Top Scoop Stories - 21 April 2008 News Summary

Monday, 21 April 2008, 2:01 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - 21 April 2008

LEAD STORY:

Scoop Announcement: Election08 Launched - Edited By Gordon Campbell

NZ POLITICS:

Privacy: Solid Energy Caught Spying Again?
Politics: AGENDA - Mike Williams Interview
Pollsters: Labour Closes Gap/Slips Back In Latest Poll
Media/Politics: Campaigning Journalism Hits Fact Speed Bump
Robson-on-Politics: Robson ON FTA
McCully.co.nz: Politician Attacks Politicians

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Weather: Severe Winds Battering Foveaux Strait
Science: Working Boffins Endorse Royal Society Manifesto
Spin: ANZ Business Transformation Programme Means Goodbye NZ Jobs

WORLD:

Blood Settlements: Human Rights Activists Call For Diamond Boycott
In For The Kill: Greenpeace Paints Stern Of US Tuna Fisher
Out Of Focus: Leading Burmese Democracy Activist Min Ko Naing May Face Blindness
Food Basics: Haiti Facing 'Explosive Situation' Because Of Food Crisis

COMMENT:

Michael Collins: Election Fraud in Pennsylvania?
Jason Leopold: Torture Question Hovers Over Chertoff
The March to War: Israel Prepares for War against Lebanon and Syria

LIFESTYLE:

Health: ACT Leader endorses asthma campaign

Scoop Announcement: Election08 Launched - Edited By Gordon Campbell - Dear Scoop Audience, Scoop is delighted and very proud today to launch a section of Scoop devoted to coverage of this year's election, and which will be edited (and mostly written) by Gordon Campbell. It is called Election08 [1] . Gordon's career in journalism includes a long stint at the Listener magazine as a feature writer and columnist. We expect Election08 will quickly become a must read for anyone interested in New Zealand politics. More >> [2]

ALSO:

• Election 08 - Gordon Campbell Interviews Tariana Turia [3]
• Election 08 - Afghanistan: Fight For Your Right To PRT [4]
• Election 08 - Beijing Ka-Ching! An Analysis of the FTA [5]
• Election 08 - Mike Williams: Looking For Labour's Laggards [6]

[1] - http://election08.scoop.co.nz/
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00310.htm
[3] - http://election08.scoop.co.nz/gordon-campbell-interviews-tariana-turia/
[4] - http://election08.scoop.co.nz/gordon-campbell-fight-for-your-right-to-prt/
[5] - http://election08.scoop.co.nz/beijing-ka-ching-an-analysis-of-the-fta/
[6] - http://election08.scoop.co.nz/election-08-looking-for-labours-laggards/

Privacy: Solid Energy Caught Spying Again? - On Sunday Nicky Hager's SST's report [1] revealed private security company Thompson and Clark had offered a Save Happy Valley campaigner money to spy for it. But Solid Energy [2] says it told TCIL not to use "paid informants in any work they undertake for Solid Energy". Image: the original Save Happy Valley spy, Ryan (pictured left). More >> [3]

MORE:

• Solid Energy NZ - Statement by Solid Energy Re SSTs Article [4]
• Scoop Link To SSTs - Nicky Hager's Latest Expose: Private investigators still digging [5]
• Greens - Community groups should be freed from spies [6]
• Greenpeace NZ - Democracy undermined by spying [7]

BACKGROUND REPORT:

• Save Happy Valley Campaign - "Don Elder Must Resign - Spying Unacceptable" [8]

[1] - http://www.stuff.co.nz/4489507a11.html
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00364.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0804/S00310.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00364.htm
[5] - http://www.stuff.co.nz/4489507a11.html
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00490.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0804/S00314.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0705/S00482.htm

Politics: AGENDA - Mike Williams Interview - Labour Party President Mike Williams has been hitting the headlines this year, first because of allegations he asked Prime Minister Helen Clark for a diplomatic appointment for party donor Owen Glen and then this week for what the Prime Minister ... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00303.htm

Pollsters: Labour Closes Gap/Slips Back In Latest Poll - Opinion polls released over the weekend conflict, with the slightly earlier TV3 poll showing National's lead over Labour closing to 10 poionts, while a TVNZ poll has it opening to 19.More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Scoop Poll Watch - Poll Watch: ONE News 20/4/08 - Nat 54% Lab 35% [2]
• TV3 Video - Poll shows Helen Clark making a comeback against muddling John Key [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00294.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00292.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/multimedia/tv/national/7172.html

