TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
SCOOP IS IN THE HOUSE:
Politics: Philip Field Report - No Conflict Of Interest But Bad Judgement
Media And Justice: RadioWorks Contempt Punishment Stings Wrist A Little
News Flash: Head Farmer Doesn't Like Greenies
Commerce: BNZ Pleads Guilty On Credit Card Exchange Fees
Arts: High School Poets Award Shortlist Out
Agriculture: Now Easier To Score Industrial Hemp
PM's Presser Audio: Who's Honourable, Middle East, Winston In Washington & Zaoui
Trade: EU Butter Ruling Gives European Importers a Slice of Fonterra's Action
Economy: Inflation Hits 4 Percent Thanks to Oil Prices
Scoop Satire: Trust's Anti-Welfare State Comments "Not Stupid", Says Sarcasm Professional
Foreign Affairs: Middle East Conflict Restricted To Press Release Battle In NZ -
MORE HEADLINES:
War: Is There Another Option? – UN Sends Team
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
SCOOP COLUMNS:
War: Uri Avnery (Israeli) Discloses The Real Aim Of This War
Mexico: A Million Mexicans Protest Election Fraud
War Lies: Why Outed CIA Officer & Husband Are Suing
Energy: Bonus Joules uses solar energy to stop the shivers and THE ECONOMY shakes
MORE COMMENT AND OPINION:
OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
POLITICAL NEWSLETTERS:
Foreign Affairs: Dunne Steps Up For Aid Budget
MPs in World News: Groser Goes to Markets
Environment: Marsden B Ruling - Call For Carbon In RMA
Local Government: Annual Conference Opens in Wellington
Education: Questions On Lack Of Internal Assessment Checks
MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:
POLITICAL COLUMNS
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TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
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[1] - In among the tens of thousands of words being written at the moment on Middle East fighting there lurks some obvious home truths. In a letter to today's Sydney Morning Herald Dennis Shakesheff managed to condense it into three sentences: "I think most observers would agree that Israel's response to the Palestinians' recent provocation is disproportionate. Yet one can't help but be struck by the stupidity of it. Can anyone think of a case in history when a people has been bombed into submission?" If you add Lebanon/Lebanese to the equation you just about got it all in a nutshell. Sol Salbe: Middle East Round-Up [2] MORE COMMENT ON MIDDLE EAST CRISIS: Am Johal - Thoughts While Getting Out of Missile Range [3] William Rivers Pitt - Cheerleading the Apocalypse [4] Dr. Abbas Bakhtiar - A Coup Attempt That Started A War [5] Rabbi Michael Lerner - End the Suffering in the ME [6] Media Lens - Media Alert: Blaming The Victim In Gaza [7] Mike Whitney - One Giant Gaza Strip [8] See also... More Comment & Opinion On ME Crisis [9] LATEST BREAKING NEWS: Scoop Link - Bush, Blair's Mideast Chat Caught On Open Mic. [10] Scoop Link - Blair Calls for Peacekeeping Force in Lebanon [11] US State Dept - Daily Press Briefing July 17, 2006 [12] United Nations - UN Force In Lebanon All Efforts To Help Civilians [13] , ME: UN Team Leader Cites "Promising First Efforts" [14] & UNSC Should Discuss Stabilization Force For ME [15] G8 Leaders - G8 Leaders Statement On Middle East Crisis [16] UK Government - G8 "overshadowed" by events in Middle East - Blair [17] See also Scoop's compiled first source coverage... Is There Another Option? - UN Sends Team [18] See also... Full Coverage: Israel Attacks Lebanon - July 2006 [19]
SCOOP IS IN THE HOUSE:
Politics: Philip Field Report - No Conflict Of Interest But Bad Judgement
- Prime Minister Helen Clark today released the report of Mr Ingram QC into matters relating to Taito Phillip Field. Mr
Ingram was asked to enquire into whether any conflict existed between Mr Field's duties as a minister and his private
interests. "Mr Ingram has concluded that there was not such a conflict of interest. He reports that Mr Field was at all
times co-operative with the inquiry. See... Ingram report released [1] ALSO:The Ingram Report (PDF) [2] National - Brash calls on Clark to order Com. of Inquiry [3]
Media And Justice: RadioWorks Contempt Punishment Stings Wrist A Little
- RadioWorks was today convicted in the Auckland District Court with breach of a suppression order. The charge relates
