Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics
TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Sport: Productivity Falls As Sevens Fever Sweeps Capital
Waitangi Day: Harawira Says Waitangi Day Remains Relevant
Crime: New Zealander Arrested On Norfolk Island Murder Charge
MORE HEADLINES
Video: Bush Delivers State Of The Nation Warning To Foreign Opposition
Annan appeals for aid to Afghanistan at launch
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES
SCOOP COLUMNS:
State of the Union: Sheehan Arrested for Fashion-Related Crime
MORE COMMENTARY
OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
Politics: Brash Delivers Orewa-III Speech On The Economy
Foreign Affairs: Goff Supports Strong Security Council Message To Iran
Central Government To Invest In Auckland's Infrastructure
Health: Counties Manukau Health Opens New $8m Neonatal Unit
Industry News: Unemployment Dropped 22 Percent In 2005
Scoop Audio: PM's Post-Cabinet Press Conference
MORE POLITICS NEWS
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TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
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Sport: Productivity Falls As Sevens Fever Sweeps Capital
[1] Teams from the upcoming Rugby Sevens competition paraded through the streets of Wellington this lunchtime, to the sounds of salsa, pop music and island drums. Workers, many of whom will be late getting back to work, thronged the capital's Golden Mile basking in the festive fun. Accompanied by musicians and performers in the traditional silly costumes, the players made their from Parliament to a reception in Civic Square, throwing candy to supporters as they went. See... Sevens Parade Leads To Long Lunch Hour For Workers [2]
Waitangi Day: Harawira Says Waitangi Day Remains Relevant
- Hone Harawira, Maori Party MP for Tai Tokerau "I agree with Dr Moon that very few people have a good understanding of
the significance and purpose of Te Tiriti o Waitangi" said Hone Harawira, Maori Party MP for Tai Tokerau, and long-time
Treaty activist,"but his suggestion that Waitangi Day has become 'little more than a parade for politicians and
protestors', is at odds with reality." See... Waitangi Day Rocks [1] MORE WAITANGI NEWS:Prime Minister at Marae on Waitangi Day [2] Alternative routes for Waitangi Weekend [3] Picnic Weather For Weekend And Waitangi Day [4] Waitakere community gathers at Open Marae [5] Waitangi Day At The Mount With Music And Art [6]
Crime: New Zealander Arrested On Norfolk Island Murder Charge
- Almost four years after the body of Janelle Patton was found on Norfolk Island, a New Zealand man was arrested in
relation to her murder. New Zealand Police arrested a 28-year-old man at a premises near the town of Nelson on the New
Zealand South Island following a lengthy investigation by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in their capacity as
Norfolk Island Police. The AFP had conducted a large number of forensic tests during the course of this investigation,
however a recent breakthrough led to the arrest of the man. See... Norfolk Island Murder Arrest [1]
MORE HEADLINES:
Bumper school rolls for 2006 [1] GPJA Supporters Urged To Attend Community Rally [2] New Zealand Urged To Use Smokefree Status [3] ARC Rating Claims Exposed [4] Royal New Zealand Ballet's The Wedding [5]
Video: Bush Delivers State Of The Nation Warning To Foreign Opposition
- "Abroad, our nation is committed to an historic, long-term goal -- we seek the end of tyranny in our world. Some
dismiss that goal as misguided idealism… Dictatorships shelter terrorists, and feed resentment and radicalism, and seek
weapons of mass destruction. Democracies replace resentment with hope, respect the rights of their citizens and their
neighbors, and join the fight against terror. Every step toward freedom in the world makes our country safer -- so we
will act boldly in freedom's cause." See... Video: Bush Delivers State of the Union Address [1] ALSO:Text: President Bush Delivers State of Union Address [2]
Annan appeals for aid to Afghanistan at launch
- On its difficult journey from conflict and devastation to nascent democracy, Afghanistan has succeeded in forging a
progressively reinvigorated State, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today in London, urging the international community
to respond with assistance and pledging the support of the United Nations in this endeavour. “This is time for committed
action,” he said. “After being forced to sacrifice so much in war, the Afghan people have willingly given even more to
peace. They expect a peace dividend. And they deserve it,” he told the opening of a two-day donors' conference on
Afghanistan, which is co-hosted by the Afghan and British Governments as well as the UN. See... Annan appeals for aid to Afghanistan at launch [1] ALSO:Global community's stake in Afghanistan's stablity [2]
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
Violence ebbs in Sri Lanka but tensions persist [1] UN Interim Force in Lebanon extended through July [2] Chávez’s Solution to the Caribbean Oil Crisis [3] New Report on core labour standards in Israel [4] Ukraine: life in exchange for 250,000 tons of coal [5]
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SCOOP COLUMNS
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State of the Union: Sheehan Arrested for Fashion-Related Crime
