Top Scoop Stories - 07 September 2007 News Summary

Friday, 7 September 2007, 2:01 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - September 07, 2007

LEAD STORY:

Scoop News: Leaders Urged To Be Honest About APEC Impact

NZ POLITICS:

Questions for Oral Answer - Thursday, 6 September 2007
Environment: Minister's Positivity Makes Greens of All Hues Red With Anger
Politics: National's '49th MP' Disappointed By National

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Science: Marsden Fund Research Likely To Assist Polar Bears
Statistics: Residential Building Work Up

WORLD:

Marching Orders: Basra Withdrawal Was Coordinated Decision - Gordon Brown, PM
APEC 2007 News: Secretary Condoleezza Rice Remarks at the 19th APEC Ministerial Meeting
Cashbook Diplomacy: Votes for Sale? Japan, China, Taiwan Go A-Shopping
State of Emergency: Qarase A Hindrance To Moving Forward -- Fiji Govt

COMMENT:

Godfrey Mutimba: Zimbabwe Cane Cutters Fume Over 'Slave' Wages
NY Times: Call For Ban on Touch-Screen Voting
Sherwood Ross:Darfur, Iraq, Conflicts Show Need To Strengthen UN
Matt Renner: Democratic House Officials Recruited Wealthy Conservatives

LIFESTYLE:

Art: Political Artist Brings Compassion For Humanity To Manukau
Theatre: Performance Artist Tests Mettle Of Audience With Cash

Scoop News: Leaders Urged To Be Honest About APEC Impact - Scoop's Selwyn Manning reports from Sydney that representatives of 21 NGOs from the Asia Pacific region have delivered an open statement urging APEC leaders to "stop making claims" that APEC reduces poverty. The group gathered in the heart of Sydney's CBD outside the city's Town Hall while New South Wales police stood nearby to ensure Sydney-siders would be spared hearing comments critical of APEC. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Greens - Locke at APEC [2]
• National - Clark climate record undermines APEC credibility [3]
• Professor Jane Kelsey - Critical Overview Of APEC’s Agenda [4]
• Fake motorcade at APEC not funny: NSW Police

• STATE OF IT by Selwyn Manning - APEC 2007: Australia and USA To Push Nuke Solution [5]
• Full Scoop Coverage - APEC 07 (Latest Analysis and News) [6]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00116.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0709/S00118.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0709/S00119.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00117.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00108.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/features/APEC2007.html

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY:Questions for Oral Answer - Thursday, 6 September 2007 [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0709/S00091.htm

Environment: Minister's Positivity Makes Greens of All Hues Red With Anger - Greenpeace NZ says it's been left baffled by comments made in parliament by Steve Maharey. Mr Maharey was speaking in a general debate about NZ's bahaviour at a recent UN climate change meeting in Vienna, claiming "Greenpeace...were very happy with the performance of our delegation there". "That's nonsense," said Greenpeace. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0709/S00108.htm

Politics: National's '49th MP' Disappointed By National - Independent MP Gordon Copeland has expressed his deep disappointment in the National Party who have today advised him that they will not be supporting his Private Property Rights Bill. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0709/S00098.htm

Science: Marsden Fund Research Likely To Assist Polar Bears - Exploring the impacts of climate change on Antarctic ice, investigating the speaking habits of the kokako and finding out how going under an anaesthetic affects your body clock are among the research projects in the latest $44 million Marsden Funding round announced today. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Royal Society - $44 million for New Zealand researchers [2]
• University of Canterbury - UC researchers awarded nearly $4 mil from Marsden [3]
• Otago University - Otago secures major Marsden funding [4]
• Waikato University - Waikato awarded $1.4m in Marsden Funds [5]
• Victoria - Marsden funding for NZ's best and brightest [6]
• GNS Science - Funding for Three New Science Projects [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0709/S00100.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0709/S00018.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0709/S00020.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0709/S00021.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0709/S00018.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0709/S00024.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0709/S00017.htm

Statistics: Residential Building Work Up - The value of residential building work put in place rose 4.8 percent in the June 2007 quarter (on a seasonally adjusted basis), Statistics New Zealand said today. This follows a 0.8 percent increase in the March 2007 quarter. When the impact of price changes is removed, the value of residential building work rose 3.6 percent for the June 2007 quarter. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Statistics - Residential building costs push up CGPI [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0709/S00130.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0709/S00129.htm

Basra Withdrawal Was Coordinated Decision - The movement of British troops out of Basra city was a "pre-planned" operation based on the security situation on the ground, the PM has said. The decision to move around 500 troops from Basra Palace to Basra airport was taken in conjunction with the US and Iraqi military. UK forces would remain responsible for security in the province regardless of the move and would continue to train Iraqi personnel, he said. Mr Brown added that the transition from "combat" to "overwatch", where UK forces will hand security duties to Iraqi troops and focus on providing services and back-up, had taken place in three other provinces. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0709/S00199.htm

Sec. Rice Remarks at 19th APEC Ministerial Meeting - "Clearly, the ability to provide economic security and to provide economic prosperity is enhanced greatly when we have open and free trade. And that is why I'd like to just add my voice to those who hope that this leaders meeting -- the leaders meeting will come as a very small endorsement of the importance of progress in the Doha round, because this organization, as it does, representing some of the most vibrant and active economies in the world, has a very great stake in a successful Doha round." -- Secretary Condoleezza Rice. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0709/S00191.htm

Votes for Sale? Japan, China, Taiwan Go A-Shopping - A number of small Caribbean Basin nations are able to cast a far larger shadow than their relatively modest dimensions would ordinarily allow.A number of them have tainted their credentials by trading away their vote in regional and international forums for in-kind contributions as well as more direct forms of payment, allowing their leaders to make the choice as to which nations, such as China or Taiwan, would be recognized. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0709/S00188.htm

Qarase A Hindrance To Moving Forward - Commodore Bainimarama said that Mr. Qarase was acting irresponsibly by making statements and participating in activities which have political orientation. He is also "stage-managing" media to seek public sympathy and also in the process causing ill-feeling and incitement not only to the work of the Interim Government but the public at large. "If he continues to act and behave in the manner he has been doing, I am afraid that he will run into trouble with the law". More >> [1]

SEE ALSO:

• Some Security Risk In Fiji, NZ Govt Advise Caution [2]
• NZ Foreign Minister Condemns Fiji Emergency Laws [3]
• FijiVilliage: Public Emergency regulation invoked [4]
• Fiji Regime Invokes Public Emergency Law [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0709/S00168.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0709/S00189.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0709/S00175.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00103.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0709/S00167.htm

Godfrey Mutimba: Zimbabwe Cane Cutters Fume Over 'Slave' Wages - The Zimbabwe Sunday newspaper, The Standard, opposes President Robert Mugabe's government, so their report should be reviewed in a political light. However, it is clear that the cadre of revolutionary fighters who overthrew the white regime are cashing in on their sacrifice and victory - to the detriment of working people. The test of a revolution is how it serves the masses, not the fighters.... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00092.htm

NY Times: Call For Ban on Touch-Screen Voting - Writing that "electronic voting has been an abysmal failure," the newspaper of record --- which has been an abysmal failure, overall, in investigating and reporting on election-related issues over the past many years --- opines in favor of the flawed Rush Holt Election Reform Bill, though aptly declares that "The bill lacks one important thing: a ban on touch-screen voting machines."... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00128.htm

Sherwood Ross:Darfur, Iraq, Conflicts Show Need To Strengthen UN - The latest UN response to the Darfur province genocide may be way too little as well as way too late despite the personal visit Monday of Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to Sudan. A UN Security Council resolution authorizing 26,000 peacekeepers to defend Darfur's surviving civilian population may not translate into real results against the slippery and deceitful Khartoum regime of Sudan President Omar Hassan al-Bashir… More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00125.htm

Matt Renner: Democratic House Officials Recruited Wealthy Conservatives -It was the day after Christmas 2005 and Christine Cegelis sat alone at her dining room table, trying to figure out how to tell her campaign volunteers that she was going to drop out of the 2006 Democratic primary. The next evening she was to meet with friends and colleagues who had organized around her candidacy for the House of Representatives in the 6th District of Illinois. Her volunteers had walked block after block of the suburban district and spent hours making phone calls to solicit donations and promote the campaign… More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0709/S00124.htm

Art: Political Artist Brings Compassion For Humanity To Manukau - Renowned political artist Dadang Christanto brings his compassion for human suffering, past horrors and present dangers to Counties Manukau as part of the Manukau School of Visual Arts (MSVA) artist in residence project. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0709/S00085.htm

Theatre: Performance Artist Tests Mettle Of Audience With Cash - What does $20 mean to you? This is the question New York performing artist Sara Juli poses to the audience in her 60 minute theatre show, The Money Conversation. Each night the normally-sane Juli brings $5,000 from her bank account – in cash – to the theatre and quite simply offers it to the audience More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0709/S00077.htm

ENDS

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