[1] Prime Minister Helen Clark announced today that an official delegation will travel with the RNZAF to attend events in the Solomons and New Caledonia marking the sixtieth anniversary of VJ Day and the end of hostilities in the Pacific. See... NZ delegation to attend Pacific commemorations [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00144.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00144.htm

Amnesty And Oxfam To Launch Women At Risk Report

[1] Amnesty International and Oxfam will launch a report in Dunedin on 7 March 2005 detailing the price women are paying for the increasing proliferation and misuse of small arms. The report will spell out the circumstances in which women are most at risk from armed violence and examine the wide range of gun control measures adopted around the world. See... Multi-billion Dollar Trade Puts Women at Risk [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0503/S00085.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0503/S00085.htm

MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:

Security needed for online banking [1] NIWA: National Climate Summary – Summer 2004/05 [2] Prince Charles Highlights Royal Albatross Plight [3] A million NZ women loose their medical privacy [4] Campbell Live Ahead Of Schedule [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00126.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0503/S00014.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0503/S00015.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00129.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0503/S00052.htm

Scoop Report: UN AIDS Report Warns 25 Million Africans Carry AIDS Virus

[1] Marietta Gross reports that 25 million Africans carry the AIDS-Virus in their body. The United Nations has published a report into HIV and AIDS detailing what has to be done against this incurable increase. “What is done today will change the future”, says the study AIDS in Africa, which was published by the UN department UNAIDS on Friday (March 4 2005). See... 80 Million Africans Will Die Of AIDS [2] UN: Up To 43 Million Africans Can Avoid HIV [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0503/S00026.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0503/S00026.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0503/S00088.htm

MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

UN Mission Urges Congo To Confine Arrested People [1] UN Envoy To Visit Beirut And Damascus For Talks [2] Europe Council Urged To Act For Trafficked People [3] Ancient Silk Road Plan For Trade, Tourism Revived [4] UN: North Korea Must Clarify Japanese Abductions [5]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0503/S00089.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0503/S00086.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0503/S00084.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0503/S00092.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0503/S00090.htm

SCOOP NEWS REPORTS:

Scoop Report: Carnivorous Kids Bigger, Stronger, More Intelligent [1] Marietta Gross reports that meat and animal protein is important for the development of children. Without meat in the grocery bag children would stay smaller, weaker and less intelligent. The results of the alimentation study in which 544 Kenyan primary school children took part are so clear without ambiguity that study author Lindsay Allen from the Californian Davis University calls it irresponsible to nourish children on a vegan diet. See... Meat Is Important For Children's Development [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0503/S00025.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0503/S00025.htm

Tarek Cherkawi Writes Syrian Intelligence Most Likely Hariri Assassins

- Tarek Cherkawi writes that as Rafiq Hariri's high-tech protection was useless it implies the perpetrators were professional, sophisticated. Eyewitness reports on Hariri’s death strongly suggest involvement by a major intelligence agency. See... Rafiq Hariri's Assassination - Syrial Killer? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0503/S00027.htm

Public Address Is There…

-Exceeding well over? Russell Brown's Hard News If the Herald on Sunday can't find a better lead story than yesterday's, it should … try harder. Under the heading '$50,000 a day: the princely sum you're paying for Charles' NZ visit', the paper declared ... See... PUBLIC ADDRESS - Exceedingly! [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0503/S00031.htm

Dave Crampton Explores The Plunketline Debacle

- Sometimes parents with a new baby like to ring plunket line. This causes a few problems lately as plunket line has pretty much been swallowed up by health line, except the health line people think that mothers are neurotic when they ring and ask for help. See... Dave Crampton's Big News: Plunket Line Hassles [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0503/S00028.htm

Evelyn Pringle Considers The Pros And Cons Of Pharmaceutical Profits

- Dr Peter Rost has spent 20 years marketing pharmaceuticals. On Feb 16, 2005, he testified before a senate committee on health, education, labor and pensions, in support of the reimportation of cheaper drugs from other countries. See... Profits - Sole Reason For Blocking Cheap Drugs [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0503/S00032.htm

Rosalea Held The U.S' Education Holy Grail In Her Hand

- Last Sunday, for a couple of hours, I was the proud possessor of the holy grail of the US education system: a GPA of 4. By the time my second course grade was added, I had slipped to 3.83--on account of the minus sign after that second A--but that's ...See... Stateside With Rosalea: My 4 by 3.83 [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0503/S00030.htm

National Demands Govt Action Over Plunketline Demise

[1] Parents who use the PlunketLine number will be appalled at Annette King’s shoulder-shrugging at official figures showing 87% of calls in January went unanswered, says National’s Associate Health spokeswoman Katherine Rich. A spokesman for Ms King said the Health Minister was “pretty relaxed” about the service’s performance. See... King ‘relaxed’ on 87% Unanswered PlunketLine Calls [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00128.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00128.htm

Govt Announce Cancer Control Plan

- The Government has targeted an extra $40 million funding for cancer control in the first phase of the Cancer Control Action plan, says Health Minister Annette King. See... First Phase for Cancer Control Action Plan [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00143.htm

Greens Lament Loss Of Women's Cervical Screening Privacy

- The Green Party says a law change tomorrow spells the end of doctor-patient confidentiality for the one million women enrolled on the National Cervical Screening Programme (NCSP). See... A million NZ women lose their medical privacy [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00139.htm

Women's Day Celebrations Tuesday

- International Women’s Day will be celebrated at a special function, hosted by Women’s Affairs Minister Ruth Dyson in Wellington tomorrow (8 March). See... Celebrating International Women’s Day [1] Making it easier for Mum [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00135.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00138.htm

Govt Targets $1.5mil For Private Land Conservation

- More than $1.5 million worth of funding will be made available to private landowners and community groups for nature protection on private land. See... Conservation grant applications invited [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00146.htm

Hospitals Victims Of Building Act Rules: Nats

- Huge unnecessary building costs and delays will result from Labour's new Building Act for building redevelopments such as Wellington's Kenepuru Hospital, says National's Building and Construction spokesman, Nick Smith. See... Building Act rules a nightmare for hospitals [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00145.htm

Maharey Kicks Back At Brash's Attack

- Social Development and Employment Minister Steve Maharey says Don Brash's claim that the government announced benefit reforms in reaction to his Orewa speech are bizarre. We pass over National's promise to keep Kiwibank, and the Cullen fund, etc. Labour is in continuing trouble with NCEA. Mallard is about to discover that having a Crown representative sign cheques for the Wananga will not help... See... Brash Orewa claim bizarre [1] Brash: Rush job on benefits done in Orewa's wake [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00141.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00137.htm

Nats Want ACC Payments To Crims Cut

- National's ACC spokeswoman Katherine Rich has released figures showing more than 60 prison inmates wrongly received weekly ACC payments in the past eight months worth in total $35,000. See... Time to tighten up on inmates getting ACC [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00140.htm

NZ First Angered Over ANZAC Cove Graves

- New Zealand First veterans’ affairs spokesperson Bill Gudgeon is calling on the Turkish government to act immediately and put a stop to damaging construction works at Anzac Cove after reports suggest that soldiers’ graves may have been dug up in the process. See... ANZAC Cove In Jeopardy Says Gudgeon [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00134.htm

Brash Appoints Smith To Building Spokesperson Role

- National Party Leader Don Brash has appointed Nelson MP Nick Smith as the party’s spokesman on Building and Construction. See... National targets red tape in building sector [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0503/S00125.htm

© Scoop Media

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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