TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Health: Harawira Outlines Battle Plans For Fight Against Big Tobacco
Timor: Old Hands Dig In For the Second Time -
MORE HEADLINES:
Designer Charity: Custom Jackets to be Auctioned for Auckland Mission -
Zimbabwe: Shocking Satellite Images Of The Obliteration Of A Community
Timor-Leste: Senior UN Official ‘Hits Ground Running’ In Seeking To Resolve Violence
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
SCOOP COLUMNS:
Iraq: Dahr Jamail On Iraq's Countless My Lais
Art: Graham Reid Steps Into The Et. Al. Debate
Tourism: Richard S. Ehrlich Writes Home From Istanbul
Oil & Gas: Toni Solo Has A Recon. Around Latin America's Oil Industry
MORE SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:
OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
Kiwi Pride: Cullen Pleased At The Ease of Hiring And Firing In NZ -
Foreign Affairs: Oman And NZ Sign Massive Tertiary Deal
Kiwi Pride: Brash Says Tax and Separatism Threaten His Beloved New Zealand
MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:
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TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
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Paul Buchanan writes: [1] Political instability and collective violence in Fiji, the Solomons, East Timor raises questions about NZ’s intelligence and security capabilities in its primary area of geostrategic concern, the southwestern Pacific Rim. Since the NZSIS receives most of external threat assessment data from the External Assessment Bureau (EAB) in the Prime Minister’s department, the failure to collect and accurately analyse intelligence on these regional hotspots extends to the core of the Labour government. See... NZ Intel Failure Evident In Timor Leste Crisis [2] ALSO:State Of It: NZ Intel Failure Demands Inquiry [3]
Health: Harawira Outlines Battle Plans For Fight Against Big Tobacco
- “We don’t smoke this shit - we sell it. We reserve the right to smoke it, to the young, the poor, the black, and the
stupid.” Such are the words of the tobacco industry. Well - today we launch a campaign to rid our country of bastards
who think like this, the companies they work for, and the poison they sell us. I’ve been an anti-smoking nutter for
fifteen years now, but when I became an MP my focus changed and so did my target. See... Harawira Declares War On Big Tobacco [1] And Harawira: Up In Smoke [2] ALSO: Maori endangered species says Te Reo Marama [3] Taki Tahi Toa Mano - Smokefree Tairawhiti Reinvigorates Group [4] Taki Tahi Toa Mano - Smokefree Campaign moves from New York to Gisborne [5] NZ Govt - Strides made against Tobacco use - next up alcohol [6] NZ Govt - Anderton: Drug Foundation Policy Roundtable [7]
Timor: Old Hands Dig In For the Second Time -
In a case of déjà vu for New Zealand soldiers, almost half of the NZDF troops deployed recently are experienced veterans
who served in Timor-Leste during earlier military operations. Of the 42 personnel based in Dili, 19 have deployed to
(then) East Timor between 1999 and 2003 as part of six battalion rotations. See... Timor Veterans Return [1] and NZDF In Timor [2] ALSO:
Scoop Audio:PM Answers A Lot Of Timor Questions [3]
bFM Audio: Noelle McCarthy IVs Acland Over Timor Crisis [4]
bFM Audio: IV With Timor Leste Expert Dr. Helen Hill [5] Scoop Full Coverage - Timor Leste Update [6] New Zealand Defence Force - Company Make Preparations for Move [7] Australian Defence Force - ADF Operational Update - Op Astute [8]
Scoop Audio:PM Answers A Lot Of Timor Questions [3]
bFM Audio: Noelle McCarthy IVs Acland Over Timor Crisis [4]
bFM Audio: IV With Timor Leste Expert Dr. Helen Hill [5] Scoop Full Coverage - Timor Leste Update [6] New Zealand Defence Force - Company Make Preparations for Move [7] Australian Defence Force - ADF Operational Update - Op Astute [8]
MORE HEADLINES:
Peters meets with head of Israeli Foreign Ministry [1] Allocation Takes Police Staffing To Over 10,500 [2] Rules for overseas drivers take effect tomorrow [3] Queen's Birthday: Unsettled Weather [4] Hugh Cornwell (the Stranglers) NZ Tour [5]
Designer Charity: Custom Jackets to be Auctioned for Auckland Mission -
Winter fashion has hotted up this year with the Spiewak ‘Sprayed and wrapped’ charity auction. Ten artists from around
the country have used different styles to customise Spiewak jackets. The jackets express the work of the Auckland City
