Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Monday, 12 December 2005, 4:58 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
World Trade: Prelude To WTO Round: Jane Kelsey Reports
Official Suicide Statistics Calculate Cost In Dollar Terms
Employment: Who Will Fix The Doctor Shortage?
Police: Govt And NZ First Seal More Cops Deal
Santa Sends Karma Filled Feast To Auckland Vegans
NZNO Asks Govt Where Will Extra Nurses Come From
Environment: Baby Kakapo Returned to Abusive Environment
MORE HEADLINES
UK News: Explosions Destroy Oil Depot Near London's M1
Iranian President denies Holocaust, suggests that Israel be moved to Europe
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Public Address: Russell Brown & Keith Ng Are There!
Harold Pinter's Nobel Lecture: Art, Truth & Politics
Torture As Viewed Inside The United States
MORE SCOOP COMMENTARY

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
Greens Urge Govt To Double GP Training Allocations
Greens Say Brash Ought To Accept World Wants Kyoto To Stay
POLITICAL HEADLINES
POLITICAL COLUMNS

World Trade: Prelude To WTO Round: Jane Kelsey Reports

- Trade ministers from 149 WTO member countries, plus observers from those in the process of accession, are about to convene in Hong Kong for the 6th ministerial conference of the WTO to discuss the crippled Doha round of trade negotiations. The Hong Kong government is mustering all its propaganda skills to create a climate of fear as the meeting approaches, to justify cracking down on any dissent and keep the substantive issues off the front pages. The blazing headline from Saturday's (10-11 December) Weekend Standard simply reads: "We're ready", with the subtitle Security services confident despite fears of violent protests at WTO conference. See... Jane Kelsey WTO: Creating a Climate of Fear in HK [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00129.htm

Official Suicide Statistics Calculate Cost In Dollar Terms

- Suicides and attempted suicides cost New Zealand nearly $1.4 billion in 2002 - the most recent year for which there are official suicide statistics - according to a report released today by Associate Health Minister Jim Anderton. The report, The Cost of Suicide to Society, was written by Wellington School of Medicine and Health Sciences health economist Des O'Dea, and commissioned by the Ministry of Health to inform the development of a new New Zealand Suicide Prevention Strategy. See... Cost of suicide to NZ nearly $1.4 billion a year [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00172.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00171.htm

Employment: Who Will Fix The Doctor Shortage? -

“The government should encourage district health boards to consider directly employing salaried GPs as one means of addressing the serious and worsening GP shortage,” said Mr Ian Powell, Executive Director of the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists. See... Govt Should Encourage Salaried GP Option [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0512/S00036.htm

Police: Govt And NZ First Seal More Cops Deal

- The Government and New Zealand First are committed to working together to provide an additional 1000 sworn police staff over the next three years. See... Labour-NZ First agreement: 1000 sworn police staff [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00156.htm

Santa Sends Karma Filled Feast To Auckland Vegans -

Catering for a vegan at Christmas dinner would probably be enough to cause heart palpitations in the average omnivore. Not so for self-taught Birkenhead chef Colin Sky, who is organising a Christmas feast for up to 50 vegans on December 18, at Blissful Foods in Mt Albert. Colin has been vegan for more than three years, and had been vegetarian for six years before that. See... A vegan Christmas dinner: no turkey, no problem [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0512/S00076.htm

NZNO Asks Govt Where Will Extra Nurses Come From

- The New Zealand Nurses Organisation agrees with the Minister of Health that nurses will play an increasing role in GP surgeries but questions where those nurses will come unless their pay issues are addressed. See... Where Will Extra Nurses Come From To Stop Gaps? [1] MORE INDUSTRY NEWS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0512/S00037.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0512/S00038.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0512/S00152.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0512/S00156.htm

Environment: Baby Kakapo Returned to Abusive Environment

-The injured kakapo chick that has been convalescing at Massey University since being attacked by another kakapo earlier this year has been given the all-clear to return home. A young female kakapo, named Pounamu, is one of four kakapo chicks that hatched earlier this year. She was attacked in her pen on Whenua Hou by an older male, just days before she was due for release in September. See... Injured Kakapo Returns Home [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0512/S00096.htm

MORE HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0512/S00090.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0512/S00091.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0512/S00161.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0512/S00157.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0512/S00073.htm

