental risks, according to ...
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1002/S00098.htm

21: Youth Parliament Selections Begin

New Zealand Government

This is an opportunity for young people to be heard in the very chamber where this country’s politicians regularly debate legislation and the issues of the day.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1002/S00082.htm

22: The Speech That Goff Should Deliver

ACT New Zealand

Tomorrow Labour Leader Phil Goff is planning to deliver a speech on behalf of Prime Minister John Key. I thought it best to start the apology by detailing all that he should be sorry for in the nine years he served in the 5th Labour Government.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1002/S00088.htm

23: Tonga College with brighter future thanks to Kiwis

Engineers Without Borders NZ

Hundreds of students and staff at Tonga College now have the opportunity to access the latest computers, books and technical equipment thanks to the efforts of a group of young Kiwi engineers.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1002/S00061.htm

24: Criminal justice forecasts released

New Zealand Government

Justice Minister Simon Power today released the latest annual criminal justice forecast for 2009-2017.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA1002/S00086.htm

25: Online Challenge For New Zealand School Students

Telecommunications Industry Group

New Zealand school students are being challenged to make the most of their technological skills in a competition being held as part of the Planet 2010 Communications and Technology Conference in Auckland next month.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED1002/S00025.htm

26: Corpseman-in-Chief

SOLO - Sense of Life Objectivists

With each new long, drawn out, and substantively empty speech, President Obama's silver tongue has revealed a brain of mush. Most recently, Obama referred to a Navy corpsman as "corpseman", since apparently the teleprompter has not yet incorporated ...
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO1002/S00059.htm

27: Millbrook Resort A Big Hit With Amway

Millbrook Resort

The four VIP groups of distributors, who stayed at Millbrook in two ‘waves’ over a two-week period, were each at Millbrook for five days, enjoying welcome functions complete with a New Zealand Haka, golf on Millbrook’s renowned championship course
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1002/S00196.htm

28: Auckland’s Inaugural Fashion Festival Set to Impre

New Zealand Fashion Week Ltd

The inaugural Auckland Fashion Festival is open for business with tickets to the opening show officially on sale today.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1002/S00180.htm

29: Possum Control Operations On Banks Peninsula

Environment Canterbury

Possum control operations resume on Banks Peninsula in mid February; the latest phase in Environment Canterbury’s organised ground control programme focusing on 11,000 hectares in the Akaroa Harbour basin.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK1002/S00106.htm

30: Girls can have fun at Warbirds Over Wanaka

Good Group

-------- Original Message -------- Subject: Media Release: Girls can have fun at Warbirds Over Wanaka Date: Mon, 8 Feb 2010 12:02:32 +1300 From: Enquiries@southernpr.co.nz To: undisclosed-recipients:;
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1002/S00172.htm

Scoop Business: Court Overturns Crafar Farms Sale Decision

The decision allowing sale of the Crafar dairy farms to Chinese investor Shanghai Pengxin has been set aside, with the High Court directing Ministers to reconsider the application.

Judge Forrest Miller found that the Overseas Investment Office's recommendation to allow the purchase to occur "materially overstated" the economic benefit of the transaction to the New Zealand economy. More>>