TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
LEAD STORY:
Madrid: Bombers Target Spanish Commuters With Series Of Attacks
Yes and No Decisions On Conservation Land Mines
MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:
Algerian Presidential Candidates Ought To Have “Disappeared” On Agenda
INTERNATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES
STORY OF THE WEEK: Franks Supports Judge On Foreshore Hearing Decision
ACT Unimpressed With Green Party Calls For A Big Talk
SCOOP FRINGE 2004 COVERAGE - Liz Smith Reviews I Am Skelly

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Hard News & Much More Is There!
Meditations On Dogs In Contemporary American Life
Genevieve Cora Fraser: A Nation Held Hostage
Ed Pybus: A Protest Trip Into The West Bank
UQ Wire: Rush Limbaugh Calls 9/11 Widows Party Hacks
The Real Deal: A Prayer Request
Daily Katya Rivas Meditations

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Police Rape And Perjury Allegations To Be Kept Separate
NZ Funds To Combat Nuclear Terror
Ministerial Speechifying
Brash Kiwibank Sale Pledge Ridiculous Say Progressives
Nick Smith Seeks To Eliminate Ethnic Bias At Greater Wellington
POLITICAL COLUMNS
Those Were The Days Of Our Select Committees
Internet Backbone For Research And Education Proposed
Marian Hobbs Secures The Mohaka
Teacher Pay Taskforce Report Welcomed
More Money For Classroom Research

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...TODAY'S PHOTO STORY...

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Students Get Behind 40 Hour Famine Fundraising

LEAD STORY:
Madrid: Bombers Target Spanish Commuters With Series Of Attacks

- Reacting to news of several bomb blasts in Spain this morning, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today reiterated his stance that there is no justification for targeting civilians, and said the perpetrators must to be held to account for their crimes. See... Madrid: Bomb Blasts Target Spanish Commuters [1] ALSO: EU condemns senseless terrorist attacks in Madrid [2] - UN Security Council Condemns Terror Attacks in Madrid [3] - Bush Condemns Terrorist Bombings in Spain [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0403/S00159.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0403/S00174.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0403/S00170.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0403/S00160.htm

Yes and No Decisions On Conservation Land Mines

- Conservation Minister Chris Carter has declined a request for access to a nationally significant piece of conservation land sought for the expansion of a dolomite and rock quarry on Mount Burnett in Golden Bay. See... Mt Burnett dolomite quarry extension declined [1] and Conditional approval for Pike River Coal mine [2] MORE: - Greens - Minister Pikes Out On Mine [3] - Forest & Bird – Mt Burnett dolomite quarry extension declined [4] - Greenpeace - Dinosaur Decision for Dirty Old Coal Mine [5] - Forest & Bird – Forest and Bird Dismayed by Pike Mine Decision [6]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00273.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00272.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00283.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0403/S00104.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0403/S00099.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0403/S00098.htm

MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0403/S00102.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0403/S00101.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0403/S00100.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0403/S00095.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0403/S00152.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00271.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0403/S00151.htm

Algerian Presidential Candidates Ought To Have “Disappeared” On Agenda

- Six months on from the establishment of an ad hoc mechanism to look into the issue of "disappearances", Amnesty International urges all candidates in the presidential elections scheduled for 8 April to pledge their commitment to guaranteeing ... See... Algeria: "Disappearances" must be on agenda [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0403/S00175.htm

INTERNATIONAL NEWS HEADLINES

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0403/S00173.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0403/S00172.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0403/S00171.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0403/S00169.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0403/S00168.htm

STORY OF THE WEEK: Franks Supports Judge On Foreshore Hearing Decision

- The Maori Land Court judge in Gisborne who authorised foreshore and seabed claims to proceed is upholding the rule of law, and should be applauded - even by those who believe the claims are not justified, ACT New Zealand Maori Affairs Spokesman Stephen Franks says. See... Judge Right To Defy Government [1] . MORE ON THE SEABED & FORESHORE: - Margaret Wilson - Maori land court hearing a way off [2] - Wayne Mapp - Govt delays opened door to worst case scenario [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00277.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00269.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00268.htm

ACT Unimpressed With Green Party Calls For A Big Talk

- The Green Party's call for Kiwis to consume themselves in a vast national hui is the same 1960's student dogma the Prime Minister believes in - somehow, if people only talk long enough, they'll come to agree with their leaders, ACT New Zealand Maori Affairs Spokesman Stephen Franks said today. See... Let The People Free [1] For more on this story see... CLICK HERE [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00261.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00159.htm

SCOOP FRINGE 2004 COVERAGE - Liz Smith Reviews I Am Skelly

- Inspired by the medieval danse macabre, where Death personified leads all to the grave, I am Skelly’s “eternal clown” dances out the final moments of figures from the past. See... FRINGE '04 REVIEW: I Am Skelly [1] - Liz Smith Reviews Bunnies On Ponies & Kahu - After seeing my cat go through the horror of a rectal exam, then leaving the vet’s in such a hurry I forgot to pay for his ordeal, Bunnies On Ponies’ mellow sound proved a fine antidote to trauma. See... FRINGE '04 REVIEW: Bunnies On Ponies and Kahu [2] See also... Scoop Fringe 2004 Feature [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00158.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00157.htm
[3] - http://scoop.co.nz/mason/features/?s=fringe04

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Hard News & Much More Is There!

