Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Wednesday, 23 February 2005, 6:20 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
NZ Defence Fatality In Unimog Accident
20,000 DHB Nurses Agree To 20% Average Wage Increase
US Citizen Shot By Israeli Army To Lodge Proceedings In Tel Aviv
Public Address Is There
Sheila Samples Reports On Bush's Latest Euro-Sojourn To Gain War Support
William Rivers Pitt Considers Bush's Plan To Hit Iran In June
Ivan Eland Eyes The Geo-Crap Over Syria
Greg Palast Writes Of His Time With Hunter S. Thompson
ALSO: William Rivers Pitt Says Goodbye T Hunter S. Thompson
Stephen Crockett Examines The Roots Of Misused Propaganda
Bob Fitrakis Gets Heavy On Ohio Spin-Meister "Inkwell" Blackwell

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Brash Says Labour's Single Benefit Is A Smokescreen Scheme
Govt Details Tertiary Interest Savings
Benson-Pope Accuses Coddington Of Education Errors
Cullen Speech: NZ Unemployment Lowest Among OECD Partners
NZ Opens New Consulate In LA
Govt Says Councils Best To Test MarsdenB Resource Applications
Lotteries Commission Internet Gambling Angers Greens
NZ First Considers Whether Telecom Trades Fair
Robson Promotes Free Education To Students
Families Commission Ups Its Profile In Auckland

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...TODAY'S PHOTO STORY...

Prison Protest to Support Thomas Hossein Yadegary On Saturday
Bill Clinton and Yadegary in centre.
http://img.scoop.co.nz/stories/images/0502/cbe836d7dd8389da75ad.jpeg

LEAD STORY:
NZ Defence Fatality In Unimog Accident

- NZ Defence Force HQ has been advised of a fatal accident involving a NZ Army Unimog vehicle early this afternoon [Wednesday 23 February]. One person is confirmed dead and two others are critically injured. Minister of Defence, Hon Mark Burton and Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Bruce Ferguson express their deep regret at this loss of life and injury. Their thoughts are with the families of the personnel involved in this tragedy. See... New Zealand Army Unimog Accident - Cromwell [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0502/S00237.htm

NEW ZEALAND LEAD STORY:
20,000 DHB Nurses Agree To 20% Average Wage Increase

- Nurses and midwives who are members of the New Zealand [1] Nurses Organisation have voted to accept their first national public sector agreement since 1991 with a majority of 81.7%. The agreement will cover more than 20,000 nurses, midwives and health care assistants in the country’s 21 District Health Boards. See… Nurses Vote to Accept Fair Pay Settlement

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0502/S00073.htm

INTERNATIONAL NEWS:
US Citizen Shot By Israeli Army To Lodge Proceedings In Tel Aviv

- On Thursday February 23 at 2:45 PM, Brian Avery will arrive in Tel Aviv from the U.S. in order to be present on February 28th when the Israeli Supreme Court hears his petition demanding a criminal investigation of his shooting. See... US Citizen Shot by Israeli Army - Supreme Court [1] Israeli-Palestinian peace climate vastly improved [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0502/S00599.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0502/S00597.htm

TOP COLUMNS:
Public Address Is There

- It looked as if the Dalai Lama had hung his washing out, all over the park. Row after row of saffron fabric flapped gently under the cold blue sky. Glimpsed at a distance through the trees, or marching across the horizon, they looked like monks walking ... See... Public Address 23/02/05 - Tangerine Craziness [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0502/S00237.htm

Sheila Samples Reports On Bush's Latest Euro-Sojourn To Gain War Support

- Target Iran: It's unfortunate that Bush doesn't understand what is happening in the world he so arrogantly believes he owns. The European trip he's on now is a barely concealed attempt to strong-arm support for his upcoming invasion of Iran. See... Scott Ritter Gives Bush Another Kick In The Pants [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0502/S00240.htm

William Rivers Pitt Considers Bush's Plan To Hit Iran In June

- Scott Ritter got everyone in a twist this weekend by announcing Bush has June plans to bomb Iran. A little less than two years ago, when the invasion and occupation of Iraq had just begun, Ritter went out in public and said we were going to lose the war. The invasion was over. We had Baghdad. The statues had been toppled. Everyone went "Whaaaaa?" See... You Want To Win A War Against Iran? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0502/S00244.htm