UK News: Explosions Destroy Oil Depot Near London's M1

- London -- "Massive" explosions struck an oil depot about 20 kilometres from London's Luton airport, close to the M1 near Hemel Hempstead filling the sky with orange flames and shattering windows and doors at nearby homes, police and witnesses said. Reports describe eye witnesses having heard a "loud boom" at 6am. Two or three smaller explosions were heard at around 6:20am (London time). The blast was so powerful that it was heard as far as west and south London. Police report that the explosion struck Buncefield oil deport in Hertfordshire, northwest of London and casualties are feared. See... Breaking News: Explosions Strike Oil Depot Near M1 [1] & Wikinews Link: Major Explosions at UK Oil Depot [2] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00131.htm
[2] - http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Major_Explosions_at_UK_Oil_Depot
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00221.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00220.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00219.htm

Iranian President denies Holocaust, suggests that Israel be moved to Europe

- “The Secretary-General was shocked to see the remarks attributed to H.E. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in which he reportedly cast doubt on the truth of the Holocaust and suggested that the State of Israel should be moved from the Middle East to Europe,” a spokesman for Mr. Annan said in a statement. Last month, the General Assembly passed a resolution which rejects “any denial of the Holocaust as an historical event, either in full or in part,” the Secretary-General recalled, urging all Member States “to combat such denial, and to educate their populations about the well established historical facts of the Holocaust, in which one third of the Jewish people were murdered, along with countless members of other minorities.” See... Reacting against Iranian leader’s reported Holocaust denial, Annan points to facts [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00187.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00190.htm

MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00197.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00207.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00198.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00191.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00184.htm
[6] - http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/audio/0512/Tookie_interview.m3u
[7] - http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/audio/0512/Eritrea_expells_UN.m3u
[8] - http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/audio/0512/UN_brief_9_12.m3u

Russell Brown & Keith Ng Are There!

- I love military and police equipment. They're just so... thoughtful. Take this Australian made "water barrier [1] ". It's a big plastic water container. Easy to move into place, just add water. Sturdy as a concrete block, slippery as a greasy pole. Can't push it over, can't climb it. I mean, if *I* was looking to purchase a two-metre high redeployable crowd control barrier, *I'd* get one of these. See... Public Address 12/12/05 - Scary [2]

[1] - http://aspa.fotopic.net/p23612659.html
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00143.htm

Harold Pinter's Nobel Lecture: Art, Truth & Politics

- In 1958 I wrote the following: 'There are no hard distinctions between what is real and what is unreal, nor between what is true and what is false. A thing is not necessarily either true or false; it can be both true and false.' Truth in drama is forever elusive. You never quite find it but the search for it is compulsive. The search is clearly what drives the endeavour. The search is your task. More often than not you stumble upon the truth in the dark, colliding with it or just glimpsing an image or a shape which seems to correspond to the truth, often without realising that you have done so. See... Harold Pinter Nobel Lecture: Art, Truth & Politics [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00142.htm

Torture As Viewed Inside The United States

- If the Bush Administration listens to the American public, rather than to Sen. John McCain, it needn't be too worried about the issue of torture of suspected terrorists. Results of two recent polls by major public opinion organizations show that a substantial majority of Americans believes that such treatment is justified, that torture is still being carried out, and that soldiers, rather than official policy, are responsible. See… William Fisher: How Do Americans Feel About Torture? [1] MORE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00124.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00126.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00139.htm

MORE SCOOP COMMENTARY:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00127.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00123.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00141.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00140.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00138.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00136.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00137.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00135.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00134.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00133.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00125.htm

Greens Urge Govt To Double GP Training Allocations

- The Green Party is calling for the Government to immediately double the number of funded places for doctors wanting to train as General Practitioners and phase out the tertiary fees and student loan debts that are driving doctors off shore. See… GP training funding increase needed - Greens [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00166.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00167.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00174.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00164.htm

Greens Say Brash Ought To Accept World Wants Kyoto To Stay

- Don Brash and the other Kyoto detractors in Parliament need to now accept that the world is going to make some sort of adjustments for climate change and New Zealand is going to have to be part of it, Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says. See... Kyoto here to stay, get used to it [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00176.htm

POLITICAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00177.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00159.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00158.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00175.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00169.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00165.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00173.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00170.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00157.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00163.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00162.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00160.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00153.htm
[14] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00152.htm
[15] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00151.htm
[16] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00150.htm
[17] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00149.htm
[18] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00148.htm
[19] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00147.htm

POLITICAL COLUMNS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00168.htm

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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