Today's Top Scoop Stories - News Summary

UPDATED 11:30am - After weeks of threats, Fiji’s military has been able to overthrow the elected Government – the fourth coup d’etat in 19 years – and put Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase on house arrest. The situation is now closely monitored by the United Nations Security Council, which last week expressed concerns over the situation in the South Pacific island. The UN Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, has condemned the seizure of power by the military leadership and is calling for the immediate reinstatement of the legitimate authority in Fiji and its return to constitutional rule. See... Bainimarama Appoints Himself President Of Fiji [1] ALSO:

Scoop Audio: (click here to listen) [2] Selwyn Manning reports on Radio Adelaide that NZ PM Helen Clark has said Fijian military who remain loyal to their constitution should tell Bainimarama he has been replaced.Fiji President - Ratu Josefa Iloilo's statementUN Security Council Monitoring Fiji Coup d’etat [3] NZ Govt - Anderton says NZ must stay engaged with Fiji [4] NZ Govt - Prime Minister condemns Fijian President's actions [5] National - Fiji coup condemned [6] Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade - Fiji Travel Advisory - 5 December 2006 [7] Newspaper Publishers Association - Support for Fiji journalists from NZ Media [8] Reporters Sans Frontieres - Fiji: Press Freedom Falls Victim to Military Coup [9] Scoop Blogwatch - Fiji - Blogging the Coup [10]

Scoop Audio: [1] Helen Clark says Soldiers in Fiji's military, who remained loyal to their constitution, should tell Bainimarama he has been replaced. Also, New Zealand looks set to conduct fingerprinting and eye scans at airports, under new government immigration laws; and a man is in hospital after being bitten by a wild stallion that wanted his mare for its harem. See… Scoop Audio:

Scoop's Selwyn Manning on Radio Adelaide [2]

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- Hager contends that his book - a scurrilous attack on both the National Party as an institution and me as its Leader - was written with the help of emails provided to him by six "people in the National Party (who) were profoundly unhappy" with how some of the Party's electoral success in 2005 had been obtained. This edition of "Don Brash writes" is my response to Mr Hager's book. See... Don Brash Writes: Nicky Hager's book [1] ALSO:Scoop - Scoop Full Coverage: The Hollow Men [2]

- Results from the 2006 Census show that New Zealand's usually resident population grew faster between 2001 and 2006 than in any five-year period between censuses in the last 30 years, Statistics New Zealand said today. In the five years to 2006, the population increased by 7.8 percent (to reach 4,027,947), compared with 3.3 percent between 1996 and 2001. See... Census Shows Accelerating Growth Across Country [1] ALSO:NZ Govt - 2006 Census sets new benchmarks [2] NZ Govt - Initiative following Census figures on ethnicity [3] National - Ethnic communities deserve more than tokenism [4] Statistics NZ - Wholesale Trade Sales Continue to Rise [5] Scoop Link - Statistics NZ: 2006 Census data [6]

- LOOPdigital is pleased to announce it has expanded its worldwide distribution within iTunes Music Store territories to include New Zealand as the result of a meeting with the Manager of Music Programming and Label Relations for iTunes Australia. See... LOOPdigital Distributes in iTunes New Zealand [1] ALSO:Renaissance - Renaissance Announcement [2] Jiggy.co.nz - Kiwi bands to get on board for iTunes NZ [3] Scoop Competition - Share Scoop, Win an iPod [4]

- New immigration laws will make coming here easier for the migrants New Zealand wants and enhance border security against those we don't want, says Immigration Minister David Cunliffe. Mr Cunliffe has unveiled a package of proposals for a new Immigration Act following public submissions and consultation on the Immigration Act Review discussion document issued in April. See... Comprehensive immigration law one step closer [1] ALSO:Scoop Report and Audio - Asylum Seekers May Get Seperate Detention Facility [2] NZ Govt - Backgrounder To Immigration Act Bill [3] NZ First - Immigration Review - A Step In The Right Direction [4] Greens - Christmas comes early for immigration bureaucrats [5] United Future - United Future: Immigration changes a mixed bag [6] Business New Zealand - Immigration decisions positive, work still needed [7] Association for Migration and Investment - Immigration Consultants Cautious Nod fpr Proposals [8] Scoop Background - FULL COVERAGE of the Yadegary Case and NZ Immigration [9]

Sophie McNeill reports from Beirut, A truck laden with yellow Hezbollah flags drives past the Christian neighbourhood of Gemayzeh early Sunday morning in downtown Beirut. There's a picture of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah on the windscreen, but it's not his name that the young men on board are chanting. "General, General!" yell these young Shiite boys. Their chant is for the leader of Hezbollah's largest Christian ally, the former General Michel Aoun. And this van captures an important dynamic that many of the international and Lebanese press have omitted from their coverage of the last few days. See... Why Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV Broadcasts Sunday Mass [1] ALSO:Hezbollah Beirut Protest Urges Lebanon PM To Quit [2] Sophie McNeill - Hezbollah's Anti-Lebanese Govt Campaign Announced [3] Lebanese Rally Demanding End To Political Violence [4]

- The United Nations General Assembly has agreed to set up to a committee to consider the criminal accountability of UN officials and experts serving on peacekeeping missions. See... Committee to Examine Criminal Accountability of UN [1]

- Andreas von Warburg reports from New York - UNITED NATIONS – Ambassador John Bolton is one of President Bush’s most fiercely opposed appointments. Despised by many when he took office at the United Nations in 2005; praised somewhat like a star now that he’s resigning… so much so that several of his fellow ambassadors have almost given him a vote of confidence. See... Bolton Leaves UN: Hated By Some, Admired By Others [1] ALSO:Annan's Successor Moves To Pick His Top Management [2]