Today's Top Scoop Stories - News Summary

Friday, 15 December 2006, 1:19 pm
Article: The Scoop Team

NEW ZEALAND LEAD:
Economy: Manufacturing Sales Keep Rising
Transport: Monster Spaghetti Junction Opening
Charity: Wanna Buy A Politician?
Comment: Pinochet's Project And The New Zealand Connection
Defence: NZ Troops Blitz Afghanistan With Salvo Of Soft Toys
More Headlines:

SCOOP INTERNATIONAL LEAD STORY:
Int. Justice: International Criminal Court Moves Against Sudanese War Crimes
Int. Politics: UN General Assembly Pays Tribute To Annan
More International Headlines:

SCOOP LEAD STORY
Election Spending: AG Admits Flaws In Process

"When asked whether he made it clear to parties in his report that he had received legal advice, that some of the expenditure in the 2005 election could be unlawful, the Auditor General conceded that he had not stated that. The Auditor General also conceded that, in hindsight, he now realises that he should have provided specific examples of appropriate and inappropriate expenditure to illustrate his legal advice on the interpretation of the rules governing Parliamentary advertising by political parties..." See... New doubts about Auditor's spending report [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00310.htm

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NEW ZEALAND LEAD:

Economy: Manufacturing Sales Keep Rising

- Seasonally adjusted manufacturing sales increased 2.7 percent in the September 2006 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. Two-thirds of this increase was due to the meat and dairy product manufacturing, and machinery and equipment manufacturing industries... The strengthening trend since the December 2005 quarter has coincided with a depreciating New Zealand dollar and increased volumes of exported primary products. See... Sales Increase Continues for Manufacturing [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0612/S00303.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0612/S00304.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0612/S00305.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00292.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00196.htm

Transport: Monster Spaghetti Junction Opening

- Auckland Issues Minister Judith Tizard today officially opens the $200 million Central Motorway Junction, which she says will help get Auckland moving and get through-traffic off city roads. "As well as reducing congestion these links will make travel times more predictable, provide all the missing cross-city connections and improve access to public transport," says Judith Tizard. See... "Spaghetti junction" opening gets Auckland moving [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00309.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0612/S00164.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0612/S00161.htm

Charity: Wanna Buy A Politician?

- Prime Minister Helen Clark and the Leader of the Opposition, John Key are both being “auctioned” as part of the country’s biggest online auction this year, to help New Zealand children. Bidders at Air New Zealand’s Christmas Charity Auction on award-winning site, zillion.co.nz are battling it out to win morning tea with the Prime Minister or lunch with John Key (among other things). See... Prime Minister & John Key Hot Favourites [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00185.htm

Comment: Pinochet's Project And The New Zealand Connection

- The death of Agusto Pinochet Ugarte has reopened old wounds in Chile and rekindled debate about the relative merits of his rule versus that of socialist authoritarians like Fidel Castro. A majority in and out of Chile considers him to be a poster boy for despotism... Others, including a significant number of New Zealanders, hold him up as a champion who saved Chile from Communism and set the bases for a stable market democracy. See... Paul G. Buchanan: On Markets and Murderers [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00209.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0612/S00307.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/#pinoch

Defence: NZ Troops Blitz Afghanistan With Salvo Of Soft Toys

- New Zealand troops serving in Afghanistan have been giving Santa a helping hand in the lead up to Christmas, distributing 1000 teddy bears and dolls to children at a hospital in North West Bamyan province. The toys were distributed by a New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team (NZ PRT) patrol during a recent visit to Nayak Hospital in Bamyan’s Yakawlang district. See... Santa Given a Helping Hand in Afghanistan [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00181.htm

MORE HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0612/S00068.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00290.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00177.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0612/S00262.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0612/S00063.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0612/S00106.htm

INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
Int. Justice: International Criminal Court Moves Against Sudanese War Crimes

- The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) informed the Security Council today that he is almost ready to bring cases about some of the worst war crimes committed in the Sudanese region of Darfur during the past three years. See... ICC Prosecutor: First Darfur Cases Almost Ready [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00275.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00292.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00290.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00286.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00283.htm

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