to the suppression surrounding the Rickards/Schollum/Shipton case and arises from comments broadcast on Radio Live on 26
May 2006. RadioWorks pleaded guilty to the charge and has been fined $750. See... RadioWorks Breach Of Suppression Order [1]
News Flash: Head Farmer Doesn't Like Greenies
- Environmentalism does not speak about the good of man and what mankind has achieved. Like missionaries it talks of
man's work as negatives to the natural environment. Environmentalists and historic missionaries both look upon mankind
and our achievements as a negative that needs to be curbed and defeated. Environmentalism talks of humans failings and
is scathing of its influences and the changes made to the "natural world", and seeks to wind the clock back. See... Pedersen: Address to the Annual Conference [1] ALSO:Reserve Bank - Bollard: Speech to Federated Farmers Conference [2] Forest And Bird - Farmers are environmentalists, too [3]
Commerce: BNZ Pleads Guilty On Credit Card Exchange Fees
- The BNZ has become the third major bank to plead guilty to breaching the Fair Trading Act by failing to properly
disclose fees charged for overseas currency transactions on its credit and debit cards. The company pleaded guilty to 21
representative charges of breaching the Fair Trading Act. See... BNZ guilty plea on card fees: $5 mil compensation [1] ALSO:BNZ - BNZ Settles with Commerce Commission on Card Fees [2]
Arts: High School Poets Award Shortlist Out
- Ten secondary school students from throughout New Zealand were today delighted to be announced in the short list of
aspiring poets in the Bell Gully National Schools Poetry Award, organised by Victoria University's Institute of Modern
Letters (IIML). The winning poems were unveiled by top New Zealand poets Bill Manhire, Elizabeth Knox and Hinemoana
Baker. See... Top NZ Young Poets Announced [1]
Agriculture: Now Easier To Score Industrial Hemp
- Commercial cultivation of hemp may become more common with a relaxing of the rules around its production from August
1. The Ministry's medicine regulatory agency Medsafe will be implementing a new but less onerous regulatory regime for
the cultivation, processing and distribution of industrial hemp as an agricultural crop. See... New licensing rules for industrial hemp [1]
PM's Presser Audio: Who's Honourable, Middle East, Winston In Washington & Zaoui
- Prime Minister Helen Clark held her post cabinet press conference a little earlier than usual today in advance of a
plane journey out of the capital. The question and answer session began with a series of questions on the Middle East
crisis and also covered Winston Peter's trip to Washington to meet with Condoleezza Rice, the further delay of the Zaoui
Case and local authority rate increases. See... PM's Presser: Honorifics, The Middle East & Zaoui [1] ALSO:NZ Govt - PM announces changes to use of 'The Honourable' [2]
Trade: EU Butter Ruling Gives European Importers a Slice of Fonterra's Action
- The problems leading to the current ban on New Zealand butter sales to Europe have been widely described as
technical. This is a misrepresentation. The reality is that the rulings from the European Court of Justice mean that
significant changes will be required to the way the butter trade into Europe is managed. This is going to affect the net
returns that New Zealand receives. See... EU butter bans are more than technical [1] ALSO:NZ Govt - Goff conveys concerns on butter to EU [2] NZ Govt - EU Proposes to Suspend New Zealand Butter Trade [3] Fonterra - EU Action Extraordinary: Fonterra [4] NZ First - Kiwi Butter Better [5]
Economy: Inflation Hits 4 Percent Thanks to Oil Prices
- The annual inflation rate, as measured by the Consumers Price Index (CPI), increased 4.0 percent for the year to the
June 2006 quarter, up from 3.3 percent for the year to the March 2006 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said today. On a
quarterly basis, the CPI increased 1.5 percent in the June 2006 quarter, following a 0.6 percent increase in the March
2006 quarter. See... CPI Annual Inflation Rises to 4.0 Percent [1] ALSO:Statistics New Zealand - Fresh Vegetables Push Food Prices Up [2] Greens - CPI figures show need for alternatives to oil [3] CTU - Low Income Workers Affected By Petrol Prices [4] Massey University - Slow increase in house prices but sales steady [5]
Scoop Satire: Trust's Anti-Welfare State Comments "Not Stupid", Says Sarcasm Professional
- Scoop.co.nz's resident satirist has been left at a loss by recent press release from the Sensible Sentencing Trust,
headed 'Welfare State Killed Kahui Twins, Says Watchdog'. "Normally I can think of something pertinent and humorous to
say about any release if I put my mind to it," explained the satirist, "but this one does not seems to be risible in any
way." See... Hood: Satirist Seeks Angle On McVicar Comments [1] ALSO:Scoop Satire - Holiday Entertainment for MPs [2]
Foreign Affairs: Middle East Conflict Restricted To Press Release Battle In NZ -
Israel's Honorary Consul David Zwartz today said a letter of protest from Green MP Keith Locke was one-sided and based
on ignorance of the sources of violence in the Arab-Israel conflict. "Mr Locke spoke of the need for negotiations
between Israel and the Hamas. He admitted he had not read the Hamas Covenant, and therefore did not know about its
Article 13 which rejects negotiated peace settlements. See... Greens' Middle East View Ignorant And One-Sided [1] SEE ALSO: Greens - Protest letter from Greens to Israel over Gaza [2] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Lebanon Travel Advice [3] Auckland University - Palestinian women bear burden of conflict [4] Students for Justice in Palestine - Students Call NZ To Speak Out On Israel Aggression [5] Wellington Palestine Group - Israeli Consul must convey NZ concerns to Tel Aviv [6] Nelson Peace Group - Peace Group Demands Action Over Middle East [7]
MORE HEADLINES:
Visually Impaired Woman Sexually Attacked [1] Welfare State Killed Kahui Twins, Says Watchdog [2] A first for organics [3] Reality Rodeo Show Is A Bucking Good Ride! [4] A Buoyant Wellington Economy [5]
Is There Another Option? – UN Sends Team
- United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s high-level team to the Middle East, which includes his Special
Political Adviser, arrived in Cairo today on the first leg of a diplomatic mission aimed at stemming the increasing
violence between Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinians. The mission’s first meeting is scheduled with Egyptian Foreign
Minister Abu Ghait after which the three-person team is expected to hold discussions with the Secretary-General of the
League of Arab States, Amre Moussa, a UN spokesperson said in New York. Mr. Annan decided to send the mission following
the numerous phone calls he had made with officials around the world about the escalating violence in the region, UN
spokesperson Marie Okabe told reporters. After Egypt, the team will travel to Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the Occupied
Palestinian Territories and Israel. See... UN team on the Middle East arrives in Cairo [1] ALSO: UN Team Holds Talks In Cairo [2] Middle East: All sides must cooperate with UN team [3] Annan sends top advisers to Middle East [4] Middle East: UN Offer Rapid End to Violence [5] THE US POSITION:US vetoes Security Council resolution on Gaza [6] State Dept. Daily Press Briefing July 14, 2006 [7] John R. Bolton on Draft Middle East Resolution [8] Middle East: End urged to disproportionate attacks [9] Rice's Press Briefing With NSA Steve Hadley [10] MORE:Israel / Lebanon: End attacks against civilians [11] Facts and Figures since beginning of Gaza invasion [12] Bil'in Demo & Wedding at the Apartheid Wall! [13] Israel Must Stop the War Madness! [14] Fiji to consider deploying soldiers to Lebanon [15]
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
France’s UMP backs Flosse despite corruption [1] Solomons grapples with Honiara squatter challenge [2] South Africa: Investigate "disappeared" Pakistani [3] Blocking a Solution in Darfur [4] Villages evacuated near volcano, Papua New Guinea [5]
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SCOOP COLUMNS
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Uri Avnery (Israeli) Discloses The Real Aim Of This War
- THE REAL aim is to change the regime in Lebanon and to install a puppet government. That was the aim of Ariel
Sharon's invasion of Lebanon in 1982. It failed. But Sharon and his pupils in the military and political leadership have
never really given up on it. As in 1982, the present operation, too, was planned and is being carried out in full