Mission and how people and society are affected by marginalisation. The artists drew inspiration for the jackets from
the services and work of the Auckland City Mission in the greater Auckland area. See... Warming up with artwork [1]
Zimbabwe: Shocking Satellite Images Of The Obliteration Of A Community
- Amnesty International today released the first-ever satellite images of the wholesale destruction of a large
community in Zimbabwe -- providing the clearest possible evidence to date of the devastating impact of the Zimbabwean
government's policy of house demolitions Pictured: Satellite image of Porta Farm, Zimbabwe, 22 June 2002, © Digital Globe, Inc. (2006) "These satellite images are irrefutable evidence -- if further evidence is even needed -- that the Zimbabwean
government has obliterated entire communities -- completely erased them from the map, as if they never existed," said
Kolawole Olaniyan, Director of Amnesty International's Africa programme. See... Zimbabwe: Satellite images shocking evidence [1]
Timor-Leste: Senior UN Official ‘Hits Ground Running’ In Seeking To Resolve Violence
- With a senior United Nations official on the ground in Timor-Leste today seeking to defuse the violence that has torn
through the small country in recent weeks, UN agencies have resumed food distributions to camps holding 100,000
internally displaced persons (IDPs) but conditions in them are worsening due to overcrowding and rain. See... Timor-Leste: Senior UN official ‘hits ground running’ in seeking to resolve violence [1] ALSO:Indonesia: Aceh Rights Court Must Address Abuse [2]
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
Iraqi union leader kidnapped, tortured & murdered [1] Pro-democracy march planned in Tonga [2] Papuan religious leader spooked by Indonesians [3] Myanmar: Annan to fight on for Aung San Suu Kyi [4] Saudi Arabia: Guantanamo Detainees Return to Limbo [5]
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SCOOP COLUMNS
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Iraq: Dahr Jamail On Iraq's Countless My Lais
- The media feeding frenzy around what has been referred to as "Iraq's My Lai" has become frenetic. Focus on US Marines
slaughtering at least 20 civilians in Haditha last November is reminiscent of the media spasm around the "scandal" of
Abu Ghraib ... See... Dahr Jamail: Countless My Lai Massacres in Iraq [1] MORE: Marjorie Cohn - Marjorie Cohn: The Haditha Massacre [2]
Art: Graham Reid Steps Into The Et. Al. Debate
- I suspect I am in a fairly small minority in this country: I have been to two Venice Biennales and -- here's the
punch line -- I paid my own way both times. More fool me, I like art. When we went to Europe for two months at the end
of last year I had three specific things I wanted to see: the moving painting of Pilgrims Going To Mecca by Leon Belly
in the Musee d'Orsay in Paris (it was in storage!); Sir Norman Foster's bridge at Millau in the south of France (it
confirmed my belief that it is the first great piece of 21st century architecture); and a Venice Biennale again. See... Public Address 01/06/06 - Et Al, Etcetera Etc. [1]
Tourism: Richard S. Ehrlich Writes Home From Istanbul
- ISTANBUL, Turkey -- The cylindrical "fez" hat, with its dangling black tassel, provokes feelings of resentment,
humiliation and grim memories of repression among many proud, nationalistic Turks. Another traditional symbol of Turkey,
the white-robed Whirling Dervishes and their 700-year-old mystical Sufi brand of Islam, conjure up different responses,
evoking a confused mix of suspicion and admiration. See... Richard S. Ehrlich: A Letter From Turkey [1]
Oil & Gas: Toni Solo Has A Recon. Around Latin America's Oil Industry
- Much attention has focused lately on the Bolivian government's nationalization of the country's hydrocarbon
resources. Bolivia's policy change follows up the Venezuelan government's systematic renegotiation of contracts with
foreign petroleum companies which dramatically increased revenue available to benefit Venezuela's people. Ecuador has
reinforced that regional trend by terminating agreements with the US oil multinational Occidental Petroleum in response
to 43 alleged breaches of contract by that company. All these moves indicate a rethink by Latin American governments
about how best to manage their energy resources. See... Rough Reckoning: Energy In Latin America [1]
