Top Scoop Stories – 22 December 2008 News Summary

Monday, 22 December 2008, 6:02 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

LEAD STORY

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Gordon Campbell: All Hail Arcadian Days Of Summer
Over the next fortnight or so, the mainstream media will be providing Year in Review space fillers aplenty, so enough already for the Barack Obama/John Key recaps, and lets all try to forget that Sarah Palin and Owen Glenn ever existed… Personally, I’d like to thank anyone/everyone who has dropped by this column over the last seven months. More »[1]

[1] - http://gordoncampbell.scoop.co.nz/gordon-campbell-on-2008-and-a-holiday-beyond-politics/

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NZ POLITICS

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ALSO:

Questions And Answers - 16 Dec 2008 [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0812/S00207.htm [2]

Mixed Messages At A Time Of Economic Stress: Why does the council wish me a Merry Christmas?
Lindsay Shelton writes: The Wellington City Council wants me to have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I discovered the council’s message when I was waiting for a bus – not exactly the place where you expect to receive seasonal greetings. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00402.htm

State Of It: Police SIG Unit Wasted On Tag-Busting?
Scoop co-editor Selwyn Manning writes that investigations into the Police special investigations groups reveal that it had used a complaint of tagging to dig into the private life of a peace advocate, political groups, and a US owned defence company. Was this a waste of Police resources? More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00364.htm

ALSO:

Pepper sprayed activist to court over provocateur [2]

Undercover agent fiasco strengthens inquiry call [3]

Gilchrist sent naked photos of teenager to police [4]

Media notice: Video evidence exposes Broads lies [5]

Brief On Informants In Intel Operations [6]

Unite Union leader condemns police spying on union [7]

EPMU calls for Commission of Inquiry into spying [8]

Police spy scandal - Union may call stopwork [9]

Union wants answers from police [10]

No Right Turn: Police spied on case against them [11]

Hard News: Need to Know [12]

On the matt: NBR's Gibson on Police Spying [13]

[2] - http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0812/S00250.htm [2]

[3] - http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0812/S00251.htm [3]

[4] - http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0812/S00278.htm [4]

[5] - http://scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0812/S00279.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00358.htm [6]

[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0812/S00253.htm [7]

[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0812/S00252.htm [8]

[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0812/S00258.htm [9]

[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0812/S00261.htm [10]

[11] - http://norightturn.blogspot.com/2008/12/police-spied-on-case-against-them.html" target="_blank [11]

[12] - http://www.publicaddress.net/5584" target="_blank [12]

[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/politics/16787.html [13]

Joinery: Key Forges Novel Cabinet Committee Arrangement
Details of the make-up of the new National-led Government’s Cabinet committees were announced today by Prime Minister John Key. “A new development is the inclusion of support party Ministers as members of Cabinet committees,” says Mr Key. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0812/S00247.htm

Public Service Messages: Former Nat Campaign Manager Focuses On Road Safety
Transport Minister Steven Joyce is urging motorists to take care on the roads this festive season. “Summer holidays should be a time for kicking back and relaxing with family and friends but too many Kiwis end up grieving for their loved ones after avoidable tragedies on our roads.” More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0812/S00246.htm

ALSO:

Top Stop Spots Create Great Road Trip Traditions [2]

Have a safe and happy Christmas [3]

Enjoy Christmas lights safely [4]

Auckland harbour patrols boosted for summer [5]

Christmas/New Year liquor ban [6]

Liquor bans aimed at improving community safety [7]

Don’t let drinking ruin your holiday season [8]

Keep food safe this summer [9]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0812/S00274.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0812/S00238.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0812/S00234.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0812/S00232.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0812/S00260.htm [6]

[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0812/S00247.htm [7]

[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0812/S00099.htm [8]

[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0812/S00098.htm [9]

Mysteries: Why Did Bill Remove Full Employment As A Policy target
Council of Trade Unions Economist Peter Conway says that the removal of full employment and equitable distribution of income as objectives in the Policy Targets Agreement is a worrying sign, and has called on Finance Minister to explain the move. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0812/S00263.htm

Santarchy: Kapiti Mayor Accused Of Santaism
KCDC Councillor Lyndy McIntyre has slated Mayor Jenny Rowan for acting alone in ejecting a group of Father Christmases from the Council Chamber. Cr McIntyre told Kapiti Independent News the Santas were led by “ a guy who wanted to come along to public speaking.” More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0812/S00268.htm