coordination with the US. As then, there is no doubt that it is coordinated with a part of the Lebanese elite. That's
the main thing. Everything else is noise and propaganda. See... Uri Avnery: The Real Aim [1] MORE COMMENT: Rosalea Barker - Stateside: Handbasket Central [2] Russell Brown - Public Address 17/07/06 - Depressing [3] Pierre Tristam - A Savage and Unwinnable Gambit [4] Dr. Muqtedar Khan - ME Crisis: U.S. fails to defend its Interests [5] Dr. Steven A. Hass - It's A Mid-Term Election Year, Let The Wars Begin [6] Larry C. Johnson - Israel Takes a Stupid Pill [7]
Mexico: A Million Mexicans Protest Election Fraud
- One week after Mexicans went to the polls to vote for president, hundreds of thousands of supporters of Andres Manuel
Lopez Obrador, of the Party of Democratic Revolution (PRD), converged on Mexico City's Zocalo or central square, to
demand a recount in one of the most hotly contested elections in that nation's history. A preliminary count had Lopez
Obrador's opponent, Filipe Calderon, of the conservative National Action Party (PAN) winning by some 400,000 votes. A
second count of the July 2 vote narrowed the margin between the two candidates to 243,000 of 41 million cast. See... Massive Mexican March to Demand Election Recount [1] MORE: Scoop Link - Lopez Obrador Urges Civil Resistance in Mexico [2] Greg Palast - Greg Palast: Lessons from the Un-Gore of Mexico [3] Al Giordano - Mexico's Election Fraud Is Coming Undone [4]
War Lies: Why Outed CIA Officer & Husband Are Suing
- Syndicated columnist Bob Novak and officials speaking on behalf of White House political adviser Karl Rove have
attempted to convince the American people that there wasn't a White House campaign to smear and discredit former
Ambassador Joseph Wilson three years ago for speaking out publicly against the Bush administration's use of pre-war Iraq
intelligence. See... Leopold: Why Joe Wilson and Valerie Plame Filed [1] MORE:Plame & Wilson - Wilson, Plame to Sue Cheney, Rove and Libby [2] Jason Leopold - Novak Source Warned Reporters On Iraqi WMD Claims [3]
Bonus Joules uses solar energy to stop the shivers and THE ECONOMY shakes
- Could it be the British Conservative Party is about to put care back into Conservative? And is Labour about to put
arduous, difficult and wearisome into Labour? And is the Green Movement about to go green about the gills? Check this
new Conservative policy out. See... Bonus Joules: The Economy Jitters [1]
MORE COMMENT AND OPINION:
Russell Brown & Ors. - Public Address 18/07/06 - Mindshare Vs. Moolah [1] UQ Wire - Fox Supports Death Threats On Scholars [2] Harvey Wasserman - More Atomic Bomb Balm From The New York Times [3] Cindy Sheehan - Me, Hugo and George [4] Evelyn Pringle - Mental Illness Screening In US Schools [5] & Merck Not Losing Sleep Over Vioxx [6] Sarwat Hassan - Can The US play an effective role in Kashmir? [7] Eric Shackle - It's A Startling Word Indeed! [8] Vaibhav Gangan - Vaibhav Gangan: Who Is Safe? [9] Jay Shaft - Pfc. Chris Gorman: I refuse to go back to Iraq [10] Kamala Sarup - . AIDS Infected People Have Been Murdered [11] & Economic Reform for Poverty Eradication [12] David Swanson - Swanson: Containing the Military Indust. Complex [13] John Gideon - Daily Voting News For July 16-17, 2006 [14] , July 15, 2006 [15] & July 14, 2006 [16] Kamala Sarup - Economic Reform for Poverty Eradication [17] Bill Berkowitz - Competitive Enterprise Inst.'s Cat. 5 Gore Bashing [18] Atlanta Progressive News - Georgia Lawsuit Filed On E-Voting Questionability [19] Council on Hemispheric Affairs - Chavez Kim Jong Il Talks Could Fuel US Propaganda [20]
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OTHER NEWS (JUST POLITICS)
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POLITICAL NEWSLETTERS:
Molesworth & Featherston (Weekend) - July 15 2006 [1] Transtasman Political Letter - 13 July Digest [2] Communications Line - Issue 33 - July 2006 [3] AGENDA Transcript: Lisa Own IVs Jim Sutton [4]
Foreign Affairs: Dunne Steps Up For Aid Budget
- United Future leader Peter Dunne is calling for a multi-party commitment on boosting New Zealand's overseas aid
levels. Mr Dunne says that most political parties already agree with the principle of lifting New Zealand's level of
