Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics
TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Hostages: Kidnappers Release Video Of Harmeet Sooden & Other Hostages
Intelligence: Top Spook Richard Woods To Retire Oct 2006
Foreign Affairs: Peters - Hamas Win Reflects Will Of Palestinian People
Scoop Report: Mown Down By The Public - Wazzup With The Ex MPs?
Society: Otago Uni Finds Physical Punishment Rife In NZ
MORE HEADLINES
Palestine: Preliminary Results Show Hamas Wins Election
India: victims of Gujarat pogrom found in mass grave
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
SCOOP COLUMNS:
Debate: Roger Kerr Argues Why Scrapping Carbon Tax Is Good
Uri Avnery on the Palestinian Elections
Ian Henshall: Notes on the Oxford Union 911 Forum
MORE COMMENTARY
OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
Fitzsimons at Green Conference
Cullen on Education 2006
Britain Hopes for NZ in Afghanistan, National Hopes for Explanation
MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES
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TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
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Hostages: Kidnappers Release Video Of Harmeet Sooden & Other Hostages
Scoop Link: Aljazeera reports that kidnappers holding four Western peace activists hostage in Iraq, including Harmeet Sooden, have said they are giving US-led forces one final chance to free Iraqi prisoners or they would kill their hostages. In a new video shown by Aljazeera on Saturday and dated 21 January, the four hostages were shown standing against a wall in an unknown location. The hostages include: Canadian citizen, New Zealand resident and Auckland University student, Harmeet Sooden (32). See... Iraqi Group Releases New Video Of Harmeet Sooden [1] ALSO:Prime Minister - New Zealand concern for Harmeet Sooden [2] Palestinians Appeal for the Release of Activists [3] Al-Jazeera Video: Captors Release Hostage Video Dated Jan 21 2006. [4] Scoop Audio: Selwyn Manning speaks on RadioLive [5] regarding video being released of Harmeet Sooden and other hostages.BACKGROUND: Foreign Affairs: Is Righteous Brigade Group Linked To IAI? Canada's National Post Follows Up Scoop Hostage ExclusiveScoop Video: Peace Vigil Asks Captors To Release Harmeet [6] Scoop Video:Captors Release Second Hostage Video [7] Scoop Video: First Release Of Video Showing Hostages [8]
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Intelligence: Top Spook Richard Woods To Retire Oct 2006
- Scoop Report: Kevin List writes that come 31 October 2006 dapper public servant Richard Woods will be able to really get stuck into enjoying classical music, skiiing and spending quality time with his wife and
Labrador dog. The Brahms loving son of a clergyman will be stepping down from his role as the Director of New Zealand's
Security Intelligence Service after seven years in the hotseat. Appointed by National's Jenny Shipley (with Helen
Clark's blessing) Mr Woods has however spent most of his time answering to Ms Clark and the other members of the
Parliament's intelligence committee. See... Dapper SIS Head Seeks More Relaxing Times [1]
Foreign Affairs: Peters - Hamas Win Reflects Will Of Palestinian People
- Peters on Palestinian Elections The election of Palestinian Islamic militant group Hamas to the Palestinian
legislative council reflects the will of the Palestinian people and must be respected, Foreign Affairs Minister Winston
Peters said today. See... Peters on Palestinian Elections [1]
Scoop Report: Mown Down By The Public - Wazzup With The Ex MPs?
