Today's Top Scoop Stories - News Summary

The Labour Party has concluded its annual party conference tabling on the last day details of massive debt and the need for the party-loyal to dig deep into their pockets. Labour needs $600,000 to balance its books. Add to this the $800,000. campaign spending bill, courtesy of the AG, and Labour needs to overcome a massive $1.4 million hurdle. It would be fare to say, a snap election is not on the horizon! See... PM's Address to NZ Labour Party Annual Conference [1] ALSO:Michael Cullen - Closing speech to the NZ Labour Party Conference [2] Scoop Report - On 6 July 2006 Labour Boss Spoke To Scoop About Debt, Factions and 90ths [3]

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The police executed a search warrant on Friday as part of its investigation into the activities of Mangere MP Taito Phillip Field. The search involved material held in both his parliamentary and electorate offices. The search was executed in accordance with the terms of a search warrant under a protocol between the Speaker and the Commissioner of Police. The Speaker, Hon Margaret Wilson, said this situation had not arisen before and the protocol with the Commissioner was an interim one. See... Police search offices of Taito Phillip Field MP [1] ALSO:Agenda - Field Needs To Consider Future - PM on Agenda [3] Agenda - AGENDA - Full Transcript [4]

- A recent Victoria University survey has found that union membership in New Zealand in 2005 increased by 23,290 (6.6%) over the previous year. This is the biggest jump in membership in a single year, since reporting began in 1991. The survey of trade union membership by the Industrial Relations Centre at Victoria University found 377,348 union members at December 31, 2005. See... Record growth in union membership [1] ALSO:CTU - Campaigning Behind Record Union Membership Jump [2] EPMU - Expect unions to keep on growing [3]

The managers of the NZ Music Awards were no doubt still recovering from criticism of the 2005 event, where Labour Party sycophant Oliver Driver, the MC, went out of his way to sing the praises of H Clark, while making puerile comments about Dr Brash, who had done the industry the courtesy of attending. See... www.mccully.co.nz - 27 October 2006 [1]

- Yasmine Ryan's latest edition of Les Yeux on France examines how two different approaches by French politicians in the past few weeks have stirred debate in France on how Turkey might be made to recognise the Armenian Genocide that took place during WWI. See... Debating Non-Recognition of the Armenian Genocide [1]

New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark provides a wrap-up of the most significant achievements at the Pacific Islands Forum in Nadi, Fiji. She says the Forum was successful despite a tense beginning highlighted with the clash between Australia, Solomons, Papua New Guinea. To hear what was achieved on a regionalised Pacific, NZ's labour scheme for Pacific peoples, and security moves. See…

UN Audio:

[1] More People Experiencing Hunger Every Year: Ziegler - Annan Concerned About Increasing Violence in Run up DRC Vote - UN Official Urges New Efforts to Protect Women - UNHCR to Resume Transfer of Somali Refugees to Camps in Kenya - SPECIAL FEATURES: Protecting Human Rights While Combating Terrorism - Secretary-General Designate Ban Ki-moon Talks About His Style Of Politics