Top Scoop Stories - 27 December 2007 News Summary

Thursday, 27 December 2007, 2:00 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - December 27, 2007

LEAD STORY:

Holiday Messages: The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 2007

NZ POLITICS:

Katherine Rich: An Explosion In Highest Paid Education Ministry Staff
Conservation: Tips For A Sustainable New Years Resolution
The Gospel According to Lindsay Perigo: Hysteria And Humbuggery
Going Abroad: Tips For Stress Free Travel
NZ Government: Drive To Survive This Holiday Season

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Biz Event: Small Business Expo Event Going International
Trustpower: Wind Farm Delivers Four Months Early
Commerce: Kiwis Spend $1 Billion In Transactions Pre-Christmas
Fruit Market: Takeovers Panel Settles Kerifresh Matter
Agriculture: New Zealand Farmers Must Keep The Pedal To The Metal

WORLD:

United Nations: Secretary-general Welcomes Agreement Paving Way For Nepalese Elections
Peace On Earth: Pope Benedict XVI'S 2007 Christmas Message
Child Brides: Photo of the Year' Raises Awareness About Early Marriage

COMMENT:

Uri Avnery: Help! A Cease Fire!
Indian Subcontinent: Where Democracy Does Not Suit New Delhi
Thailand Elections: Thai Voters Defy Coup Leaders
Opinion: Why Should Australians Fear From Muslims?

LIFESTYLE:

NZ Gardener: Get Growing In 2008, New Zealand!
Flying High: Winner Claims His Fourth World Champion Gliding Title
New Years Eve: Alf's Imperial Army To Defend Oamaru From Martians
SPCA Reminder: Dogs In Hot Cars Are A Killer

Holiday Messages: The Queen's Christmas Broadcast 2007 - The Queen has made a broadcast to the Commonwealth on 25 December every year since 1952 (except 1969), at first on radio and later on television. In this year's 'Queen's Speech', Her Majesty speaks of the importance of friends and family and remembers members of the Armed Forces serving overseas at Christmas. More >> [1]

MORE HOLIDAY MESSAGES:

• Vatican - Pope Benedict XVI's 2007 Christmas Message [2]
• YouTube - The Queen's Christmas Broadcast, 2007 [3]
• Martin LeFevre - Buddha, Jesus, and Mohammed at Christmas [4]
• Santa - Santa checks UNFCC list & finds NZ's been naughty [5]
• NZ Govt - Pay Or Stay This Christmas [6]
• BuzzFlash.Com - Christmas 2007: Amazing Grace [7]
• Salvation Army - A Merrier Christmas Thanks To Kiwi Generosity [8]
• SOLO - Hysteria And Humbuggery [9]
• Civil Defence - Ministry Emergency Cover For Christmas, New Year [10]
• NZ Govt - Drive To Survive This Holiday Season [11]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S01189.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S01198.htm
[3] - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0nmkYGCljE
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00302.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0712/S00320.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00523.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00311.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0712/S00290.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0712/S00322.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00521.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00522.htm

Katherine Rich: An Explosion In Highest Paid Education Ministry Staff - The number of staff earning the highest salaries in the Ministry of Education has increased almost four-fold in the past five years, says National's Education spokeswoman, Katherine Rich. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00529.htm

Conservation: Tips For A Sustainable New Years Resolution - "Whether you are staying at home and sharing your holiday with friends and family, or seeing the sights of New Zealand, there are plenty of ways to be sustainable and keep our country clean these holidays. It's worth also thinking about making a New Year's resolution to take some sustainable steps in the future," Trevor Mallard said. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00527.htm

The Gospel According to Lindsay Perigo: Hysteria And Humbuggery - God, having been on his own forever, suddenly gets bored and decides to have a bit of a play. He makes stuff. His prize exhibit, man, gets uppity, however, and branches out on his own. God first banishes, then drowns him. Or most of him. Then he becomes one of him in order to atone for him. Those who accept the gesture, God will take unto his bosom forever; everyone else will be tortured in perpetuity. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0712/S00322.htm

Going Abroad: Tips For Stress Free Travel - Travellers need to remember that they need a passport to travel to all countries, including Australia, and even though the New Zealand passport provides visa free access to over 50 countries you still need a visa to travel to some parts of the world. While overseas your passport is the most valuable document you have. Always keep it secure. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00526.htm

NZ Government: Drive To Survive This Holiday Season - "Drive to the conditions and take extra care on the roads this summer," Minister for Transport Safety, Harry Duynhoven said today. "Many New Zealanders will take to the roads in the coming days as we travel home to families and arriving at our destination safely is paramount." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0712/S00522.htm

Biz Event: Small Business Expo Event Going International - The Small Business Expo, the country's largest event for business, went national for the first time last year and attracted larger than expected crowds with more than 13,000 business people attending at Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Now small business sector specialists are franchising the event through New Zealand's leading franchise company Franchize Consultants. 95% of all NZ businesses employ 19 people or less, which classifies them as small to medium-sized enterprises. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0712/S00430.htm

Trustpower: Wind Farm Delivers Four Months Early - TrustPower's wind farm project at Snowtown in South Australia has had a welcome Christmas present, with the first turbine delivering power before Christmas Day. This is an extraordinary achievement, given that internationally, large infrastructure projects such as wind farms usually struggle to meet construction targets. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0712/S00426.htm