- Kevin List writes that during the movie Dead Poet's Society a teacher gets his class to listen to the voices of the
past emanating from the old photos of former students. While Dead Poets Society ends in tragedy and death, voices from
the past do not always lead to carnage. After blowing the phone budget hunting Ex MPs, scattered all over NZ by the
cruel winds of fate, Scoop is able to update readers on what these discarded politicians are now up to. Did they "seize
the day" during the last electoral cycle or is now the time to work out what "Carpe Diem" really means? See... What Are Those Ex MPs Up To Now? [1]
Society: Otago Uni Finds Physical Punishment Rife In NZ
- Four out of five New Zealand children have been physically punished, with one in two still hit in adolescence,
according to a new University of Otago study examining experiences of physical punishment and discipline in the home in
the 1970s and 80s. See... Physical Punishment of NZ Children Common [1] ALSO:New Light on Domestic Violence's Effect on NZ kids [2] Greens - Studies prove need for repeal of Section 59 [3] National - Four out of five parents could become crims [4]
MORE HEADLINES:
Trade Me sharemarket proposal crazy - Nats [1] Treasury Financial Statements to Nov 05 [2] Is Abortion a Health Issue? [3] 'Tolls: The Mayors are taking the wrong action' [4] Thrive Pasifika just around the corner [5]
Palestine: Preliminary Results Show Hamas Wins Election
- With vote counting nearing conclusion, exit polls in the Palestinian elections indicate Hamas has beaten Fatah
pushing aside earlier reports that the Late Yasser Arafat's party Fatah had retaken control of Palestine. Hamas, the
party that has risen from a bloody resistance movement, is looking at how it can lead parliament and form a government.
Shortly after voting ended on Wednesday, a Fatah official estimated that Fatah had won 46% of the vote, beating an
estimated vote of more than 30% for Hamas. However as vote counting continued, it became clear Hamas had taken the lead.
See... CEC Announces Palestine Preliminary Results [1] ALSO:Abbas Calls on Factions to Respect Elections [2] Future Depends Both On Hamas & Israeli Govt - Gush Shalom [3] Annan congratulates Palestinians on elections [4] Abbas: Israelis Should not be Afraid of Democracy [5] Counting starts in Palestinian poll [6] Israel orders barrier built faster [7] A Statement from Jews Against Genocide [8] High turnout at Palestinian polls [9] Hamas challenges Fatah rule [10] Scoop Audio: Palestinians Vote in Parliamentary Elections [11] Scoop Audio: Latest UN News Brief [12]
India: victims of Gujarat pogrom found in mass grave
- Some of the many missing victims of the anti-Muslim pogrom in the Indian state of Gujarat in 2002 were uncovered in a
mass grave late last month in the village of Pandharwada. Relatives of the victims dug up the remains of about 20 bodies
that had been dumped and buried in an unmarked pit. Nearly four years after the communal violence, the villagers are
still seeking to expose what happened. No one has been convicted for any of the killings that took place. The relatives
of the dead are accusing the police of hiding evidence and protecting the perpetrators. See... India: victims of Gujarat pogrom found in mass grave [1]
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
Fallout from Cronulla beach riots continues [1] World Social Forum: Decent work, trade union unity [2] Protests support West Papuan Asylum Seekers [3] Brazil: Indigenous Policy Under Fire From Indians [4] Annan urges decisive action on UN force in Darfur [5]
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SCOOP COLUMNS
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Debate: Roger Kerr Argues Why Scrapping Carbon Tax Is Good
- The government’s decision to scrap the proposed carbon tax marks another (and more positive) phase in a sorry saga of
policy making on climate change. Neither of the main political parties nor the public service comes out of it with
credit. National’s minister for the environment Simon Upton was a leading evangelist on climate change in the 1990s. His
enthusiasm for action ran far ahead of the scientific evidence and the economic case for governmental action to combat
warming. He attacked the Business Roundtable for bringing distinguished scientist Richard Lindzen to New Zealand to
balance up the scientific debate. See... Reality Breaks Through With Axing of Carbon Tax [1]
Uri Avnery on the Palestinian Elections