Media/Politics: Campaigning Journalism Hits Fact Speed Bump - The Coalition for Open Government is delighted that the Press Council has upheld its complaint against the NZ Herald's Electoral Finance Bill campaign. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0804/S00282.htm

Robson-on-Politics: Robson ON FTA - In a NZ Herald Opinion Piece John Minto of the organization Global Peace and Justice argues that the recently completed New Zealand Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with China will only benefit China. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Scoop Full Coverage - New Zealand-China FTA [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0804/S00291.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00096.htm

McCully.co.nz: Politician Attacks Politicians - For several weeks now all Government guns have been trained on John Key. Forgotten, apparently, is the fact that a majority of the Labour caucus have ministerial warrants, small empires of flunkies. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0804/S00466.htm

Weather: Severe Winds Battering Foveaux Strait - MetService meteorologists have issued a marine storm warning for Foveaux Strait and a Severe Weather Watch on wind for Coastal Southland and South Otago. "After the weekend's cold outbreak, a very deep depression with central pressure below 950 hectoPascals has developed in the Southern Ocean..." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0804/S00050.htm

Science: Working Boffins Endorse Royal Society Manifesto - As practicing scientists, we identify with the state of New Zealand science as described in the Manifesto, in particular the excessive weight of competition between would-be colleagues, and the excessive and distracting compliance costs that compromise the productivity of research teams. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Public Service Association - Science Manifesto Supported By 2500 CRI Staff [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0804/S00047.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0804/S00043.htm

Spin: ANZ Business Transformation Programme Means Goodbye NZ Jobs - ANZ National has informed staff that it is taking the next step in its wider business transformation programme. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0804/S00328.htm

Blood Settlements: Human Rights Activists Call For Diamond Boycott - New York human rights activists, and representatives of the West Bank Palestinian villages of Bil'in and Jayyous called on the government and the people of the United Arab Emirates to boycott the jewelry stores of Israeli billionaire and diamond magnate Lev Leviev over his companies' construction of Israeli settlements. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00210.htm

In For The Kill: Greenpeace Paints Stern Of US Tuna Fisher
- Greenpeace took action against the US purse seiner, Cape Finisterre, in a pocket of international waters between Pacific Island countries. Activists painted the vessel with the words ''Tuna overkill'' and held a banner reading 'Marine reserves NOW'. More >> [1]

RECENTLY

• Greenpeace - Greenpeace Acts To End Overfishing Of Pacific Tuna [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00214.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00192.htm

Out Of Focus: Leading Burmese Democracy Activist Min Ko Naing May Face Blindness - Min Ko Naing, the well-known '88 Generation student leader and Burmese political prisoner, has been suffering from a serious eye infection for the past three weeks. Min Ko Naing requested a consultation with an eye specialist, but the authorities at Insein Prison in Rangoon have refused his request. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00215.htm

Food Basics: Haiti Facing 'Explosive Situation' Because Of Food Crisis - Joël Boutroue, the Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Haiti, told the UN News Centre in an interview that while the security situation had stabilized somewhat this week following recent deadly protests over sharp rise in the price of basic foods, daily living conditions are still dire for many Haitians. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0804/S00213.htm

Michael Collins: Election Fraud in Pennsylvania? - The Pennsylvania primary could lock up the Democratic nomination process once and for all. The campaign that Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean asked to be finished by July 1 could be over this Tuesday. Regardless of your candidate ... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00288.htm

Jason Leopold: Torture Question Hovers Over Chertoff - John Yoo and some other Bush administration lawyers who built the legal framework for torture are now out of the U.S. government, but one still holds a Cabinet-level rank - Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00299.htm

The March to War: Israel Prepares for War against Lebanon and Syria - By the start of 2007, reports about major upgrades to the Syrian military, including advances in missile technology, with Iranian help were widespread in Israel. [1] The impression of an imminent war existed across much of the Middle East. Syria, ... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0804/S00311.htm

Health: ACT Leader endorses asthma campaign - Epsom MP and ACT Leader Rodney Hide says he was astonished to hear that about one in six New Zealand adults and one in four Kiwi kids has asthma. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0804/S00110.htm

ENDS

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