Top Scoop Stories – 12 December 2008 News Summary
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LEAD STORY------------
The Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation today announced that they were excluding from the New Zealand Superannuation
Fund companies associated with the manufacture of cluster munitions and the manufacture or testing of nuclear explosive
devices. More »[1]
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NZ POLITICS------------
UnitedFuture Leader Peter Dunne has announced that he will oppose the Government's repeal of the law obliging oil
companies to sell biofuel. When the Biofuel Bill was debated earlier this year UnitedFuture voiced legitimate concerns
over the potential importation of unsustainable biofuels More »[1]
ALSO:
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]
ALSO:
“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]
ALSO:
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]
ALSO:
Mr Goff said the Taxation (Urgent Measures and Annual Rates) Bill is inherently unfair. “National said it would look
after hard-working Kiwi battlers. That’s a lie. National is actually increasing the amount of tax many of these Kiwis
pay. 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------------
A little spotted kiwi from Kapiti Island participating in the BNZ Save the Kiwi programme that has been convalescing at
Pukaha Mount Bruce after succumbing to the toxic effects of karaka berries. More »[1]
ALSO:
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------------
Duncan Graham writes: If our household was a DHB this would have been recorded as a sentinel event, for all my life opening the paper has
been the key to starting the day, as critical as pouring milk on muesli or spooning beans on toast. More »[1]
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]
ALSO:
(Wash. DC) The prospect of the criminal in chief, George W. Bush, issuing pardons to his co-conspirators is repugnant to
all citizens who've paid any degree of attention over the last eight years. 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]
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LIFESTYLE------------
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------------
Talks between the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and a main rebel group are continuing to make
headway, according to the top United Nations envoy tasked with helping to resolve the conflict that has engulfed the
east of the ... More »[1]
ALSO:
A United Nations-backed meeting concluded today with participants calling for greater cooperation to combat the rampant
piracy off the coast of Somalia, emphasizing that a durable solution to the problem requires peace and stability in the
war-ravaged ... 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]
ENDS