TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
Scoop Is In The House
LEAD STORY: Progressives Hail China FTA Ideal
MFish Plans Sea Lion Slaughter
MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:
UN Security Council Considers Move On Sudan
INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:
STORY OF THE WEEK: A Killer Blow Of Rhetoric From The Gropinator
The RNC Protests As Seen On A Cellphone

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Supercomputer Weather: Hurricane Frances Monsters Florida
Diebold Voting Software – Designed To Be Tampered With?
Hard News & More Is There!
Steve Weissman: Is Iran Next? If So When?
A Bolivarian Perspective On Chavez's Victory
Gott Mit Uns: Bush's Deals With The Almighty
John Chuckman: Three Years On From 9/11

OTHER NEWS (Just Politics)
Michael Ruppert Addresses The Means & Motivations Behind 9/11
McCully Takes Aim At Information Campaign
Weird Rats - Prospective Warning To Nacho Lovers
United Damns Governments Short Sighted Health Policy
Odds Shift In Problem Gamblers Favour
Flooded Farmers Get Money
Is Immigration Policy Becoming Virtually Pointless?
Cook Islands To Receive Aid
Fishy Business All Good

TO CHANGE MY SCOOP OPTIONS OR UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS LIST
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/myscoop/signin.html
IF YOU HAVE LOST YOUR PASSWORD
http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/myscoop/newpass.html

...TODAY'S PHOTO STORY...

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00013.htm
Who's Watching The Watchers? - Not Parliament

Scoop Is In The House

- For today's questions and answers see... Questions & Answers for Oral Answer 2 September [1] . For Wednesday's Q&A see... Questions & Answers for Oral Answer 1 September [2] . For Tuesday's see... Questions & Answers for Oral Answer 31 August [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00055.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00027.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0408/S00566.htm

LEAD STORY:
Progressives Hail China FTA Ideal

- Be careful in choosing your coalition partner if you want a pro-growth trade deal with China, warned the Progressive Deputy Leader Matt Robson today after the trade deal was attacked by the Greens in Parliament yesterday. See... China Trade Deal Essential Say Progressives [1] ALSO: - Bill Rosenberg - No Benefits For Workers In Free Trade Agreement [2] - CTU - China Deal Threatens Future of Manufacturing [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00036.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0409/S00024.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0409/S00020.htm

MFish Plans Sea Lion Slaughter

- The Ministry of Fisheries (MFish) is proposing to allow the fishing industry to annually kill over 598 of the world’s rarest sea lions, which are unique to New Zealand. This would constitute a near ten-fold increase over the 2003 ‘kill quota’ of 62. See... MFish To Slaughter 598 Protected NZ Sea Lions [1] ALSO: Fisheries Act improved through new law [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PO0409/S00019.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00031.htm

MORE NEW ZEALAND HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/AK0409/S00026.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/AK0409/S00023.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0409/S00024.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0409/S00019.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0409/S00018.htm

INTERNATIONAL NEWS:

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00026.htm
Damian Clarke's Update From Palestine (6)

UN Security Council Considers Move On Sudan

- The Security Council's 15 members have received a United Nations report assessing the latest developments in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan, a day before the senior UN envoy to the country briefs them on what progress Khartoum has made. See... SUDAN: Security Council Studies Assessment Report [1] ALSO: Darfur: Rebels Release Abducted UN Aid Workers [2] - Govt-Backed Group Hands Over Arms In Darfur [3] - Annan's Sudan Report To Security Council Members [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00043.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00042.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00029.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00023.htm

INTERNATIONAL HEADLINES:

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00044.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00041.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00040.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00032.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0409/S00031.htm

STORY OF THE WEEK: A Killer Blow Of Rhetoric From The Gropinator

- New York City-- The Democrats were caught with their panties down Tuesday night when California Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneggar launched a blistering attack on the fiscal credentials of the opposition party. See... Governator's Girly-Men Comment Floors US Democrats [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00023.htm

The RNC Protests As Seen On A Cellphone

- An artifact of the Republican National Convention protests this week, a fascinating record of events as relayed to protestors via the mobile phone txt network. See... NYC RNC Protests: SMS Txt Comms Dispatch Log [1] See also more RNC coverage…. STORY OF THE WEEK - Republican National Convention [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00020.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0409/S00015.htm

SCOOP COLUMNS:
Supercomputer Weather: Hurricane Frances Monsters Florida

- The following image was taken at 15.30 UTC on September 1 (approx. 3.30am this morning NZT). It shows Hurricane Frances bearing down on the Bahamas. The latest hurricane advisory and commentary follows the images . See... Scoop Images: Latest Image Of Hurricane Frances [1] and Supercomputer Weather: Frances Heads For Florida [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00018.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00017.htm

Diebold Voting Software – Designed To Be Tampered With?