Ivan Eland Eyes The Geo-Crap Over Syria

- According to The New York Times, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice admitted that the suicide killers of Rafik Hariri, the former Lebanese prime minister, were unknown and said: ''We’re not laying blame. It needs to be investigated.'' See... Ivan Eland: Saber Rattling Against Syria [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0502/S00236.htm

Greg Palast Writes Of His Time With Hunter S. Thompson

- It was Princess Di's photographer who told me to shave the hair on top of my nose. That was when I was famous, famous for a whole week. I was famous only in England, an island off the coast of Ireland, but it was fame nonetheless. See... Nose Hair And Hunter [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0502/S00239.htm

ALSO: William Rivers Pitt Says Goodbye T Hunter S. Thompson

- Hunter Thompson is the reason I write politics. Period. He was the most honest man in the business. Everyone else had and has an angle, a reputation, or a source to protect. Hunter stripped it down to the raw throbbing nerve and let it fly. See... Hunter S. Thompson: The Proverbial 'Live Boy' [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0502/S00243.htm

Stephen Crockett Examines The Roots Of Misused Propaganda

- The terrible record of the Bush Administration in the international arena has deep historical roots in the misuse of propaganda by the Bush Republicans in the creation of American public policy. For essentially domestic political and economic reasons, ... See... Nationalism, Islam, Republicanism & Class Warfare [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0502/S00242.htm

Bob Fitrakis Gets Heavy On Ohio Spin-Meister "Inkwell" Blackwell

- J. Kenneth Blackwell is at it again. Ohio’s infamous Secretary of State and master of media distortion and hype, earning him the name “Inkwell” among the statehouse press corps, has announced his partisan agenda for governor of the Buckeye State. See... Blackwell: Hypocrisy And The Arrogance Of Power [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0502/S00241.htm

Brash Says Labour's Single Benefit Is A Smokescreen Scheme

- National Party Leader Don Brash is describing Labour’s proposed single benefit programme as a smokescreen that aims to give the impression of action. See... Don Brash says single benefit a ‘smokescreen’ [1] 'Single benefit' is a disguised swing to the right [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00506.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00502.htm

Govt Details Tertiary Interest Savings

- Since the introduction of the Labour-led government's interest write off policy in 2000 tertiary students have been saved more than $250 million in waived interest charges. See... Students saved $250 million in wiped interest [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00503.htm

Benson-Pope Accuses Coddington Of Education Errors

- ACT's Deborah Coddington is wrong in claiming no decision has been made on mechanisms for review or reconsideration of scholarship scripts, says Associate Education Minister David Benson-Pope. See... Coddington wrong [1] ACT calls for NCEA fee to be scrapped [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00498.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00493.htm

Cullen Speech: NZ Unemployment Lowest Among OECD Partners

- The big economic news of the month is undoubtedly the confirmation that New Zealand now has the lowest rate of unemployment among OECD nations with comparable data. This morning I want to start by looking more closely at that achievement. See... Cullen: Auckland Chamber of Commerce [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00497.htm

NZ Opens New Consulate In LA

- A New Zealand Inc. approach is the driving force behind the opening of New Zealand’s new Consulate office in Los Angeles, says Foreign Minister, Phil Goff. See... New Home for "NZ Inc." in Los Angeles [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00500.htm

Govt Says Councils Best To Test MarsdenB Resource Applications

- All environmental effects from a coal-fired Marsden B power station would be fully considered in resource consent application hearings conducted by Northland councils, Environment Minister Marian Hobbs said today. See... Councils best placed for Marsden B applications [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00505.htm

Lotteries Commission Internet Gambling Angers Greens

- The Lotteries Commission's plans to launch internet gambling are reckless, Green Party Spokesperson on Gambling and Racing Sue Bradford says. See... Internet gambling plan sheer madness [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00507.htm

NZ First Considers Whether Telecom Trades Fair

- New Zealand First communications spokesperson Brent Catchpole is urging New Zealanders to keep an eye on Telecom following the company’s recent breach of the Fair Trading Act. See... Keep An Eye On Telecom Says Catchpole [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00504.htm

Robson Promotes Free Education To Students

- Progressive MP Matt Robson on campuses this week with Young Progressives, meeting with students in Christchurch and Dunedin to outline his party's Election 2005 education policy. His campus tour will take him throughout New Zealand, from Northland to Invercargill. See... Robson Outlines Benefits Of Free Education [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00501.htm

Families Commission Ups Its Profile In Auckland

- The Families Commission's move to have a greater profile in Auckland has been welcomed by Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey. See... Families Commission to reach more New Zealanders [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0502/S00499.htm

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Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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