Commerce: Kiwis Spend $1 Billion In Transactions Pre-Christmas - Figures released by Paymark today illustrate that Kiwis throughout the country have spent in excess of $1 billion over the last week in the lead up to Xmas through the Paymark network alone, which processes three quarters of all electronic transactions. Nearly 90% of Kiwis have a debit card and that puts us ahead of any other country in the world in terms of EFTPOS use. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0712/S00422.htm

Fruit Market: Takeovers Panel Settles Kerifresh Matter - The Takeovers Panel announced today that it had accepted enforceable undertakings from Alan and Helen Thompson and from Hamish and Jonathan McHardy, and their associated interests, to provide a commercial solution after the Panel's recent enforcement actions involving shareholders and Kerifresh Limited. The Panel notes that, in giving these undertakings, Hamish and Jonathan McHardy, and Alan and Helen Thompson, stated that they do not accept the correctness of the Panel's findings against them. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0712/S00423.htm

Agriculture: New Zealand Farmers Must Keep The Pedal To The Metal - Friday the 14th might not sound like an ominous day but for the meat industry it was a pivotal point. Farmer shareholders in Alliance Group sent a strong message for change by voting in two new directors and supporting a remit for better communication with suppliers and increased strategic planning. "Most farmers would agree that the fragmented and overly competitive nature of the meat industry has led us to the predicament we now face." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0712/S00421.htm

United Nations: Secretary-general Welcomes Agreement Paving Way For Nepalese Elections - Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the agreement reached by the Seven-Party Alliance that makes up the Government of Nepal on key issues of the country's peace process, paving the way for the holding by April 2008 of a Constituent Assembly election. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S01200.htm

Peace On Earth: Pope Benedict XVI'S 2007 Christmas Message - This is Christmas - the historical event and the mystery of love, which for more than two thousand years has spoken to men and women of every era and every place. It is the holy day on which the ''great light'' of Christ shines forth, bearing peace! More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S01198.htm

Child Brides: Photo of the Year' Raises Awareness About Early Marriage - The image "raises awareness about a worldwide problem," UNICEF patroness Eva Luise Köhler said at the award ceremony in Berlin. "Millions of girls are married while they are still under-age." The winning image is one of a series of photos about child marriages taken by Ms. Sinclair between 2005 and 2007 in Afghanistan, Nepal and Ethiopia. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0712/S01178.htm

Uri Avnery: Help! A Cease Fire! - FORGET THE Qassams. Forget the mortar shells. They are nothing compared with what Hamas launched at us this week: The chief of the Hamas government in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, has approached an Israeli newspaper and proposed a cease-fire. No more Qassams, no more mortars, no sinuicide bombings, no Israeli military incursions into the Strip... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00291.htm

Indian Subcontinent: Where Democracy Does Not Suit New Delhi - Guess the place from where President Pervez Musharraf, or General (Retired) Musharraf as jeering opponents refer to him these days, has received unexpected support against Pakistan's pro-democracy struggle? Answer: New Delhi, capital of the neighbor often billed as a leading democracy of the world and an almost lone one in South Asia. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00298.htm

Thailand Elections: Thai Voters Defy Coup Leaders - Rebellious voters defied Thailand's 15-month- old military coup, and cast their ballots overwhelmingly for a politician who supports ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, despite the junta's tribunals which indicted Mr. Thaksin for alleged massive corruption. By opposing the coup, this Buddhist-majority, U.S. ally in Southeast Asia has returned to the stark confrontational days of 2006 when Mr. Thaksin's impoverished, rural supporters challenged an authoritarian, urban elite and its military protectors.More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00299.htm

Opinion: Why Should Australians Fear From Muslims? - Why does a section of Australians feel threatened with their fellow Australians whose faith is Islam - one of the great religions of Abraham (Christianity, Judaism and Islam). They openly express their hatred against Muslims in the media. Australian Muslims have always demonstrated their... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0712/S00279.htm

NZ Gardener: Get Growing In 2008, New Zealand! - Having survived her year of self-sufficiency in inner-city Auckland, New Zealand Gardener magazine editor Lynda Hallinan has issued a challenge to Kiwis to get growing in 2008 - and she's offering free advice to show you how to get started. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0712/S00322.htm

Flying High: Winner Claims His Fourth World Champion Gliding Title - The world's current number one ranked glider pilot, Sebastian Kawa claimed the title by five points with an overall score of 30. Uli Schwenk (GER) and Ben Flewett (NZE) tied for second place with 25 points. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0712/S00309.htm

New Years Eve: Alf's Imperial Army To Defend Oamaru From Martians - Clan McGillicuddy will be the Martians in a 're-enactment' of The War of the Worlds in the heritage port area of Oamaru on New Years Eve. Alfs Imperial Army will be defending the British Empire from the tripods' evil invasion. The highly theatrical pacifist battle is the highlight of the McGillicuddies' sixth Extreme Picnic, held every second New Years. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0712/S00311.htm

SPCA Reminder: Dogs In Hot Cars Are A Killer - "The SPCA acknowledges that the temptation to include the family dog in outings is understandable'', Kerridge added, ''but people must be made aware that such 'acts of kindness' can be a death warrant for the animal if the car is used for confinement". More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0712/S00306.htm

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Scoop

Scoop Independent News

Scoop is NZ's largest independent news source; respected widely in media, political, business and academic circles for being the place on the internet for publishing "what was really said", and for the quality of its analysis of issues.

Contact Scoop

• Editorial - editor@scoop.co.nz
• Twitter - @ScoopNZ
• Facebook
• YouTube
• Services - services@scoop.co.nz
• Phone - 04 910 1844