- At Issue: A manipulation technique found in the Diebold central tabulator -- 1,000 of these systems are in place, and they count up to two million votes at a time. See... Backdoor Found In Diebold Vote Counting Program [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00027.htm

Hard News & More Is There!

- So Downing Street has quietly told John Kerry it hopes he wins November's US presidential election. It's hardly surprising. With the exception of Israel, Australia and Italy, there probably isn't a sovereign government in the world that feels any different... See... Public Address 02/09/04 - Principles [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00026.htm

Steve Weissman: Is Iran Next? If So When?

- I can just hear the Presidential conversation. ''Did I say Iraq backed al-Qaeda?'' he asks with a boyish grin. ''Oh, heck, I meant Iran. I always get those two mixed up.'' See... How Soon Will The U.S. Or Israel Bomb Iran? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00028.htm

A Bolivarian Perspective On Chavez's Victory

- The Venezuelan government’s victory on August 15 is not only a victory for the people of Venezuela, but for working people worldwide. The Venezuelan voters decisive rejection of the right-wing bid to recall President Hugo Chavez has demonstrated what is possible when the interests of working people are put before those of big business. See... GLW: Bolivarian Revolution: A People’s Win [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00025.htm

Gott Mit Uns: Bush's Deals With The Almighty

- President Bush told Texas evangelist James Robinson that ''I feel like God wants me to run for President. I can’t explain it, but I sense my country is going to need me. Something is going to happen . . . I know it won’t be easy on me or my family, but God wants me to do it.'' See... Bob Fitrakis: On Bush And Hitler’s Rhetoric [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00024.htm

John Chuckman: Three Years On From 9/11

- A lot can happen in three years. In the United States since 9/11, about 4,000 children died from child abuse and neglect; in more than 80 percent of cases, parents were the perpetrators. About 36,000 Americans died from unnecessary surgery. See... John Chuckman: 9/11: The Day The World Ended [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00022.htm

Michael Ruppert Addresses The Means & Motivations Behind 9/11

- The speech is long, but a must read for anyone interested in the future of the United States, peak oil, 9/11, the 2004 election, and related topics. See... UQ Wire: Michael C. Ruppert To Commonwealth Club [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00021.htm

http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0409/S00012.htmPanoramas From Whakapapa
& http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0408/S00323.htm
Scoop Photo Essay: Snowy Mountains High

McCully Takes Aim At Information Campaign

- National MP Murray McCully has welcomed the report of the Auditor-General on the Government's planned $21.15 million post-Budget advertising programme released to him today. See... Budget propaganda campaign breaks the rules [1] ALSO: - Govt -Families Should Investigate 'Working for Families' [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00048.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00044.htm

Weird Rats - Prospective Warning To Nacho Lovers

- The Greens today revealed that a genetically engineered corn variety approved for human food in New Zealand was refused approval by a French scientific committee because of a study showing rats fed with it developed several abnormalities See... GE corn that caused rat abnormalities approved [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00046.htm

United Damns Governments Short Sighted Health Policy

- The Government should either fund eye treatment for New Zealanders properly or ask the Fred Hollows Foundation to add us in with Bangladesh and Nepal in the queue for charitable treatment, United Future's Judy Turner said today. See... Bring in Fred Hollows Foundation or fund surgery [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00052.htm

Odds Shift In Problem Gamblers Favour

- A problem gambling levy aimed at addressing harm associated with gamblers’ losses, will apply on pub and club gaming machine, casino, TAB and Lotteries Commission profits from 1 October. See... Problem gambling levy introduced [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00051.htm

Flooded Farmers Get Money

- The first payments to flood affected farmers in the lower North Island will be made this week to dairy farmers in the Manawatu and Wanganui areas. See... Payouts made under Agricultural Recovery Programme [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00047.htm

Is Immigration Policy Becoming Virtually Pointless?

- "Yet another reduction in the points requirement for skilled migrants shows the Government's policy is in freefall," says National's Immigration spokesman, Tony Ryall. See... Skilled migration in freefall [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00043.htm

Cook Islands To Receive Aid

- Historic aid agreement signed The Cook Islands, New Zealand and Australian governments have signed an historic agreement officially marking the first joint New Zealand and Australian aid programme. See... Historic aid agreement signed [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00035.htm

Fishy Business All Good

- Fisheries Minister David Benson-Pope has welcomed the passing of Fisheries Amendment Bill No.3 today, which further strengthens the management of New Zealand's fisheries resources. See... Fisheries Act improved through new law [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0409/S00031.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

• Mobile - 021707044
• Twitter - @althecat
• Google+

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz