Top Scoop Stories - 05 November 2007 News Summary

Monday, 5 November 2007, 2:00 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - November 05, 2007

LEAD STORY:

Labour Party Conference: 'Tax Cutathon' On Way For 2008?

NZ POLITICS:

Foreign Advice: Man Who Described TVNZ As 'Braindead' Has Brainstorm Over Condoleezza
Road Safety: Police Disappointed In Drivers Behaviour
Conservation: By Herne's Horns Don't Trust Hunters With Pest Control!
Politics: EPMU Secretary To Announce Candidacy Details
Politics: Should Govt Flunkees Have A 'Holiday In Cambodia'?
Foreign Affairs: NZ-Led Nuclear Weapons Resolution Succeeds At UN

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Good Time Roll: Biggest New Car Sales Month For 18 Years
Finance: Solid Second Half Lays Platform For Westpac
Airlines: Air New Zealand Scoops World Travel Award
Tourism Awards: Hukafalls Jet Scoops Top Honours
Internet: Congratulations To New ICANN Chair, NZ's Peter Dengate Thrush
Sports Presenters: One News Sports Team Announced

WORLD:

Science: King Tut's Mummy On Public Display For First Time
World News: UN Envoy Begins Discussions With Burma Officials
Foreign Affairs: Ban Ki-moon Highlights Crucial Role Of Iraq's Neighbours And Regional Partners
Undeniable: UNESCO Unanimously Endorses Resolution on Holocaust Remembrance
French Connection: The US & France - Renewal Of An Enduring Alliance
Behind The Wall: The Burma Junta's Hidden Victims

COMMENT:

Paul Buchanan: A Comment On Terrorist Conspiracy
Martin LeFevre: The Peace That Passes All Understanding
J. Sri Raman: Delhi Tries Bush Tack On Nuke Deal
Dr. Ravindra Kumar: World Religion - The Need Of The Hour
Ramzy Baroud: A Case For Arab Dignity
David Swanson: Impeachment In NYC

LIFESTYLE:

Sport: Protein Cookies Power NZ Gridiron Players
Graffiti: Urban Eyesores Being Painted Over
Fireworks: Wellington Sky About To Explode With Colour

Labour Party Conference: 'Tax Cutathon' On Way For 2008? - Over the weekend NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark told the Labour Party conference that tax cuts were on the table for 2008. "Every year officials have sought to explain them away by one off factors. Now they concede that the surpluses are structural...So that gives Labour more choices - not to break the bank and sacrifice our country's stability, but to deliver Budgets which continue to strengthen the economy and services, and deliver hard working New Zealanders a direct dividend through a personal tax cut. More >> [1]

ALSO Left Vs Left:

• Scoop Report - "Shame" Calls Target Left-Leaning Labourites [2]
• Len Richards - Len Richards Responds To Alleged Assault Claims [3]
• Jill Ovens - Delegation had no intention to confront protesters [4]
• (TV3): Protesters clash with police outside Labour Party conference [5]
• (TV3): Labour Party delegate assaults protester with megaphone [6]
• (TV3): Clark announces tax cuts at Labour Party conference [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0711/S00051.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00069.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0711/S00066.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0711/S00062.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/2915.html
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/2914.html
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/2923.html

Foreign Advice: Man Who Described TVNZ As 'Braindead' Has Brainstorm Over Condoleezza - "Mr. President, Ms. Rice is a Chamberlain in your Administration. She is wilfully underestimating the words of evil, ambitious Islamo-Fascists like Ahmadinejad," writes Libertarian Lindsay Perigo in an impassioned plea for the United States to start a war with Iran. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0711/S00055.htm

Road Safety: Police Disappointed In Drivers Behaviour -
Police had another busy weekend in Auckland City with Guy Faulkes and the Labour Party meeting however they did manage to carry out a Drink Drive Operation which targeted the Motorway on ramps. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0711/S00065.htm

Conservation: By Herne's Horns Don't Trust Hunters With Pest Control! - Handing control of introduced pests over to hunters will set back conservation 100 years, Forest & Bird says. Public submissions to a ministerial advisory panel considering the options for management of deer, thar, chamois and wild pigs close tomorrow. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0711/S00064.htm

Politics: EPMU Secretary To Announce Candidacy Details - EPMU National Secretary Andrew Little will announce whether or not he will stand for the Labour Party in a list or electorate seat by February 2008. Speaking on TVOne's Agenda, Mr Little said he had made no definite decisions yet. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0711/S00060.htm

