Today's Top Scoop Stories - News Summary

Tuesday, 5 December 2006, 12:06 am
Article: The Scoop Team

NEW ZEALAND LEAD:
Unions: I'll Have A Pay Rise With Those Fries Thanks -
Loot News: Reserve Bank Warns Coffers Running Low On Coins
MORE HEADLINES:
Media News: Ill Health Forces TVNZ's Susan Wood To Resign
Environment: GM Corn Imported In Unprecedented Scandal
Health: More Money For Rural Midwives

SCOOP INTERNATIONAL LEAD STORY:
UN News: Ban Ki-moon Moves To Stamp Influence Over United Nations
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
Middle East News: Huge Hezbollah Rally Urges Lebanese PM To Resign
From France: Les Yeux on France: Sarkozy to be Presidential candidate

SCOOP LEAD STORY
Coup: With Stealth, By Degrees, Military Tightens Grip On Viti Levu

The Republic of Fiji Military Forces is slowly but surely strangling the life out of Laisenia Qarase's government. Qarase said in an interview with Australia's ABC Radio the coup: "it's almost complete I suppose," adding "If this coup is completed I will just have to pack up and go home." Speculation is rife that a dissolution of Parliament is on the agenda. See... Fiji: Military Slowly But Surely Strangles Govt [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00060.htm

Scoop Audio:

Helen Clark answers questions on looming Fijian Military Coup.

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00093.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00092.htm

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00056.htm

Check Out Scoop's Audio and Video Podcast Feed (updated)

NEW ZEALAND LEAD:

Unions: I'll Have A Pay Rise With Those Fries Thanks -

After months of negotiation Unite Union has reached a breakthrough collective employment agreement with fast food giant McDonald’s, after signing an agreement earlier this year with Restaurant Brands (KFC, Pizza Hut and Starbucks) and Red Rooster. See... SuperSize Victory against Fast Food Giants [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00046.htm

Loot News: Reserve Bank Warns Coffers Running Low On Coins

- Just five weeks after phasing out the old coins, the Reserve Bank has now written to the country's retail banks warning them there will be a shortage of the new 20 cent pieces in the lead up to the busy Christmas period, with some unimpressed retailers already unable to source 20 cent pieces," Auckland's leading retail district, Newmarket, has revealed today. See... Reserve Bank runs out of coins in lead up to Xmas [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0612/S00057.htm

MORE HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0612/S00067.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00050.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00049.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00048.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0612/S00031.htm

Media News: Ill Health Forces TVNZ's Susan Wood To Resign

- CloseUp presenter Susan Wood has today resigned from TVNZ, and will no longer appear on screen for the immediate future. For the last few weeks, Susan's health has been a matter for serious concern. She will be undergoing surgery next week to remove a lump on her neck following an inconclusive biopsy. See... Susan Wood leaves CloseUp [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0612/S00021.htm

Environment: GM Corn Imported In Unprecedented Scandal

- The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is investigating the importation of genetically modified (GM) sweet corn that was inadvertently cleared by MAF’s Quarantine Service in October 2006. Two consignments of sweet corn seeds imported from the US totalling 1,800kg were incorrectly cleared by MAF at that time. See... MAF investigates GM sweet corn importation [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00018.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00026.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00038.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0612/S00026.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0612/S00005.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0612/S00009.htm

Health: More Money For Rural Midwives

- The Labour-led government will invest $2 million per year from 2007 to support the rural midwifery workforce, Associate Minister of Health Damien O'Connor announced today. The money will be allocated to rural midwives via the rural ranking scale – in much the same way as rural funding is allocated to rural GPs, Mr O'Connor said. See... Funding boost for rural midwives [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00034.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00037.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0612/S00041.htm

INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
UN News: Ban Ki-moon Moves To Stamp Influence Over United Nations

- Andreas von Warburg writes from New York - Two weeks into the transition period, all eyes at the United Nations are on Secretary-General-Designate Ban Ki-moon (pictured left) and his picks for the top management. South Korea’s former Foreign Minister will be swearing in in front of the General Assembly on 14 December before taking over from Kofi Annan in January. See... Annan's Successor Moves To Pick His Top Management [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00054.htm

MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00098.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00090.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00084.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00083.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0612/S00086.htm

Middle East News: Huge Hezbollah Rally Urges Lebanese PM To Resign

- Sophie McNeill reports from Beirut: Hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah supporters packed the roads of the Lebanese capital yesterday as they took part in a huge anti-government rally. "We're from the north and the south and we've come to fill your squares, Beirut," was the chant from the crowd. Hundreds of soldiers and armored troop carriers were deployed around central Beirut, while barbed wire surrounded government offices. See... Hezbollah Beirut Protest Urges Lebanon PM To Quit [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00052.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00030.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0611/S00427.htm

From France: Les Yeux on France: Sarkozy to be Presidential candidate

- Scoop's Yasmine Ryan reports from France - In what La Marseille today referred to as ‘the ultimate non-scoop’, Nicolas Sarkozy finally made it official that he will be running for the UMP primaries for the French Presidency in 2007. The announcement was made on Wednesday, President Chirac’s birthday. See Text & Audio... Yeux on France: Sarkozy a Presidential candidate [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0612/S00029.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0611/S00424.htm

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