Top Scoop Stories - 08 February 2008 News Summary

Friday, 8 February 2008, 2:00 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - 08 February 2008

LEAD STORY:

Police and Crime: Newsflash: Hijacker Arrested In Christchurch

NZ POLITICS:

Crime: Greens Office Attacked By Vandals
Forestry: Timberlands Stumped
Tax: Cullen: The Prosperity We Deserve
Transport: Light At End Of Tunnel For Auckland Ring Road
Lebanon: NZDF Commitment To War Munitions Clearance Ends

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Business Roundtable: Roger Kerr Studies Cullen's Budgets
Business Tidiness: Plastic Bag Campaign On Track

WORLD:

State Department: A Call For Justice And Peaceful Resolution In Kenya
Myanmar: Burmese Blogger Busted
Australia News: UNHCR Welcomes End Of Australia's Pacific Solution
Up Your Nose! Colombian Cocaine Kingpin Gets 30 Years' Prison

COMMENT:

Martin LeFevre: America's Spiritual War Zone
Bobby Ramakant: Row Over Tobacco Use In Indian Cinema
Bill Berkowitz: Oral Roberts University, Saved By Bail Out<

LIFESTYLE:

Accidents: St John Encourages Sports Lovers To Learn 1st Aid
Romance: Is Radio Station In League With Divorce Lawyers?

Police and Crime: Newsflash: Hijacker Arrested In Christchurch - Scoop News: Christchurch Airport is closed to all traffic with the threat of a bomb aboard a plane which has landed from Blenheim. There is chaos around the airport with traffic backed up in all directions. The flight concerned was NZ 2279 a scheduled flight from Blenheim to Christchurch. Police now say one person has been arrested and that all seven passengers are safe, however one person is thought to have been injured in the incident. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• New Zealand Police - Blenheim Flight Stabbing [2]
• NZ Police - Air Incident: Christchurch International Airport [3]
• US Airforce Plane Takes Off During Hijack Scare [4]
• Christchurch Airport Press Release On Hijacking [5]
• Air NZ - Incident onboard flight NZ2279 Blenheim - Chch [6]
• Air New Zealand - Eagle Air Incident Update [7]
• NZ Govt - King calls for reports on Chch Airport incident [8]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00081.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0802/S00086.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0802/S00074.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00086.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00085.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0802/S00078.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0802/S00104.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00093.htm

Crime: Greens Office Attacked By Vandals - The Green Party will not be intimidated by anti-democratic vandals who threw a brick through the window of the Green Party office in Auckland overnight. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• People Power - Greens receive a "brickbat" from People Power NZ [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00095.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0802/S00081.htm

Forestry: Timberlands Stumped - State Owned Enterprises Minister Trevor Mallard today announced that the assets of Timberlands West Coast Ltd are to transfer to Crown Forestry as the SOE can no longer operate as a successful business. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00094.htm

Tax: Cullen: The Prosperity We Deserve - NZ's Finance Minister Dr Michael Cullen this afternoon addressed the Auckland Chamber of Commerce. A great deal of his speech dealt with tax and tax cuts. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Cullen: Growth and fairness reinforce each other [2]
• ACT - Tax Cuts? Must Be Election Year - Rodney Hide [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00084.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00085.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00088.htm

Transport: Light At End Of Tunnel For Auckland Ring Road - The Government will investigate the feasibility of progressing the Waterview Connection section of Auckland's Western Ring Route as a public private partnership (PPP), Finance Minister Michael Cullen and Transport Minister Annette King announced today. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Transit New Zealand - Transit Responds To Community With Tunnel Option [2]
• United Future - Dunne: about time for Waterview PPP [3]
• Greens - $2 billion motorway more muddled thinking [4]
• ACT - More Dithering Over Waterview Connection [5]
• IPENZ Engineers NZ - PPP Steering Group toothless unless Act changed [6]
• NZ Contractors Federation - Contractors welcome Auckland tunnel announcement [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00079.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0802/S00075.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00089.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00080.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00090.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0802/S00096.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0802/S00094.htm

Lebanon: NZDF Commitment To War Munitions Clearance Ends - The New Zealand Defence Force's year long commitment to the UN Mine Action Coordination Centre in Southern Lebanon has ended. Over the past twelve months, a total of thirty NZDF personnel have worked to clear unexploded ordnance. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0802/S00074.htm

Business Roundtable: Roger Kerr Studies Cullen's Budgets - The annual budget is the vehicle governments use to present their economic goals, policy thinking and programmes to the public. So as we await this year's budget, it's timely to review the current government's successive budget. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0802/S00110.htm

Business Tidiness: Plastic Bag Campaign On Track - The New Zealand Retailers Association says that the latest plastic bag consumption numbers prove that the supermarkets' Make a Difference campaign is working. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0802/S00103.htm

State Department: A Call For Justice And Peaceful Resolution In Kenya - As a friend and partner of Kenya, we urge its leaders to put the common welfare of all its people and national interests first. As they seek to resolve this crisis, they must ensure first and foremost, an end to the deplorable violence. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00081.htm

Myanmar: Burmese Blogger Busted - Burmese blogger Nay Phone Latt has been charged under article 5(J) of the Emergency Provision Act, according to reliable sources in Rangoon. The junta has repeatedly used Article 5(J) as an instrument of repression against dissidents and political activists. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00087.htm

Australia News: UNHCR Welcomes End Of Australia's Pacific Solution - The UN Refugee Agency today welcomed the end of Australia's Pacific Solution which will come to a close tomorrow (Friday 8 Feb), with the departure of the last remaining 21 refugees from Nauru to Australia. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00079.htm

Up Your Nose! Colombian Cocaine Kingpin Gets 30 Years' Prison - Salazar-Espinosa conspired with Mexican cocaine cartel leaders to import ton-quantities of Colombian cocaine to the U.S. on a weekly basis, and also assisted in the laundering of $12 million to $14 million in narcotics proceeds per week from 2002 to 2005. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00078.htm

Martin LeFevre: America's Spiritual War Zone - Barack Obama, bless his soul, is trying to inject hope into a people that have lost theirs. He will win the presidency if he gains the Democratic nomination, but he won't get the nomination unless Ungrateful Deadheads no longer rule the land. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00088.htm

Bobby Ramakant: Row Over Tobacco Use In Indian Cinema - Indian film-star Shahrukh Khan's explanation of his right to 'creative liberties' to justify portrayal of tobacco use in Indian cinema has sparked a huge row with India's health minister Dr Anbumani Ramadoss' appeal to film-stars to refrain. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00080.htm

Bill Berkowitz: Oral Roberts University, Saved By Bail Out - I first discovered Oral Roberts when I was a young boy growing up Jewish in the Bronx, New York of the 1950s. Roberts was different: He stalked the stage; he raised his voice; he had the crowd in the palm of his hands. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00078.htm

Accidents: St John Encourages Sports Lovers To Learn 1st Aid - St John is encouraging everyone involved in sport, athletics and exercise - including spectators - to sign up for a St John Sports First Aid Course. "Knowing what to do on the scene of a sports or exercise-related accident or medical emergency can make all the difference." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0802/S00083.htm

Romance: Is Radio Station In League With Divorce Lawyers? - The Rock is playing cupid this year at the most fun Valentine's date in town. The Rock listeners get the chance to prove their love (of beer!) in The Rock's Annual Wife-Carrying Competition. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0802/S00086.htm

ENDS

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