The more I look at John Banks' massive Eastern Transport Corridor, the more I think that it's not actually going to happen. For a start, it seems less clear with each passing day where the money is going to come from... See... Public Address 12/04/04 - Mysteries [1] (also features the widely disseminated speech on Don Brash by Pat Snedden.)

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00156.htm

Meditations On Dogs In Contemporary American Life

- Dogs have become to America what cows used to be to India - animals imbued with an importance beyond rational explanation. In our case however, "man's (and woman's) best friend" is not seen as a religious symbol, but a panacea for alienation. See... Meditations: Literally Gone to the Dogs [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00155.htm

Genevieve Cora Fraser: A Nation Held Hostage

- According to the Palestinian Authority, 3.5 million Palestinians are held against their will. See... Palestine Held Hostage In Israel's Prison [1] . See also…Genevieve Cora Fraser Poem: Palestinian Endurance [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00154.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00152.htm

Ed Pybus: A Protest Trip Into The West Bank

- On Sunday we set off to Beit Dukka, another village near Biddu, because we’d heard that the army had began work on the wall there. It was meant to be covered by the court order that stopped the work in the area, until the court makes it’s judgement over whether the work is legal (which is now expected tomorrow - Thursday). See... Where Protesters Are Peaceful And Soldiers Violent [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00153.htm

UQ Wire: Rush Limbaugh Calls 9/11 Widows Party Hacks

- Two letters were written to Mr. Limbaugh today by the two 9-11 widows whose voices were used during his radio broadcast. The controversial Limbaugh referred to Republican Kristen Breitweiser and Monica Gabrielle as Democratic, "campaign consultants... not grieving widows... obsessed with rage and hatred." See... UQ Wire: 9-11 Widows Respond to Limbaugh Attacks [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00150.htm

The Real Deal: A Prayer Request

- A Request for Prayers During Litigation, March & April 2004 by Catherine Austin Fitts. See... The Real Deal: A Prayer For The Power Of Pennies [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00146.htm

Daily Katya Rivas Meditations

- While My Heart offers to suffer all these ordeals, Peter, whom I had named ''Leader and Head of the Church'' and who hours before had promised to follow Me unto My death, denies Me in response to a simple question that is asked of him and which could have ... See... Katya Rivas: Peter Denies Jesus [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0403/S00151.htm

Police Rape And Perjury Allegations To Be Kept Separate

- Police rape allegations must be kept separate Allegations about the undercover police programme will not be included in the Commission of Inquiry into the handling of complaints of sexual misconduct by police, says Attorney-General Margaret Wilson. See... Police rape allegations must be kept separate [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00263.htm

NZ Funds To Combat Nuclear Terror

- New Zealand is contributing a further $20,000 to the Nuclear Security Fund of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), to help fight the possibility of nuclear terrorism, Disarmament and Arms Control Minister, Marian Hobbs, said today. See... NZ funds for campaign against nuclear terrorism [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00287.htm

Ministerial Speechifying

- Jim Anderton… Address to APEC ConnectionsNZ conference [1] , Tariana Turia…Tariana Turia - Public interest in public health [2] and Tariana Turia Speech - Taonga [3] , John Tamihere… Tamihere Speech: Hollywood goes to Waitakere [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00285.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00282.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00281.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00265.htm

Brash Kiwibank Sale Pledge Ridiculous Say Progressives

- Brash's plans to sell key strategic assets including Kiwibank now just looks ridiculous in the light of their six monthly performance report today, says Progressive Deputy Leader, Matt Robson MP. See... Brash's plan to sell Kiwibank ridiculous [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00284.htm

Nick Smith Seeks To Eliminate Ethnic Bias At Greater Wellington

National Party Environment spokesman Nick Smith is challenging the Wellington Regional Council to change its policy of having one Maori Commissioner sit in on every Resource Consent application. See... Court finds against race based RMA process [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00280.htm

POLITICAL COLUMNS

- Prime Minister Helen Clark announced this week the extension to paid parental leave from 12 weeks to 14 weeks over the next 2 years. See... Beehive Bulletin - 12 March 2004 [1] MORE: - Matt Robson - robson-on-politics 12 March [2] - Muriel Newman - The Column - Maori Underclass [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00279.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00278.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00264.htm

Those Were The Days Of Our Select Committees

- Three committee meetings were held this week, all in the parliamentary complex. There was one site visit. See... Select Committee Business to 12 March 2004 [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00276.htm

Internet Backbone For Research And Education Proposed

- A proposal for a very high-speed internet 'backbone' linking New Zealand's research and higher education institutions is making good progress, says Minister of Research, Science and Technology Pete Hodgson. See... Data superhighway proposed for knowledge sector [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00275.htm

Marian Hobbs Secures The Mohaka

- Protecting the Hawke's Bay's Mohaka River for future generations will be assured with the decision to place a Water Conservation Order on the river, Environment Minister Marian Hobbs said today. See... Water Conservation Order for the Mohaka River [1] and Fish & Game NZ….Conservation Order Will Save The Mohaka River [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00274.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0403/S00103.htm

Teacher Pay Taskforce Report Welcomed

- Ministerial Taskforce on Secondary Teacher Remuneration. See... Secondary teacher remuneration report welcomed [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00270.htm

More Money For Classroom Research

A research programme to strengthen the understanding of teaching and learning and what works in the classroom for students has had its annual funding doubled to $2 million, Education Minister Trevor Mallard announced today. See... Research to help lift student achievement doubled [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0403/S00266.htm

ENDS

© 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.

CONTACT ALASTAIR THOMPSON

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