MORE SCOOP COMMENT & OPINION:
Russ Wellen - Making the World Safe for Anti-Semitism [1] Undernews - Huge Banking Firm's Man Takes Over Treasury Again [2] Mark S. Tucker - Remember Vote Fraud: A Review - Part 1 [3] William Fisher - William Fisher: Another Lipsticked Pig? [4] & William Fisher: The Mouse on Steroids [5] Ramzy Baroud - Palestinian Violence Indicator Of Bigger Battle [6] Kelpie Wilson - Monkey Business 2008 [7] Green Left Weekly - Climate change: Nuclear Is No Solution! [8] Narconews - Weak Mandate for Uribe in Colombia [9] Tanveer Jafri - Shadow of Pentagon on CIA [10] Kamala Sarup - Crimes Against Women Still Prevalent [11] & Politics Of Education [12] Bernard Weiner - The Seven Pillars of Misrule [13] Ernest Partridge - Swords Into Plowshares [14] Madan P. Khanal - People Victims Of Nepal’s Politics Of Vengeance [15] Between The Lines - NAFTA's Role in Fueling Illegal Immigration to US [16]
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OTHER NEWS (JUST POLITICS)
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Kiwi Pride: Cullen Pleased At The Ease of Hiring And Firing In NZ -
Finance Minister Michael Cullen has welcomed further proof from the World Bank that New Zealand remains a top performing
economy. In December the bank rated New Zealand as the easiest country out of 155 to do business in. Australia ranked
sixth. The World Bank has now released a detailed breakdown of the 2005 survey results comparing New Zealand's
performance against the OECD average. See... World Bank ranks NZ a great place to do business [1]
Foreign Affairs: Oman And NZ Sign Massive Tertiary Deal
- A consortium of tertiary education organisations have signed a deal to provide course content to the Omani Ministry
of Higher Education in one of the biggest international education contracts this country has signed. A five year deal to
provide course content to universities in Oman is a testimony to the quality of our tertiary education institutions,
Tertiary Education Minister Michael Cullen said today. See... Big overseas education contract with Oman signed [1]
Kiwi Pride: Brash Says Tax and Separatism Threaten His Beloved New Zealand
- National Party Leader Don Brash has today rubbished Labour's claims that he is bagging New Zealand by highlighting
Australia's far more attractive tax system. In a speech to the Rotary Club of Auckland, Dr Brash slams Helen Clark and
other Labour MPs for their continued attacks on him since the Budget's failure to deliver badly needed tax cuts. See... Brash rubbishes claims he's bagging NZ [1] ALSO:Govt - "Digger" Don digs himself deeper into trouble [2] NZ National Party - Don Brash - Proud to be a Kiwi [3]
MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:
NZ Govt - Peters meets with head of Israeli Foreign Ministry [1] NZ Govt - Four new social housing units opened in Nelson [2] NZ Govt - Mâori Party misleads over Mâori unemployment [3] NZ Govt - Obesity campaign could save thousands of lives [4] NZ Govt - Report: significant progress on child exploitation [5] NZ Govt - Strides made against alcohol use - next up alcohol [6] NZ Govt - Sutton Visits Fiji to Talk Business [7] NZ Govt - Paying tribute to our champions [8] NZ Govt - Improved farm practices win praise [9] NZ Govt - Budget funding for home rating scheme [10] NZ Govt - World Bank ranks NZ a great place to do business [11] NZ Govt - Urgent reports sought on Chch crash findings [12] NZ Govt - Government support helps firm's success [13] NZ Govt - NZ to push for real solutions at UN AIDS meeting [14] NZ Govt - Cosgrove introduces JP Amendment Bill [15] NZ Govt - Chief Human Rights Commissioner reappointed [16] NZ Govt - $5.9 million for upgrade of Te Ara Hou [17] National - Staff problems dog Corrections [18] National - Decoy cops: do they carry batons, pepper spray? [19] National - Hodgson clumsy and incompetent [20] National - Wait-emata: heart patients turned away [21] National - Skyhawk sale bungled [22] National - Biennale report misses the point [23] National - Hodgson, Dunne split over medicines policy [24] NZ First - Workforce Crisis Wake Up Call [25] NZ First - Climb Every Mountain [26] Green Party - Fizzy drink decision a step in the right direction [27] Green Party - Incentives needed to stop pollution from dairying [28] Maori Party - "Too Slow Too Furious" [29] United Future - Grandparents suffer from broken Budget promise [30]
ENDS