Politics: Should Govt Flunkees Have A 'Holiday In Cambodia'? - ACT Party MP Heather Roy writes that Labour uses state-funds to employ party hacks. Ms Roy considers that as Socialists, our government should know that even Chairman Mao thought that aspiring party activists should first learn the ways of the peasants. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0711/S00034.htm

Foreign Affairs: NZ-Led Nuclear Weapons Resolution Succeeds At UN - "A New Zealand-led resolution which aims to reduce the high alert status of thousands of nuclear weapons has won strong support at the United Nations General Assembly," Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Goff announced today. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0711/S00033.htm

Good Time Roll: Biggest New Car Sales Month For 18 Years - The new vehicle market demonstrated continuing strength with 7904 new cars registered in October. It was an 11.7% increase on September, a 1.5% increase on October 2006, and represented the largest number of new cars sold in any month since June 1989. "New vehicle sales continue to forge ahead," said Motor Industry Association CEO Perry Kerr, "and 2007 is on target to produce over 100,000 new vehicle registrations for only the second time since the late 1980s." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00067.htm

Finance: Solid Second Half Lays Platform For Westpac - Westpac New Zealand today announced a net profit after tax of $465 million for the year ended 30 September, up 2 per cent. Core earnings (pre tax and impairment charges), however, was up a solid 9%. Second half net profit after tax was strong, up 10% on the prior period. The stronger second half demonstrated that plans implemented over the past six months were gaining traction. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00059.htm

Airlines: Air New Zealand Scoops World Travel Award - Air New Zealand has been named Australasia's Leading Business Class Airline at the 14th Annual World Travel Awards. Hailed by the Wall Street Journal as the "travel industry's equivalent to the Oscars", the World Travel Awards are considered the most prestigious event on the travel calendar with more than 167,000 travel professionals voting worldwide. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00054.htm

Tourism Awards: Hukafalls Jet Scoops Top Honours - Hukafalls Jet was last night awarded the Wintech Hospitality, Entertainment and Tourism Award at the Westpac Waikato Business Excellence Awards black tie dinner held at Mystery Creek in Hamilton. Hukafalls Jet beat off tough competition to take out top honours in both categories, with this year seeing a higher number of entrant companies than ever before. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00052.htm

Internet: Congratulations To New ICANN Chair, NZ's Peter Dengate Thrush - InternetNZ congratulates longstanding InternetNZ member Peter Dengate Thrush on his election as Chair of the board of ICANN, the US-based organisation that globally coordinates the Internet's unique identifiers. Dengate Thrush is a Wellington-based Internet barrister who has been involved with ICANN since its inception in 1998. He participated in the international working groups that lead to its formation. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00051.htm

Sports Presenters: One News Sports Team Announced - TVNZ has announced that Tony Veitch and Andrew Saville will present the sports news for ONE News at 6pm. Jenny-May Coffin will be the back-up presenter. Tony becomes the major sports anchor for ONE News, replacing Neil Waka. Tony will present sports news five nights per week, from Sunday to Thursday. ONE News rugby reporter Andrew Saville will present Friday and Saturday night sports news. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00045.htm

Science: King Tut's Mummy On Public Display For First Time - The face of the ancient Egyptian King Tutankhamun has been shown to the public for the first time since his tomb was discovered 85 years ago. King Tut's mummy has been moved into a special display case where it will be better protected from dust and the elements. King Tut's well-preserved face looks like dark leather, and he has a hint of a smile. King Tut has what Egyptian antiquities chief Zahi Hawass calls beautiful buck teeth. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00139.htm

World News: UN Envoy Begins Discussions With Burma Officials - United Nations Special Advisor Ibrahim Gambari has returned to Myanmar where he has begun talks with senior officials on speeding up the process of democratization and national reconciliation in the troubled South-East Asian nation. Mr. Gambari met today with Foreign Minister U Nyan Win to discuss the Govt of Myanmar's response, so far, to the expectations of the international community following the recent crisis. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00138.htm

Foreign Affairs: Ban Ki-moon Highlights Crucial Role Of Iraq's Neighbours And Regional Partners - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed the vital role played by Iraq's neighbours and regional partners in securing peace and stability in the strife-torn nation which continues to face daunting challenges. "Iraq today is faced with an exceptionally complex series of overlapping sectarian, political and ethnic challenges". More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00119.htm