- Cindy Sheehan lost her son in Bush's war. Tonight she accepted an invitation from Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey to
attend Bush's State of the Union speech. She had told me earlier that she didn't want to go. But she ended up going. All
day she had been wearing a t-shirt and a sweat shirt. When she unzipped the sweat shirt, revealing that the t-shirt
displayed a count of US soldiers killed in Iraq, the Capitol Police lifted her out of her seat and hauled her off to
jail. She was released over 3 hours later, charged with unlawful conduct, which carries a fine of $45. See... Sheehan Released After Arrest for Wearing Shirt [1] ALSO:Jason Leopold: A Night of Fear Mongering, Big Time [2] Public Address 02/02/06 - Results May Vary [3] EARLIER:William Rivers Pitt: The State of the Union [4] Gore Vidal Delivers State of the Union [5]
More Commentary:
Christine Smith: Interview With Gore Vidal [1] Toni Solo: Education, neo-colonialism and self-determination [2] Sol Salbe: What can Israel and the Hamas learn from Ireland [3] Public Address 01/02/06 - Cheese [4] Jason Leopold: Bush Ignored 9/11 Warnings [5] Weiner: Reform the Democrats - Or a Third Party? [6]
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OTHER NEWS (JUST POLITICS)
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Politics: Brash Delivers Orewa-III Speech On The Economy
- National Party leader Don Brash says the chickens have come home to roost with the slowing economy: “Labour’s legacy is a faltering economy. We have
the unedifying spectacle of a Prime Minister who is supposed to be leading the country, instead frozen like an opossum
in the headlights of an oncoming Aussie truck… The collapse in business confidence is like the warning light on your
petrol tank – ignore it at your peril. Well, it is flashing, and the Government is asleep at the wheel.” See... Economy suffers as Labour fails to act [1] ALSO:Brash Speech: Labour’s Legacy: A Faltering Economy [2] Brash - Govt fails to heed economic warnings [3] Winston Peters - Grim Reaper's Contribution Offers No Solutions [4] Cullen on Brash: Is that all? [5] Revenue Minister Dunne confirms tax reform well on track [6] Greens - Dream on Don! [7]
Foreign Affairs: Goff Supports Strong Security Council Message To Iran
- Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Goff expressed New Zealand's support for the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA) extraordinary meeting in Vienna on February 2 and 3 to report Iran’s nuclear programme to the United
Nations Security Council. "The unanimity of the concerns expressed by Britain, France, Germany, Russia, China and the
United States should send a strong and clear message to Iran," Mr Goff said. See... NZ supports decision on Iran nuclear programme [1]
Central Government To Invest In Auckland's Infrastructure
- Auckland City is delighted with the central government's steps toward supporting economic growth in Auckland through
the development of key infrastructure in the city. Earlier this month, the government announced part of the economic
transformation agenda was to prioritise and support funding for infrastructure in Auckland city. "This kind of support
is crucial to Auckland's economic development," said Councillor Richard Northey. See... Auckland City welcomes central government support [1]
Health: Counties Manukau Health Opens New $8m Neonatal Unit
- A new $8 million neonatal unit will be a huge asset for families in Counties Manukau and the wider Auckland region,
Health Minister Pete Hodgson said today. The unit – which had its official opening today at Middlemore Hospital – was
developed following a national review of neonatal capacity in 2004. "Having a newborn baby with a serious illness is a
tremendously difficult situation for any family to deal with," Pete Hodgson said. See... New neonatal unit to provide care for 600 newborns [1]
Industry News: Unemployment Dropped 22 Percent In 2005
- New statistics show that the number of people receiving an Unemployment Benefit fell by a further 14,543, or 22 percent over the year to
December 2005. Social Development and Employment Minister David Benson-Pope says the latest quarterly benefit statistics
prepared by the Ministry for Social Development highlight the strong gains the Labour-led government has made in moving
New Zealanders off benefits and into work. The latest figures show that overall the total number of people receiving any
kind of benefit decreased by a further 17,616, or six percent in the 12 months to December. See... Unemployment benefit numbers drop by 22% in 2005 [1]
Scoop Audio: PM's Post-Cabinet Press Conference
- The Prime Minister Helen Clark enjoyed a rather relaxed post cabinet press conference today, with a good many gallery
journalists having headed northwards in order to receive National Leader Don Brash's Orewa speech firsthand. Those in
the gallery that remained wished to know what the PM thought about Dr Brash's speech to the residents of Orewa. Other
topics canvassed on a hot, muggy Wellington day included a possible visit by British PM Tony Blair and whether PMs (both
past and present) are kept in the dark by the Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB).Scoop Audio: PM Has Presser, While Brash Rarks Up Orewa [1]
MORE POLITICS NEWS:
Govt - Spotlight on "salary sacrifice" for tax purposes [1] Greens - Controls on Transpower welcomed [2] Maori Party - Who will Pay for Downstream Costs of Clumsy Counci [3]