Today's Top Scoop Stories - News Summary

Scoop Image: Laisenia Qarase. - Fiji's prime minister, Laisenia Qarase is expected to address the island nation shortly as those in the capital, Suva, await the military's next move. Qarase last night agreed to most of Commodore Frank Bainimarama's demands, but the military chief remained unsatisfied and gave Qarase until midday today to meet all nine demands. See... Qarase Concedes - Military Achieves Political Coup [1] ALSO:Scoop Report - Security Council Worried About Looming Fiji Coup [2]

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- National Party Leader John Key has announced a reshuffled portfolio lineup that will form the foundation of National’s team heading into the next election. A highlight of the reshuffle is the replacement of the front bench group with a Shadow Cabinet that comprises the first 16 portfolio holders. See... National’s Shadow Cabinet revealed [1] ALSO:Scoop Full Coverage - John Key ChChChanges On Climate [2] National - Key: Foreign Affairs & Defence Seminar [3] Marc Alexander - Marc My Words: The enemy of success is envy [4] More Coverage - John Key Becomes National Leader [5]

- Global Peace and Justice Auckland is appalled at Attorney-General Michael Cullen’s staying of legal action against self-confessed war criminal Moshe Ya’alon who has been visiting New Zealand this week. Cullen on Wednesday over-ruled Monday’s decision by District Court Judge Avinash Deobhakta... Deobhakta found that a prime facie case had been established for Ya’alon’s involvement in the 2002 assassination of Palestinian leader Salah Shehadeb in Gaza City. That bomb strike also killed more than 20 other civilians in the neighbourhood. See... Cullen’s disgraceful defence of a war criminal [1] ALSO:Greens - Locke condemns Cullen intrusion over Israeli [2] Palestinian Centre For Human Rights - Stop support for Israel’s war crimes! [3] Wellington Palestine Group - Attorney Gen Decision Re: War Criminal Horrifying [4]

- New Zealand apple growers have been denied meaningful access to export to Australia, after the final Import Risk Analysis was released today. Growers say Australia has blindly ignored World Trade Organsation rulings and international scientific evidence to keep New Zealand apples out. In a joint statement today Pipfruit New Zealand (PNZ) and the Australian Apple Action Group (AAAG) called upon the Government to take immediate WTO action against Australia as already promised by New Zealand Government ministers. See... No Access for NZ Apples to Australia [1] ALSO:NZ Govt - Australia Publishes Risk Analysis for NZ Apples [2] National - Groser: Go to WTO over apples [3] National - Hawke's Bay MPs want action on apples [4] Wellington Regional Chamber of Commerce - WTO the Only Option on Apples [5] NZ Govt - New Zealand Secures Butter Trade to Europe [6]

Scoop News: Former National Party Leader Don Brash has announced he will resign from Parliament, vacating his office when Parliament closes for Christmas/New Year recess. Brash told reporters this afternoon that he had talked to friends, colleagues and family before deciding it was now time for him to leave Parliament. The National List MP position vacated by Brash will be filled by Katrina Shanks. See... Don Brash Resigns, Will Be Gone By Christmas [1] ALSO: Craig Potton Publishing - The Hollow Men creates publishing coup [2]

Wammo IVs John Key - The first interview from Don Brash's old office apparently. They talk about being leader, what to do with a problem like Don Brash, dream teams, Hollow books, answering emails, speech writing, centrist governments, Brian Sinclair and his cronies… See…
KiwiFM Audio:

- Prime Minister Helen Clark today announced a $33.75 million boost to the Market Development Assistance Scheme which supports New Zealand exporters breaking into offshore markets. This funding boost is a key feature of Export Year 2007, which is also being formally launched at the New Zealand Trade and Enterprise Export Awards tonight. See... Export year launched - major boost for exporters [1]

Selwyn Manning reports to Radio Adelaide's Peter Godfrey the latest on the Fiji coup crisis. See…

UPDATE Scoop Audio: [1]

Kevin list discusses on Radio Active how Nicky Hager's book Hollow Men casts doubt on the actions of other National Party figures… See…

Scoop Audio: [1]

Selwyn Manning joins Radio Adelaide's Peter Godfrey to discuss: NZ holds meeting between Fiji's military chief and its PM in attempt to avoid a coup; John Key becomes the new National Party leader; and that poor sod Shrek the Merino sheep gets helicoptered out to a melting ice berg! See…

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- A New Zealand computer connected to the Internet is typically targeted more than a hundred times a day by a variety of worms, viruses, trojans, and hackers, according to a study released today by NetSafe - The Internet Safety Group, and IBM New Zealand... NetSafe and IBM conducted a month-long study that examined the type and frequency of threats exposed to a computer accessing popular websites via a broadband connection. See... Kiwis with broadband attacked 102 times in 24hours [1] ALSO:

- Tonga's pro-democracy leader, Clive Edwards, is one of the island nation's most controversial figures. He's hated by Nobles, loathed by many, his views banned by Tongan authorities. In the wake of riots that tore through Tonga's capital Nuku'Alofa, where mobs ransacked and burned the town to destruction, Edwards called for the government to relent to pressure and open the parliament to an open and free election. Scoop here publishes an extended interview with the Tongan people's representative.

- Twenty four hours after rioters tore through Tonga's capital town looting and burning, leaving a sea of blazing buildings in their wake, New Zealand's Helen Clark said there were two futures on offer for the Pacific. "One is poverty and conflict; the other is peace and development." The comment accurately paints a crossroad for Tonga, for Solomon Islands, Fiji, for Melanesia in general. The comment acknowledges how accurate the United States' most recent handle for the Pacific is: The Arc of Uncertainty. See... Scoop On Assignment: Tonga Faces Crossroad [1]

- The enhanced United Nations peacekeeping force sent to Lebanon this summer to monitor the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah now totals 11,500 troops from 21 countries, just 3,500 below its mandated maximum strength, with additional personnel arriving from Indonesia, Portugal and Italy. See... Lebanon: UN Peacekeeping Force Reaches 11,500 [1] ALSO:Nobel Laureate Tutu to Head UN Israel Rights Probe [2] Stop support for Israel’s war crimes! [3]