Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Thursday, 15 December 2005, 5:32 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS:
Jane Kelsey Reports On WTO: Free Trade Talks Open With Protests
Election Spending: Are Spending Loopholes Big Enough For A Stock Car?
Scoop Report: Fraser Implodes At TVNZ Inquiry -
RECOMMENDED AUDIO
Photo Story: Stars Enjoy Red Shagpile In Welly -
Crime: Pick-Pockets Nabbing Christmas Shoppers Dollars
Zoology: More Ape Magic Comes To NZ Via Mother Nature -
MORE HEADLINES
Calm Urged As Iraqis Go To Polls
MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics):
Rongo Wetere Resigns From Wananga
Parliament: Dirty Harry And The Inbox Of Secrets!
POLITICAL HEADLINES

Jane Kelsey Reports On WTO: Free Trade Talks Open With Protests

The opening day of ‘MC6’ (the sixth ministerial conference of the World Trade Organisation) followed a now-standard format: mass protests on the outside, disruption of the opening ceremony by non-government organizations accredited to attend the fringes of the meeting, and preliminary skirmishes over the process and the negotiating text. For the public of Hong Kong the opening meant another protest march through the streets by an estimated 5200 local and overseas activists and accompanying tariff jams. Barriers now block people’s entry to parts of the city near the Convention Centre and police are much more visible than usual, displaying an alarming array of weaponry. See... Jane Kelsey WTO: Opening skirmishes [1] MORE TRADE NEWS:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00173.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00237.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0512/S00129.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0512/S00123.htm

Election Spending: Are Spending Loopholes Big Enough For A Stock Car?

- The Rt Hon Winston Peters has said that he is disappointed with the Judges' findings in relation to the electoral petition for the seat of Tauranga, as there now appear to be no rules to limit candidate expenditure. "This development means that we have taken the first steps down the slippery slope of US style politics in which wealthy candidates are able to buy their way into politics. "I commenced my action because, like others, I believed that there was gross over expenditure in this case. See... Peters Declares The Law On Expenditure Now Void [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00241.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00242.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00236.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00174.htm

Scoop Report: Fraser Implodes At TVNZ Inquiry -

After his shock resignation - which included a number of press releases attempting to justify why he was bailing out of the TVNZ Chief Executive's role - Ian Fraser yesterday morning had the chance to explain himself to a parliamentary inquiry into TVNZ's affairs. See (text and audio)... Ian Fraser Unleashes On His Own Company [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00157.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0512/S00213.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0512/S00209.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0512/S00216.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00185.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00220.htm

RECOMMENDED AUDIO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00175.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00168.htm

Photo Story: Stars Enjoy Red Shagpile In Welly -

Wellington turned on a blissful sunny evening for the New Zealand premiere of King Kong tonight, as the stars came downtown to mingle with we gleeful-but-sweaty masses. The Embassy, renamed 'The Alhambra' for the night, gleamed in the sunshine as Courtenay Place thronged with thousands of Wellingtonians and plenty of visitors from afar. See... Photo Story: Star-struck in Kong's capital [1] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00164.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0512/S00160.htm

Crime: Pick-Pockets Nabbing Christmas Shoppers Dollars

- Shoppers are advised to protect themselves as best they can from pick-pockets operating in the Auckland region over the past few weeks who Police believe may have got away with thousands of dollars from personal accounts. Detective Sergeant Graham of Auckland City District's general fraud squad says he's investigating a number of complaints where shoppers from throughout the region must have been observed entering their PIN numbers into Eftpos machines on counters and minutes later have had their wallets stolen from their bag or person. See... Pick-Pockets Out And About [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0512/S00117.htm

Zoology: More Ape Magic Comes To NZ Via Mother Nature -

Confident, but cautious, and one hundred percent attentive, she looks at him adoringly like any proud and doting mother. The mother-baby bond is breathtakingly human-like from this great ape, whose genetic make-up is 97 per cent similar to humans. See... birth of endangered great ape [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0512/S00029.htm

MORE HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0512/S00115.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0512/S00114.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0512/S00218.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0512/S00215.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0512/S00116.htm

Calm Urged As Iraqis Go To Polls

- On the eve of Iraq’s elections, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today urged the country’s people to go to the polls in a peaceful manner and pledged the world body’s support. Addressing Iraqis directly, Mr. Annan encouraged them “to turn out and exercise your democratic right to vote as a first step towards building together a stable, united and prosperous Iraq.” He also issued an appeal to all to refrain from violence or any other action which might undermine the democratic process. See... Annan Urges Iraqis To Vote Peacefully [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00280.htm
[2] - http://img.scoop.co.nz/media/audio/0512/05121400.m3u

MORE INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00279.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00275.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00274.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00273.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0512/S00270.htm

Rongo Wetere Resigns From Wananga

- Rongo Wetere’s decision to resign as chief executive of Te Wananga o Aotearoa was today welcomed by Tertiary Education Minister Michael Cullen. “Dr Wetere’s contribution to the wananga and to Maori education in general was large but his departure will make it easier for the wananga to move on. “The current wananga council and the Crown Manager have made huge progress in dealing with the governance and management failures highlighted in the Auditor-General’s report. See… Wetere’s resignation welcomed [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00244.htm

Parliament: Dirty Harry And The Inbox Of Secrets!

- Parliamentary Questions 13/12/05 Q12 - Winston Peters: "Oh, I know what those members are thinking: they are wondering whether I have one telephone book full of those emails, or 10. Well, I have to tell those members that, in all this excitement, I myself clean forgot to count them. But given that this is the most damaging information seen in the Western World, and could blow their political heads clean off, they have to ask themselves whether they feel lucky. Well, do they—punks?" See transcripts… Winston Peters vs Gerry Brownlee [1] & Peters & Cullen vs Don Brash [2] ALSO:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00197.htm#dirtyharry2
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00197.htm#dirtyharry1
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00206.htm

POLITICAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00247.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00246.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00243.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00240.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00235.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00234.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00233.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00232.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00231.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00230.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00229.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00228.htm
[13] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00239.htm
[14] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00248.htm
[15] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00245.htm
[16] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00242.htm
[17] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00241.htm
[18] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00238.htm
[19] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0512/S00227.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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