ALSO:

Kapiti Council Puts the Boot into Santa’s Team [2]

Ejection justified [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0812/S00265.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0812/S00246.htm [3]

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BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH

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Economy: Deficit Expands Due To Petrol
For the year ended September 2008, the current account deficit was $15.5 billion (8.6 percent of GDP), Statistics New Zealand said today. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0812/S00444.htm

Happy Birds: Granddad celebrates 21st birthday at Mount Bruce
There’ll be extra reason for celebration at Pukaha Mount Bruce National Wildlife Centre in the northern Wairarapa on New Years Day, with a special someone turning 21. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0812/S00058.htm

Foreign Affairs: Anderton Interrogates Kiwibank Ad Critic
"This man needs a funny bone transplant," was the response of Kiwibank founder Jim Anderton to the recent description by former BNZ chairman Kerry McDonald of the Kiwibank 'join the resistance' advertising campaign as 'reprehensible' and 'outrageous'. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0812/S00245.htm

Aviation: British Airways and Qantas call off merger
Qantas Airways Limited (Qantas) and British Airways Plc (BA) are announcing that after detailed discussions about a potential merger of the companies, talks have ended. Despite the potential longer term benefits for Qantas and BA... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0812/S00421.htm

ALSO:

Greenpeace New Zealand Inc v Genesis Power Ltd [2]

Aylwin v New Zealand Police [3]

Rebecca Katszi Li v The Queen [4]

Glenharrow Holdings Ltd v Inland Revenue [5]

Ben Nevis & Ors v Inland Revenue [6]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0812/S00268.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0812/S00271.htm [3]

[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0812/S00269.htm [4]

[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0812/S00427.htm [5]

[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0812/S00426.htm [6]

Economy: NZ heading for bigger deficits; more room to cut rates further
Dec. 18 - New Zealand’s government finances are heading for wider budget deficits over the next few years on a weaker track for economic growth that will give the central bank more room to cut rates, according to the Treasury’s latest forecasts. More »[1]

[1] - http://business.scoop.co.nz/?p=1811

ALSO:

Amended Policy Targets Agreement Signed [2]

December 2008 Reserve Bank Bulletin released [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0812/S00241.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0812/S00414.htm [3]

Out of Work? Wanted: Sit Vac Glossary
Duncan Graham writes: Is NZ the land of opportunity where all who want work can work? The old adage of Buyer Beware applies in the job market as much as used car yards. Fed up with your job and want something new? Like planning an overseas trip it’s best to learn the language before take-off. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00345.htm

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COMMENT

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Gaza: The Untold Story
Ramzy Baroud writes: It’s incomprehensible that a region such as the Gaza Strip, so rich with history, so saturated with defiance, can be reduced to a few blurbs, sound bites and reductionist assumptions, convenient but deceptive, vacant of any relevant meaning, or even true... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00372.htm

A Word From Afar: Brief On The Use Of Informants In Intelligence Operations
Paul Buchanan writes: A Word From Afar: Paul Buchanan writes that some argue that infiltration of legitimate anti-status quo organizations is anti-democratic and intimidatory. They may well be correct in that assessment. But he says there is a backdrop to this issue. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00358.htm

Gordon Campbell: New Zealand Needs To Change Tack On Fiji
In every crisis there is an opportunity, and Commodore Bainimarama has given the new National-led government the chance to rescue New Zealand from the dead end policy stance of the Clark government... More »[1]

[1] - http://election08.scoop.co.nz/new-zealand-needs-to-change-tack-on-fiji/

J. Sri Raman: India's Right Wing Wants Nuclear War
Mumbai's terrorist outrage of November 26 has found a response truly matching it in madness. A call for a nuclear war - and nothing less - has come as the culmination of warped and warlike reactions to the traumatizing tragedy, which has claimed a ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00341.htm

Uri Avnery: Tzipi’s Nation-State
In this tale, an American politician gets up and declares: The United States was founded by British Protestants who were persecuted in Europe for their Puritan beliefs. Therefore, the United States is an Anglo-Saxon Protestant state. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00370.htm

Try that One on for Size: Al-Zaidi Puts Iraq Back on the Map
Remi Kanazi writes: I can't lie. I've watched Iraqi journalist Montather Al-Zaidi whip those two shoes past George Bush's head more times than I can count. I loved it; I even got into the corny jokes about the Red Sox drafting Al-Zaidi in the spring (cementing my belief that Iraqis... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00323.htm

