TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
LEAD STORY: Orcon Warns Of Local Loop Unbundling Threat To Broadband
Youth MPs Debate Alcohol Age Of Consent
MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:
Milosevic Lawyers Say Rights Jeopardised If Counsel Forced Upon Him
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Hospital Smoking Room For Terminally Ill
Russell Brown's Public Address Is There
Genevieve Cora Fraser Reports On Escalating Israeli Offensive
MnF Issue A Run-Down On Welly's Political Goss
What's The Mind Got To Do With It?
Ramzy Baroud Considers The Big Darfur Picture
Are Political Spin-Machines Making Mileage Out Of Terrorism Threats?
Do Yea Gather In My Name?

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Greens Concerned NZ's Trade Stance Risking Social Services
Youth MPs Enjoy Alcohol…Debate
Pot Not Hot For Maori
Greens Want Charities Bill Axed
Copeland , Sowry Welcome Mighty River Marsden Initiative
Welfare Symposium Provides Food…For Thought
ACT Against NZ'ers Access To Recreational Opportunities

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...TODAY'S PHOTO STORY...

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00183.htm
Big Chill Images - Snow In Christchurch

LEAD STORY:
Orcon Warns Of Local Loop Unbundling Threat To Broadband

- Currently the New Zealand telecommunications environment is going through a period of rapid and exciting change, and we’re very close to the point where competition in the marketplace could provide affordable broadband to the masses. See... Orcon Warns Unbundling a Threat to Broadband [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/SC0408/S00060.htm

Youth MPs Debate Alcohol Age Of Consent

- Youth Affairs Minister John Tamihere welcomed the lively and constructive debate held on the drinking age at this week's 2004 Youth Parliament. See… Youth MPs speak on alcohol laws [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0408/S00311.htm

MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0408/S00216.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0408/S00169.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0408/S00215.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0408/S00308.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0408/S00170.htm

Milosevic Lawyers Say Rights Jeopardised If Counsel Forced Upon Him

- The health and rights of former Yugoslav President Slobodan Miloševic could be jeopardized if the United Nations war crimes tribunal trying him for genocide forces him to accept defence counsel, rather than represent himself, according to lawyers… See... Miloševic Forced To Accept Defence Counsel [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0408/S00161.htm

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0408/S00151.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0408/S00162.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0408/S00159.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0408/S00158.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0408/S00155.htm

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Hospital Smoking Room For Terminally Ill

- This originally appeared in the Herald here . I reproduce it in full because it is so short. Yet so rewarding. Sets me thinking like. I recently spent a heavily sedated week at the mercy of the Public Health System. See... Simon Pound: Cancerous Performance [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00174.htm

Russell Brown's Public Address Is There

- Nowt from me today (I have a radio show to pull together) but two very fine blogs from the crew for your information and enjoyment. Read 'em both. And wrap up warm in Welly now ... See... Public Address 18/08/04 - Perspectives [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00180.htm

Genevieve Cora Fraser Reports On Escalating Israeli Offensive

- Armed to the teeth by the American Congress, Israel once again has escalated the occupation into a full-scale military offensive against the Palestinian population. See... Israel Escalates Palestine Military Offensive [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00182.htm

MnF Issue A Run-Down On Welly's Political Goss

- Labour’s lead is growing in the exclusive Molesworth & Featherston rolling poll of polls, but the chances of anyone forming a government on current polls are slim. See... Molesworth & Featherston - 17 August 2004 [1] When An American Killer Comes To Town - BANGKOK, Thailand -- American bounty hunter Jonathan "Jack" Idema, who was put on trial in Kabul for allegedly torturing Afghans, arrived in Afghanistan alongside U.S. invasion forces in 2001 and enjoyed threatening to kill journalists. See... American Bounty Hunter Jonathan ''Jack'' Idema [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00179.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00178.htm

What's The Mind Got To Do With It?

- In my last column, I inquired into the existence of a sacredness beyond thought, and proposed that if a person is self-knowing, and really does the work of passively observing thought into stillness, there is an awareness of energies… See... Martin LeFevre: The Crisis of Consciousness [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00177.htm

Ramzy Baroud Considers The Big Darfur Picture

- Finally, the conflict in Darfur in western Sudan is a focal point in international diplomacy and media attention. This is the least to expect after months of bloody campaigns of murder, rape and dare I say, ethnic cleansing… See... Ramzy Baroud: Darfur's War of Definitions [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00176.htm

Are Political Spin-Machines Making Mileage Out Of Terrorism Threats?

- Terrorist Alerts: Genuine Threats or Political Ploy? - Interview with Craig Eisendrath, senior fellow with the Center for International Policy, conducted by Scott Harris See... Terror Alerts: Genuine Threats Or Political Ploy? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00175.htm

Do Yea Gather In My Name?

- The Republican party, once the home of liberals, conservationists, internationalists, and moderate Christians, is now dominated by an improbable alliance of libertarians, free market absolutists, greedy plutocrats, and Christian fundamentalists. See... Ernest Partridge: Suckers For Jesus [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00173.htm

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00171.htm
IMAGES: Youth Parliament Photo Essay

Greens Concerned NZ's Trade Stance Risking Social Services

- The Green Party has accused Labour of risking local control of key social and public services with its negotiating stance at the P3 (New Zealand, Chile and Singapore) meeting being held in Wellington today. See... Labour endangers services in trade negotiations [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0408/S00310.htm

Youth MPs Enjoy Alcohol…Debate

- Youth Affairs Minister John Tamihere welcomed the lively and constructive debate held on the drinking age at this week's 2004 Youth Parliament. See... Youth MPs speak on alcohol laws [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0408/S00311.htm

Pot Not Hot For Maori

- New Zealand First is calling for immediate research into the effects of cannabis use by Maori because of their high usage of the drug. See... Pot Not Hot For Maori [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0408/S00318.htm

Greens Want Charities Bill Axed

- The Green Party today called for the Charities Bill to be axed before it inflicts serious damage on the not-for-profit sector. See... Scrap the Charities Bill, say Greens [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0408/S00321.htm

Copeland , Sowry Welcome Mighty River Marsden Initiative

- United Future energy spokesman Gordon Copeland today welcomed the announcement from Mighty River Power that it wants to fire up the Marsden B power station near Whangarei, adding another 320 MW of electricity to the nation’s supply. See... MORE: - National - New power station test for RMA [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0408/S00319.htm

Welfare Symposium Provides Food…For Thought

- This week, Newman On-Line reflects on the Symposium for welfare Reform, and considers just a few arguments against New Zealand’s welfare dependency problem. See... Welfare Symposium Provides Food For Thought [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0408/S00316.htm

ACT Against NZ'ers Access To Recreational Opportunities

- ACT New Zealand Rural Affairs Spokesman Gerry Eckhoff today announced plans to tour the country again - this time to campaign against the Labour Government's proposal to force farmers to open their property to the public. See... Labour Land Grab - Eckhoff Rides Again [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0408/S00314.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.

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