Undeniable: UNESCO Unanimously Endorses Resolution on Holocaust Remembrance - Recently in Paris, the 193 member states of the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) adopted by consensus a resolution promoting remembrance of the Holocaust. The resolution, submitted by the United States, Russia, Australia, Canada, and Israel, and co-sponsored by 65 other UNESCO member states, clearly demonstrates the refusal of UNESCO's member states to countenance any form of Holocaust denial. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00115.htm

French Connection: The US & France - Renewal Of An Enduring Alliance - In April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked one million American soldiers to cross the Atlantic to turn the tide of the great war in favor of the Allies. Two decades later Franklin Roosevelt launched the D-Day invasion to help win back French dignity and independence. Our countries fought on the same side in two world wars and then during the long struggle to defeat Communism.More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00080.htm

Behind The Wall: The Burma Junta's Hidden Victims - The startling images of fearless saffron-robed monks in the streets of Rangoon and the violent crackdown that followed exposed Burma to world scrutiny. What we don't see behind these images is the desperation of the Burmese people whose freedom and livelihoods have been drastically curtailed under the repressive regime. Many of these people face literal enslavement at home and extreme exploitation in neighboring countries. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00090.htm

Paul Buchanan: A Comment On Terrorist Conspiracy - The subject of terrorism in New Zealand has taken on the character of political theater. To clarify the debate given continued evidence suppression and putting legal wrangles aside, the question as to whether at least twelve of the Urewera 17 were involved in a terrorist conspiracy reduces to four fundamental principles: capabilities, preparation, planning and targets in the construction of a terrorist plot. Beyond that, it is a matter of ideology and law. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00075.htm

Martin LeFevre: The Peace That Passes All Understanding - It's near dusk, and the parkland seems to be full of Cooper's hawks. At one point on the path, a large, brown, stipple-winged hawk takes off from the path ahead of me with some small animal in its mouth. Another hawk, perched on a branch overhanging the park road, drops from the limb and screeches incessantly. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00067.htm

J. Sri Raman: Delhi Tries Bush Tack On Nuke Deal - Will India witness in coming days the build-up of a bipartisan consensus on the deal, as the US did some months ago? That is much more than a billion-dollar question, considering what the deal to reopen US-India nuclear commerce is likely to cost the common Indian and profit corporate giants in both countries. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00053.htm

Dr. Ravindra Kumar: World Religion - The Need Of The Hour - It was in the morning of the 25th of November, 1997 when Paitoon came to my apartment and said: "I shall be grateful in case you are pleased to impart knowledge of definition of religion to graduate class in the afternoon today." I accepted his request and defined religion in the following manner: "Hindu Religious Philosophy incorporates the dictum that religion is what is worth adopting. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00061.htm

Ramzy Baroud: A Case For Arab Dignity - The ongoing socio-economic and political ills that mar potential progress in Middle Eastern countries can largely be attributed to the ill-defined foreign policy of the United States. Utterly desperate situations have arisen whereby US clients rule with an iron fist, making prospects for a meaningful democracy sit at an all-time low. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00059.htm

David Swanson: Impeachment In NYC - This fall, Culture Project will launch an ambitious and unique new series gathering today's most brilliant and visionary minds to explore and debate the case for the impeachment of President George Bush and Vice President Richard Cheney. "A Question of Impeachment" will engage audiences in executive powers, war, surveillance, torture and extraordinary rendition, and government response to disaster. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00066.htm

Sport: Protein Cookies Power NZ Gridiron Players - The Protein Bakery have signed up the Hutt Valley Spartans for the 2007/2008 season of American Football (gridiron). The team will now be known as the Protein Cookie Spartans. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0711/S00038.htm

Graffiti: Urban Eyesores Being Painted Over - The first paint's been applied to urban eyesores by Keep New Zealand Beautiful's graffiti challenge. KNZB has begun the huge task of painting eye-catching art over the buildings that have fallen victim to spray can vandals. On the outskirts of Paraparaumu on the Kapiti Coast, an OnTrack gear shed has been transformed. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0711/S00035.htm

Fireworks: Wellington Sky About To Explode With Colour - One of Wellington's most colourful events, the Pelorus Trust Sky Show, returns to Wellington on Monday 5 November. "The Sky Show is an iconic event - it attracts around 100,000 spectators from around the region." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0711/S00029.htm

ENDS

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