Top Scoop Stories – 11 December 2008 News Summary
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LEAD STORY------------
Before he was elected Prime Minister the nation had already recognised his considerable charm, but now John Key and his
varied crew of sidekicks have revealed another much-needed talent: the gift of laughter. More »[1]
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NZ POLITICS------------
“Rigid employment law has the most damaging effect on people at the margins of the labour market. Long-term unemployed
people, young people, people returning after absences for childrearing or sickness, …and people with convictions all suffer disproportionately when employment law is inflexible. More »[1]
After 22 weeks of training, 24 newly commissioned officers of the Royal New Zealand Air Force celebrated a milestone in
their careers by graduating from the Air Force’s Initial Officer Training Course. More »[1]
Even as urgency commences, neither the public, nor opposition MPs, nor for that matter many Government MPs have any idea
what other bills might appear. Good news! The following draft has appeared on Scoop's desk... More »[1]
“There is definitely not a monolithic view on the fact of human induced climate change and I welcome this government’s
willingness to hear from scientists and others who are sceptics. I have to say I am one and it is appalling that the
previous government accepted human induced climate change as a new religion with former US vice- president Al Gore as
its prophet." More »[1]
ALSO:
So much for due consideration to an important change to workplace rights. The new government will be ramming through its
90 day probationary period for new workers under urgency. This ‘fire at will’ Christmas gift to those employers who run
small and medium scale business will pose a few passing twinges of conscience for the Maori Party though. More »[1]
ALSO:
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00150.htm [10]
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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH------------
The changes to KiwiSaver announced yesterday will do little to address the growing gap in trans-Tasman retirement
savings New Zealanders now face, according to a Victoria University researcher. More »[1]
The results of an international study showing a marked drop in student achievement levels in science comes as no
surprise, according to the education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa. More »[1]
TVNZ's presence on the Internet takes a leap forward today with the relaunch and complete redesign of tvnz.co.nz. The
redesigned website shifts the emphasis towards increased breadth and depth of information-based material, on top of
round-the-clock breaking news. More »[1]
New Zealanders could get their cars for up to 50% less if they did their homework first, says the car buyers’ Dog & Lemon Guide. More »[1]
ALSO:
MAF Biosecurity New Zealand (MAFBNZ) have received advice from Biosecurity Australia that they have revised their
emergency measures which will allow the importation of tomato and capsicum fruit from New Zealand. More »[1]
Dec. 5 – The average New Zealand house price fell 6.8% in November from a year earlier, the second monthly slide of
that magnitude, as the weakened economy sapped people’s appetite to take on mortgage debt. More »[1]
Dec. 5 – David Kirk resigned as chief executive of Faifax Media and will leave today, the company said in a statement.
It gave no explanation for the sudden move. Brian McCarthy, who had been Kirk’s deputy, steps up as acting CEO pending a
board meeting on Dec. 10. More »[1]
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COMMENT------------
Just a comic tramp Charles Chaplin warmed the hearts of the world during the Great Depression, so in our hard economic
times New Zealand is enjoying the farcical comedy of its own favourite clown. More »[1]
Binoy Kampmark writes: He threw spinning grenades on the cricket pitch, watching them spit at opponents off a good length. He was also the
terror of the ladies, ever eager to shoot off that lewd text message with fidgety enthusiasm. Then there was disgrace:
pitch reports ... More »[1]
Listening to the tax debate in Parliament today (10 December 2008), most of the controversy has been about the lower
threshold ($24,000) for the proposed Independent Earner Tax Credit (IETC). The IETC will be $520 per year ($10 per week)
from April 2009 ... More »[1]
Robert Ménard, Doha Centre for Media Freedom director-general, considers whether Samuel Huntington, the father of the
“clash of civilisations” theory, had it wrong. The notion could challenge the widening chasm between the West and Arab
countries. More »[1]
Robert Kagan is a difficult subject to analyze. At times his writing seems to be very honest and directly critical of
U.S. intentions as well as being clearly honest about the sometimes “dangerous nation” aspect of its history and foreign
policy. ... More »[1]
(Wash. DC) The CEO's of General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler were in the Capitol Thursday asking for $34 billion dollars
to stay in business for the next few months. The three companies are now at the top of the corporate ''dead pool,'' with
a bankruptcy for ... More »[1]
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LIFESTYLE------------
Tommo’s Mo was chosen from over 171,252 Movember participants. He is the first New Zealander to win this award in the
five years that the competition has been running. More »[1]
The 13th Monopoly World Championships is fast approaching and Hasbro, maker of the world's most iconic board game, is
inviting all Monopoly enthusiasts in New Zealand to roll and deal their way to Las Vegas in the search for a New Zealand
representative! More »[1]
December is the busiest gift-buying month of the year, and kid’s toys are usually #1 in the shopping list. To be a
responsible Santa, how do you know that the toys you plan to buy are safe? More »[1]
People who work with youth are celebrating new statistics that show a general improvement in young people's health since
2001. More »[1]
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WORLD------------
Click here for new report: Eleanor's Dream United Nations, December 10, 2008 — The Executive Director of UN Watch said
today that, for proponents of human rights worldwide, the commemoration of the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal
Declaration ... More »[1]
ALSO:
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0812/S00220.htm [10]
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0812/S00207.htm [11]
The United Nations envoy tasked with helping to resolve the conflict that has engulfed the east of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo (DRC) has expressed satisfaction at progress made in talks between the country’s Government and a
leading rebel ... More »[1]
ALSO:
Botswana: Diamond Mine On Bushman Land Gets Government Approval – On Condition Bushmen Receive No Water. The Botswana
government has given its approval to a controversial diamond mine on the land of the Kalahari Bushmen... More »[1]
ALSO:
The report, released by the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network, of which IUCN is a member, shows if current trends in
carbon dioxide emissions continue, many of the remaining reefs may be lost over the next 20 to 40 years. More »[1]
The Nepalese army has recommended a resumption of its minefield clearance operation, which it conducts with the
assistance of the United Nations Mine Action Team, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters today. More »[1]
A young Pacific Islander has issued a challenge to world leaders at the UN climate change talks, telling them to stop
paying lip service and show the political will to fast track negotiations. More »[1]
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voiced his growing frustration today that the United Nations’ long-standing efforts to
promote national reconciliation and democratization in Myanmar have yet to achieve the desired results and he urged the
Government to ... More »[1]
The United Nations will convene a two-day international conference in Nairobi, Kenya, to discuss the rampant piracy off
the coast of Somalia, it was announced today. More »[1]
ENDS