ALSO:

William Rivers Pitt: The War in Common [2]

Bush Comparison Seen As Unfair to Dogs [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00342.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00301.htm [3]

David Swanson: The Best Defense Iran Could Have
Given the fates of the other two members of Bush's axis of evil, some would argue that the best defense Iran could have would be a nuclear bomb. They would, however, be wildly wrong. The best defense... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00325.htm

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LIFESTYLE

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Wackiness: NZ Is A Country Of Crazy Jandal Stories
DHL announces the winners of the “can we handle your jandal story” competition Auckland, 19 December 2008 – It is official: New Zealand is a country of crazy jandal stories. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0812/S00439.htm

Life Saving: Angel Rings Prevent Early Visit To Meet Angels
The installation of ‘angel rings’ at high risk rock fishing spots on Auckland’s west coast beaches could help save lives this summer, but wearing a lifejacket should still be the number one priority for rock fishers. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0812/S00225.htm

Photo Essay: Wellington Phoenix Two-for-One
In what will be the last home game this year for the Wellington Phoenix, players turned out in force to promote tomorrow night’s match against the Central Coast Mariners at Westpac Stadium. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00351.htm

Pop: Coldplay Announces Plan To Invade NZ
Chugg Entertainment today confirmed that Coldplay will visit New Zealand following their eleven arena shows in Australia next March. The show will be part of their “Viva La Vida” world tour, in support of their new album of the same name. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0812/S00166.htm

ALSO:

Special presale for COLDPLAY’s Viva La Vida Tour [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0812/S00174.htm [2]

Temporary Art: Wellington Barricades Fall After One Day
Car wrecks, discarded furniture and other urban detritus barricaded Stout Street at the corner of Lambton Quay in central Wellington for 24 hours on Sunday. This large-scale art intervention, created by British artists Heather and Ivan Morison, was part of the year-long One Day Sculpture series. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0812/S00147.htm

ALSO:

The visual pollution of Wellington’s streets [2]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00328.htm [2]

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WORLD

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Africa: $92 Million To Ease Plight Of Somalis
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) today appealed for $92 million to ease the plight of some 250,000 Somalis living in one of the world’s oldest and most congested camps in Kenya and to meet the needs of new arrivals from ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0812/S00474.htm

Gaza: Israeli Forces Demolish Sheikh Jarrah Protest Camp
Israeli forces have again demolished the protest tent established in Sheikh Jarrah, Occupied East Jerusalem, built on Palestinian private property in support of the evicted al-Kurd family and the 18 Palestinian families who currently face eviction ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0812/S00494.htm

ALSO:

Ban Calls For End To Rocket Attacks [2]

Dignity Docks in Gaza Despite Israeli Threats [3]

[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0812/S00463.htm [2]

[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0812/S00497.htm [3]

Burma: Japan To Take In Myanmar Refugees
The United Nations refugee agency has welcomed Japan’s decision to introduce a pilot resettlement programme to accept Myanmar refugees in Thailand starting in 2010, making it the first country in the region to launch such an initiative. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0812/S00473.htm

Video: Voices Of Dissent: Activism & American Democracy
I'm writing to invite you to watch my film, Voices Of Dissent: Activism & American Democracy, on KTEH, Public Television of San Jose, Channel 54 (Comcast 10) this coming Monday 12/22, at 11 pm. There will also be an encore showing very early morning on ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0812/S00493.htm

Genocide: Rwanda: UN Court Jails Ex-Military Leader
A United Nations court today sentenced the alleged mastermind behind the 1994 massacre of hundreds of thousands of people in Rwanda and two co-defendants to life imprisonment for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes. More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0812/S00444.htm

Richard S. Ehrlich: Canadian and Americans Accused of Sex Crimes in Thailand
BANGKOK, Thailand -- A Canadian who allegedly arranged for Americans to sexually abuse "prepubescent" boys in his home for payment, while he taught at a prestigious school in Bangkok, was arrested in London by the U.S. Justice Department ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0812/S00361.htm

Tuition: Achieving Quality Education Will Cost
Achieving the goal of quality education for all by 2015 will require countries to devote greater funds to this critical sector and to address the growing shortage of qualified teachers, according to a United Nations meeting that concluded today ... More »[1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0812/S00442.htm

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Top Scoop Stories – 22 December 2008 News Summary