Top Scoop Stories - 23 May 2008 News Summary

Friday, 23 May 2008, 2:01 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - 23 May 2008

LEAD STORY:

BUDGET 2008: Cullen Offers Staged Tax Cuts

WORLD:

Burma: Ban Ki-Moon Visits Cyclone-Devastated Areas
In The Balance: Solution To Food Crisis Must Address Inequalities
Condoleezza Rice: Cuba's Leaders Must Be Held Accountable
Job Front: Conditions Worsening In Occupied Arab Territories

LIFESTYLE:

Old Flicks: Film Society Promises Terrible Evening
Shortened Sport: Sevens Madness Hits London

BUDGET 2008: Cullen Offers Staged Tax Cuts

Jonathan Underhill: New Zealand Finance Minister Michael Cullen promised $10.6 billion of income tax cuts by 2011, with the first reductions coming in time for this year's general election, according to his ninth and potentially last budget. More >> [1]

Pattrick Smellie: First things first: Michael Cullen deliberately undersold his last Budget in the run-up to announcement. It is more generous in the tax relief that it offers than he'd led us to believe for taxpayers at every level. More >> [2]

Gordon Campbell: In better times, this cannily structured Budget would have been a circuit breaker for Labour - but given the current levels of public disenchantment with the Government. Finance Minister Michael Cullen's ninth budget will probably be greeted as a plea bargain at best. More >> [3]

ALSO:

• Kevin List - Budget 2008 Fashion: Not just off the rack... [4]
• Kevin List - Budget 2008: Scoop Images and Musings [5]
• Pattrick Smellie - National's Reaction To Budget 2008 [6]
• Jonathan Underhill - Broadband Fund Has $325 Million of New Money [7]
• Discuss The Budget: Inside ELECTION08 Section [8]
• NZ Govt - Cullen: Budget Speech [9]
• NZ Govt - Budget 2008 Minister's Statement [10]
• NZ Govt - Clark: Investing in a strong future for NZ [11]
• National - After nine years waiting - just $16 a week [12]
• Scoop Full Coverage - Budget 2008 Complete Resource [13]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0805/S00309.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0805/S00310.htm
[3] - http://election08.scoop.co.nz/cullens-cannily-constructed-budget/
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0805/S00311.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0805/S00314.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0805/S00312.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0805/S00315.htm
[8] - http://election08.scoop.co.nz/cullens-cannily-constructed-budget/#comments
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0805/S00404.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0805/S00405.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0805/S00406.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0805/S00415.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0805/S00306.htm

Burma: Ban Ki-Moon Visits Cyclone-Devastated Areas - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has seen first-hand today the devastation in Myanmar left by Cyclone Nargis, which has killed tens of thousands of people and uprooted the lives of 2.4 million others since it struck the country earlier this month. More >> [1]

YESTERDAY

• Ban Ki-Moon Will Meet Than Shwe Over Boosting Aid [2]
• Laura Bush On Burma: VOA Interview [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0805/S00330.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0805/S00299.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0805/S00303.htm

In The Balance: Solution To Food Crisis Must Address Inequalities - While it is crucial to respond with humanitarian support in the short term, a medium- and longer-term plan must centre on human rights, High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour told a special session on the food crisis at the Human Rights Council. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0805/S00320.htm

Condoleezza Rice: Cuba's Leaders Must Be Held Accountable - "The Cuban people are rich in talent, and they deserve, no less than any other people in the Americas, to choose their future freely, without internal repression or outside interference. A democratic transition in Cuba has been the goal of our administration." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0805/S00315.htm

Job Front: Conditions Worsening In Occupied Arab Territories - The situation for workers in the occupied Arab territories is deteriorating, with rates of working poverty rising, genuine employment declining and individual frustration growing, according to the latest annual report on the issue from the ILO. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0805/S00329.htm

Old Flicks: Film Society Promises Terrible Evening - One of Russia's most famous films portrays the sixteenth century Tsar's,struggles to unite Russia and his descent into dictatorship and insanity. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0805/S00240.htm

Shortened Sport: Sevens Madness Hits London - Twickenham is gearing up to welcome another great rugby event; when it plays host to the Emirates Airline London Sevens, the only English leg in the IRB Sevens World Series, this Saturday and Sunday (24th and 25th May). More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0805/S00237.htm

ENDS

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