Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Monday, 27 February 2006, 5:43 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Arts: NZ International Arts Festival Opening Weekend
David Benson-Pope: As Benny Hillesque Accusations 'Carry On' PM Responds -
Legal Issues: Malevolent Occult Forces Not Involved In Legislation Say Greens -
Scoop Column: Sackings, Sackings and Slaggings
Prison Vids: Is What We Have Here A Failure To Rehabilatate?
MORE HEADLINES:
Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian revenues: a brazen violation of international law
UN human rights chief distressed by Chechnya’s law enforcement system
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Dahr Jamail & Ors On Sectarian Violence In Iraq
Jason Leopold On The PlameGate Blowback
MORE COMMENTARY & OPINION:

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
Pita Sharples Suggests A Violence Reality Check
Navy Seeks New Home For Old Boat
Govt. Approves Plans To Move Rare Snails
MORE POLITICS HEADLINES:

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…. The Scoop Team

Arts: NZ International Arts Festival Opening Weekend

Opening night of the New Zealand International Arts Festival. There's a sense of importance and occasion among the crowd at the St James, even if some of them were not sufficiently awed to remember to turn their cell phones off. This is serious fun. The gentleman next to me had spent the day in Auckland, listening to Bill Clinton, and this was apparently the first of 40 festival events on his schedule. He was clearly ready to fork out serious money to be entertained. See... Arts Festival Review: The History Boys [1] MORE SCOOP REVIEWS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00306.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00335.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00310.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00309.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00308.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00307.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00305.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00304.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00303.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00334.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00333.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0602/S00199.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/features/festival2006.html

David Benson-Pope: As Benny Hillesque Accusations 'Carry On' PM Responds -

Scoop Audio: It's official – there is no other story the New Zealand media is more interested in than David Benson-Pope and his ill-fated teaching exploits at Bayfield High. Today the Prime Minister of New Zealand faced a barrage of questions regarding Mr Benson-Pope. There was no chance for a hesitant hack, as reporters yelled over the top of each other with their questions. See... PM's Presser: Latest (27/02/06) DBP Questions [1] ALSO:

- A Week Of It reveals how competition among media-co's has intensified even for freelancers - Air NZ get's the last say on who will or will not be sacked - And, National gets septic over Bill Clinton's talk-fest! See... Radio Ructions - The Story You Probably Won't Hear On Mediawatch - Air NZ Boss Leaves Potentially Departing Staff Inspiring Recorded Message - Andrew Little discusses Air NZ lay offs - National's Foreign Affairs dude lashes Out At Ex U.S. President... A Week of It: RadioNZ Ructions - Air NZ Advisories [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00301.htm

Prison Vids: Is What We Have Here A Failure To Rehabilatate?

- National's Law & Order spokesman, Simon Power, says it is little wonder some rehabilitation programmes are not working when the Corrections Department is letting prisoners watch movies containing graphic violence, nudity, drug abuse and jail breaks. See... R-rated movies don't rehabilitate prisoners [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00413.htm

MORE HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00405.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0602/S00188.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0602/S00352.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0602/S00044.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0602/S00215.htm

Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian revenues: a brazen violation of international law

- Events within the Occupied Territories following Hamas’s victory in Palestinian legislative council elections last month have again demonstrated Israel’s and Washington’s blatant disregard for international law. Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian tax and customs revenues worth an estimated $50 million a month is indicative of the illegal measures currently being implemented. The Bush administration has unambiguously backed this provocative response to the Islamists’ election win. See... Israel’s confiscation of Palestinian revenues [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00473.htm

UN human rights chief distressed by Chechnya’s law enforcement system

- After a second visit to the Russian Federation that included time in the troubled region of Chechnya, the United Nations top human rights official said today in Moscow that she had “very serious concerns” about Chechnya’s law enforcement system. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour said she found two phenomena particularly disturbing: the use of torture to extract confessions and information, and the intimidation of people who make complaints against public officials. See... UN human rights chief distressed by Chechnya’s law [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00462.htm

MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00470.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00468.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00464.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00461.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0602/S00451.htm

Dahr Jamail & Ors On Sectarian Violence In Iraq

- The most important question to ask regarding the bombings of the Golden Mosque in Samarra on the 22nd is: who benefits? Prior to asking this question, let us note the timing of the bombing. The last weeks in Iraq have been a PR disaster for the occupiers. See... Dahr Jamail's Iraq Dispatches: Who Benefits? [1] MORE:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00331.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00316.htm

Jason Leopold On The PlameGate Blowback

- Two top Bush administration officials who played an active role in the leak of covert CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson, have been removing from their jobs, career State Deptartment weapons experts who have spoken to investigators during the past two years about the officials role in the leak, according to a half-dozen State Department officials. See... Plame Whistleblowers Targeted by Administration [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00328.htm

MORE COMMENTARY & OPINION:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00332.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00330.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00329.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00327.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00326.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00325.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00324.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00323.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00322.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00321.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00320.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00319.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00318.htm
[14] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00317.htm
[15] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00315.htm
[16] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00314.htm
[17] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00313.htm
[18] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0602/S00312.htm

Pita Sharples Suggests A Violence Reality Check

- "It's time to get real about the crisis facing many of our families in confronting violent crime" stated Dr Pita Sharples today in response to the media release describing a dramatic increase in number of youths caught for grievous or serious assaults. See... Let's Get Real about Violence says Sharples [1] MORE: NZ First - Judge Confirms Worrying Trend [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00430.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00424.htm

Navy Seeks New Home For Old Boat

- The Royal New Zealand Navy will being seeking proposals for disposal of the decommissioned frigate HMNZS Canterbury within the next few weeks, Defence Minister Phil said today. See... Navy to seek proposals for disposal of Canterbury [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00427.htm

Govt. Approves Plans To Move Rare Snails

- Conservation Minister Chris Carter has approved a permit under the Wildlife Act to allow Solid Energy to move a small population of Powelliphanta Augustus snails at the southern end of its Stockton Mine. . Carter approves permit to move Powelliphanta snail [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00426.htm

MORE POLITICS HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00429.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00428.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00425.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00423.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00422.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00421.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00420.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00419.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00418.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00417.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00416.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00415.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00413.htm
[14] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00412.htm
[15] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00411.htm
[16] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00410.htm
[17] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00408.htm
[18] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00407.htm
[19] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00406.htm
[20] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00405.htm
[21] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00404.htm
[22] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0602/S00403.htm

ENDS

© 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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