- Like two very tired wrestlers who clasp each other, unable to separate, the Israeli and Palestinian societies are
glued to each other. The Palestinian elections this week took place in the shadow of the Israeli elections. Who is Ehud
Olmert? Has the Labor Party really changed? Will the next Israeli government really be prepared to negotiate? Which
Palestinian leadership stands a better chance of liberating us from the occupation? The Israeli elections, in exactly
two months, will take place in the shadow of the Palestinian elections. See... Uri Avnery: To Talk With Hamas [1] ALSO:Uri Avnery: Deja Vu [2]
Ian Henshall: Notes on the Oxford Union 911 Forum
- The meeting took the form not of a traditional debate but of a forum, partly because the US Embassy had refused to
send a speaker. It attracted a turnout of over 300, vastly more than similar events. Oxford Union President Sapona
Agrawal said afterwards that she had had many messages congratulating the Union on holding the debate. See... Report on Oxford Union 911 Meeting [1]
More Commentary:
Public Address 27/01/06 - Not Being Evil [1] Marc Alexander - Welcome to Soviet New Zealand [2] Douglas Mattern: Five Minutes to Save the World [3] Toni Solo: Poverty, consumerism and anti-imperialism [4] Julie Webb-Pullman: The Circus is Back in Town [5] Ernest Partridge: "Evidence? We Don’t Want Your Stinkin' Evidence!" [6] Crockett: GOP Scandals Spell Democratic Victories [7] Jason Miller: Why I Now Genuflect to Charles Krauthammer [8] Syed Atiq ul Hassan: Assimilation in Australia [9] Ramzy Baroud: Avoiding Iraq Fallout with Iran [10] Kamala Sarup: Geopolitical issues and the US Economy [11] Kamala Sarup: How You Cannot Fight the New Terrorists [12] William Rivers Pitt :Democrats: Get Up and Walk Out [13]
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OTHER NEWS (JUST POLITICS)
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Fitzsimons at Green Conference
- I hope you are all emerging from the summer break refreshed, healed and re-inspired. We need to be all those things,
to face the challenges 2006 presents us with. It challenges us to work effectively for sustainability, peace and justice
with just 6 MPs where we had 9; with fewer staff and less resource; and without the energy Rod used to contribute. The
election was a reminder that 5% is never guaranteed and the party has to be in a condition that it can carry on and
fight another campaign even if at some time we lose all our MPs. See... Jeanette Fitzsimons: The Challenges of 2006 [1]
Cullen on Education 2006
- When I became Minister for Tertiary Education late last year there was an immediate burst of enthusiasm in some parts
of the sector. The perception was that having a minister who is also the Finance Minister would surely provide the
tertiary education sector with inside running on any matters to do with the Budget and additional funding. See... Cullen - Address to NZUSA Annual Conference [1] ALSO:National - Time to stop playing the blame game, Dr Cullen [2]
Britain Hopes for NZ in Afghanistan, National Hopes for Explanation
- The Government is being asked to explain statements made to the United Kingdom House of Commons by the Secretary of
Defence John Reid that suggest New Zealand may send more troops to Afghanistan. National Party spokesman on Foreign
Affairs and Defence Murray McCully today drew attention to the statements and called for an explanation. See... McCully: Please explain troop offer [1]
MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:
NZ Govt - Davos talks progress WTO trade negotiations [1] NZ Govt - Marine protection planning system modernised [2] NZ Govt - Most will benefit from Working for Families [3] NZ Govt - New Zealand makes contribution to food aid appeal [4] NZ Govt - NZQA gets 'achieved' for exam season [5] National - 20-hours-free policy will raise costs [6] National - Trade Me sharemarket proposal crazy [7] National - Minister goes on trip during prisons crisis [8] National - Night classes can be saved [9] Greens - Greens asked to get active on fight [10] Greens - Happy Valley protesters to be applauded [11] Progressive - Anderton Answers Anti-drug Crusader's Call [12] NZ First - Deteriorating Maternity Care Shameful [13] NZ First - Teen Sex And Drugs Don't Rock And Roll [14] NZ First - Home Ownership Dream Won't Go Away [15] United Future - Copeland slates 'wasteful' possum poisoning [16] United Future - Copeland seeks ban on 'Dr Death' [17]
POLITICAL COLUMNS: