Top Scoop Stories - 16 November 2007 News Summary

Friday, 16 November 2007, 2:04 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - November 16, 2007

LEAD STORY:

Protest Action: Greenpeace Accuses Lobbyists Of Having Their Head Somewhere Unpleasant

NZ POLITICS:

Workplace Safety: Chinese Miner's Lives Not Worth Kiwi Dollars Says National
Taxation: Give High Earners A Break Pleads The Business Roundtable

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Sharemarket: Auckland Airport Receives CPPIB Takeover Notice
Tourism: Largest New Zealand promotional event Soon To Be staged in Japan
Business Roundtable: The Priority For Tax Reforms: A Flatter Tax Scale
Romance: Why Not Try Internet Dating With DateMe NZ?

WORLD:

World Weather: Powerful Cyclone Sidr Lashes Bangladeshi Coast
Military Issues:Officials Believe Iran Has Stemmed Weapons Flow Into Iraq, General Says
Scoop World News: UN Rights Expert Meets With Political Prisoners On Final Day Of Myanmar Visit
Journalism: Ontario Appeals Court Affirms Media's Right To Publish In Public Interest
Environment: World First Climate Change Bill Published In UK

COMMENT:

Stateside With Rosalea: Impeachment Of Dick Cheney "Under Active Consideration" In US Congress
Lawrence R. Velvel: Litigators Will continue to Pursue Bush & Cheney
Greg Palast: The Assassination of Hugo Chavez
Ernest Partridge: The American People are Beginning To Get It
Bernard Weiner: Perversions of Power

LIFESTYLE:

Consumerism: Protect Yourself With A Ballet Brolly
Live Music: Moa On The Loose In NZ
Artiness: Cash for Fringe scandal: answers wanted

Protest Action: Greenpeace Accuses Lobbyists Of Having Their Head Somewhere Unpleasant - Greenpeace visibly demonstrated today that the New Zealand Business Roundtable, Greenhouse Policy Coalition and other business groups have their heads in the sand over climate change. The organisation hung a banner reading 'NZ business climate change solution' behind several mannequins buried in sand outside the Auckland War Memorial Museum, where Lord Nigel Lawson, a well known climate sceptic will be speaking. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0711/S00278.htm

Workplace Safety: Chinese Miner's Lives Not Worth Kiwi Dollars Says National - "National's complaints today over a small contribution of New Zealand expertise that will help in saving workers lives are small minded and miserable," CTU secretary Carol Beaumont said. More>> [1]

ALSO:

• National - Chinese coal subsidy questioned [2]
• EPMU - Attack on mine safety shows National's colours [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0711/S00261.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0711/S00322.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0711/S00262.htm

Taxation: Give High Earners A Break Pleads The Business Roundtable - The dynamic countries that have moved to flat or flatter taxes in recent years have overcome envy-driven criticisms of such policies. The emphasis must be to on moves to a lower, flatter rate structure, not adjustments to thresholds, says the Business Roundtable's Roger Kerr. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00327.htm

Sharemarket: Auckland Airport Receives CPPIB Takeover Notice - Auckland International Airport Limited (Auckland Airport) has today received a takeover notice from NZ Airport NC Limited (NZ Airport), a related company of Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). The takeover notice was expected following the announcement by CPPIB on 7 November. NZ Airport intends to make a partial takeover offer for 39.53% of the total issued ordinary shares of Auckland Airport at an offer price of $3.6555 per share. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00331.htm

Tourism: Largest New Zealand promotional event Soon To Be staged in Japan - Tourism New Zealand is making a large push into the Japanese tourism market launching the largest NZ promotional event ever staged in Japan to coincide with a $1.8 million campaign just launched into the Japanese market Aimed to give the Japanese a fresh take on what NZ has to offer, from 17-24 November, The New Zealand Paradise Week will promote New Zealand's food and wine, fashion, music and the most up to date activities for tourists. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00325.htm

Business Roundtable: The Priority For Tax Reforms: A Flatter Tax Scale - Tax cuts are in the news again. The government has signalled that it will move to cut personal tax in the 2008 budget, and the National Party also favours tax reductions. In assessing the quality of proposals to reduce the tax burden, we should initially focus on government spending. The government spending share of national income is the best measure of the tax burden. Ultimately - leaving aside budget surpluses and deficits and any sales of assets - what is spent must be funded from taxation. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00327.htm

Romance: Why Not Try Internet Dating With DateMe NZ? - These days you can do almost anything on the Internet, from ordering your groceries to communicating with people from all corners of the globe - so why not try Internet dating? It's been around for a few years and it's now gaining in popularity - isn't it time you joined the party? DateMe New Zealand offers you an easy way to network with your fellow Kiwis at the click of a mouse, whether it be friendship or a date that you're after. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0711/S00324.htm

World Weather: Powerful Cyclone Sidr Lashes Bangladeshi Coast - A powerful cyclone that slammed into Bangladesh's southern coast Thursday is slowly making its way across the country, after leveling thousands of houses and forcing more than 600,000 people to evacuate. Gale-force winds of up to 240 kilometers per hour caused storm surges that inundated low-lying areas. Power and telephone links in the affected areas have been largely cut and coastal areas plunged into darkness. So far, one death has been reported. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00684.htm

Military Issues:Officials Believe Iran Has Stemmed Weapons Flow Into Iraq, General Says - Recent weapons cache finds in Iraq indicate that the Iranian government is living up to its promise to Iraqi leaders to stem the flow of weapons across the border into Iraq. Army Maj. Gen. James E. Simmons said coalition troops and Iraqi security forces continue to find Iranian weapons in caches they uncover. "But most of these weapons appear to have been in Iraq for months," he said. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00685.htm

Scoop World News: UN Rights Expert Meets With Political Prisoners On Final Day Of Myanmar Visit - The UN human rights official investigating alleged abuses by the Myanmar Govt during a recent crackdown on demonstrators met with a group of political prisoners today before concluding his five-day visit to the South-East Asian nation. Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, the UN Special Rapporteur for Myanmar, told reporters that, among his stops, he visited the Insein Jail twice, with the second visit taking place this afternoon, when he met some political prisoners. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00681.htm

Journalism: Ontario Appeals Court Affirms Media's Right To Publish In Public Interest - Canadian Journalists have hailed the Ontario Court of Appeal's decision affirming the news media's right to publish information in the public's interest as a significant victory for freedom of expression. "The decision will decrease the chilling effect of potential libel suits on reporters and editors," CJFE President Arnold Amber said. "This changes the whole ballgame. Editors and reporters will now have more freedom to go after stories of public interest that they were frightened to touch before," Amber added. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00657.htm

Environment: World First Climate Change Bill Published In UK - Landmark UK legislation that sets out plans to tackle climate change for the next 50 years has been published in the British Parliament. The Climate Change Bill, the first of its kind in the world, sets out a framework that will put Britain on the path to become a low-carbon economy, with clear, legally binding targets to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 60 per cent by 2050, and 26 to 32 per cent by 2020, against 1990 levels. The Bill provides a pathway to achieve those reductions through a system of five-year carbon budgets set fifteen years ahead. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0711/S00668.htm

Stateside With Rosalea: Impeachment Of Dick Cheney "Under Active Consideration" In US Congress - Following a discussion on "War and the Fourth Estate" Rep. John Conyers - Chair of the US House Judiciary Committee - tonight said that the impeachment resolution against Vice President Cheney is "under active consideration". More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00262.htm

Lawrence R. Velvel: Litigators Will continue to Pursue Bush & Cheney - "After Bush is out of office, the Center(CCR) will pursue Bush and (Vice-President) Cheney. We are not going to let go of these people," said Ratner, whose organization coordinates the work of more than 600 lawyers nationally involved in defending the rights of prisoners held by the U.S. at Guantanamo. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00247.htm

Greg Palast: The Assassination of Hugo Chavez - Before The Lord spoke unto Pat Robertson and told him to endorse Rudy Giuliani, family man, for President, the Reverend got a message that higher powers wanted him to arrange a hit on another President. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00255.htm

Ernest Partridge: The American People are Beginning To Get It - Despite compelling statistical, circumstantial, anecdotal and eyewitness evidence that two presidential and numerous congressional elections have been stolen, this evidence has been discounted, ignored and ridiculed by the mainstream media and, amazingly, by the victimized Democratic... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00251.htm

Bernard Weiner: Perversions of Power - There are a few things in life that one can count on: death, taxes, and people wanting to rewrite your play. And, for our purposes today, the famous dictum from the noted British historian Lord Acton (1834-1902): "...Where you have a concentration of power in a few hands, all too frequently men with the mentality of gangsters get control... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0711/S00252.htm

Consumerism: Protect Yourself With A Ballet Brolly - The Royal New Zealand Ballet has added the delightful Tyrrell Katz ballet range to its online merchandise shop.
General Manager Amanda Skoog says she is thrilled to have secured the exclusive license to sell the range in New Zealand. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0711/S00223.htm

Live Music: Moa On The Loose In NZ - From releasing her most critically acclaimed album yet, Anika Moa will be performing throughout Aotearoa this December. In Swings The Tide is Anika's latest release which brings a country flavour to her pop sensibilities. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0711/S00226.htm

Artiness: Cash for Fringe scandal: answers wanted - New Zealand's arts and culture community is demanding answers from the 2008 New Zealand Fringe Festival, following the revelation that tens of thousands of dollars of public money was given to artists for Fringe 08. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0711/S00224.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