overseas aid to 0.7% of gross national income by 2015, but a more firm commitment than that will be needed to actually
achieve the goal. See... Dunne calls for multi-party commitment on aid [1] ALSO:NZ Govt - Geldof deserves support but has his facts wrong [2] Council for International Development - Geldof right to slam government on aid levels [3] RNZ International - Backing for Bob Geldof criticism of NZ's aid spend [4]
MPs in World News: Groser Goes to Markets
- National Party MP Tim Groser has been appointed by the Acting Director-General of the World Trade Organisation to
chair the panel charged with resolving a long-running civil aviation subsidies dispute. This dispute relates to the
conditions of competition between Boeing and Airbus in the commercial market for large civil aviation aircraft. See... Groser to adjudicate WTO dispute [1]
Environment: Marsden B Ruling - Call For Carbon In RMA
- An Environment Court decision that quashes Greenpeace's appeal against the polluting coal-fired Marsden B power plant
highlights the need for the adoption of the Green Party's Resource Management (Climate Protection) Amendment Bill,
Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says. See... Marsden B ruling shows urgent need for Bill [1] ALSO:Greenpeace New Zealand - Policy hole big enough to drive station through [2]
Local Government: Annual Conference Opens in Wellington
- Local and central government elected members and officials, the Prime Minister, overseas experts in the field of
local government and key stakeholders came together for the opening of Local Government New Zealand's annual conference
in Wellington today. See... PM recognises importance of local government [1] ALSO:NZ Govt - Clark: Local Government New Zealand Conference [2] National - More hot air from Helen on rates [3] Greens - Govt should heed local govt free trade warning [4] National - Brash: Crisis of confidence looms in local govt. [5] National - Brash Speech: Crisis of confidence looms in local government [6]
Education: Questions On Lack Of Internal Assessment Checks
- "Labour simply can't continue to brush over the serious problems with NCEA when thousands of students are still
getting the wrong results," says national Party Education spokesman Bill English. He is commenting on revelations
contained in an investigative report published today by the Herald on Sunday which looks into NCEA internal assessment.
See... Labour just can't get NCEA right [1] ALSO:NZ Govt - English misrepresents NCEA figures once again [2] National - NCEA: Time for Maharey to get serious [3] United Future - NCEA system must be fair to all students [4]
MORE POLITICAL HEADLINES:
NZ Govt - Auckland Transport Project terms released [1] NZ Govt - Trade Minister's plea to G8 leaders [2] NZ Govt - Changes bring funding certainty for scientists [3] NZ Govt - Mallard: The regions and economic transformation [4] NZ Govt - Appointments to FoRST Boards [5] NZ Govt - Goff - NZ Institute Report Valuable Contribution [6] NZ Govt - Tuwharetoa Chief appointed World Heritage Chair [7] NZ Govt - Justice sector launches third information strategy [8] NZ Govt - Making New Zealand's roads safer [9] NZ Govt - New Zealand attracts strong film industry interest [10] National - Police sent on customer service courses [11] National - Labour not focused on waste management [12] National - Cell guards not trained in suicide prevention [13] National - Clarification sought on reports' whereabouts [14] National - Young offenders still waiting for Lab. to deliver [15] ACT - Govt Health Workforce Planning A Sick Joke [16] Greens - Labour shouldn't take worker vote for granted [17] Greens - Cullen's roading spend-up resoundingly rejected [18] NZ First - Health Charity Begins At Home [19] Maori - Tuwharetoa chief's International Appointment [20]
POLITICAL COLUMNS
Tariana Turia - Beehive Chat: 'The Denial of Humanity' [1] Heather Roy - Heather Roy's Diary 14 July 2006 [2] Don Brash - Don Brash Writes - No. 84, 14 July 2006 [3] Bill English - Plain English: 14 July 2006 [4] Pansy Wong - Pansy Speak: Chasing the Dragon [5] Murray McCully - www.mccully.co.nz 14 July 2006 [6] Wayne Mapp - The Mapp Report - 14 July 2006 [7] Richard Worth - News Worthy - 14 July 2006 [8] Marc Alexander - Marc My Words: Welfare should make well, be fair [9]
ENDS