Top Scoop Stories - 16 June 2008 News Summary

Monday, 16 June 2008, 2:02 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - 16 June 2008

LEAD STORY:

Scoop Photostory: NZ's Swedish Community Celebrates 'Lucia'

NZ POLITICS:

Burning Issue: Are Petrol Prices Overinflated?
Largesse: Peters Hands Out To The Anonymously Needy

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Transport: Auckland on board for second SeePort Week
ETS Crunch Time: Industry Lines Up Against Climate Change Bill
Meaty Issues: Meat Industry Launches Red Meat Taskforce
Retail: Newmarket Wary Of Pending Election

WORLD:

Situation In Zimbabwe: British PM Gordon Brown Condemns Mugabe Actions
Republic Of Kosovo: New Constitution Enters Into Force
Foreign Affairs: Colombia's Historic Moment; Major Role For Chavez
Bush Law: Conference To Plan War Crimes Trials Of Bush
Feeling The Squeeze: Australia & NZ Pressured ADB, Says Fiji's Finance Minister
Global Food Crisis: World Food Programme Launches 4-Year Strategic Plan
Trip to Europe 2008: Meeting With Sarkozy, Bush Urges Iran To Rethink Nuclear Offer
United Kingdom: Queens Birthday Honours List 2008
Water World: European States Use Waterways To Promote Peace

COMMENT:

Mideast Peace: Who Is Obama Trying To Please?
James J Murtagh: Epidemics of AIDS and Ignorance Grip South Africa
Journalism: Exiled Burmese Editor Aung Zaw Talks
Vincent L. Guarisco: The Long Road Ahead Will Be Hard-Earned
DOJ Official: Rumsfeld Personally Approved of Brutal Interrogations

LIFESTYLE:

Rawk 'n' Roll: San Francisco 60s Revivalists On Tour
Tertiary Education: Writings Of Literary Great Published
Improvised Chuckles: Witless Comedy Returns To Wellington
Art and Entertainment: Dressed To Thrill In Fur And Farm Equipment
Iconicness: Paua Shell House At Canty Museum

Scoop Photostory: NZ's Swedish Community Celebrates 'Lucia' - Karim Sahai captures members of Wellington's Swedish community celebrating 'Lucia' - one of Sweden's most popular events - at the Johnsonville Community Hall. In Sweden, 'Lucia' is traditionally celebrated on December 13, one winter's darkest nights. (Lucia is celebrated in June, in the Southern Hemisphere). More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0806/S00212.htm

Burning Issue: Are Petrol Prices Overinflated? - Commerce Minister Lianne Dalziel today announced further details of an independent study on petrol pricing in New Zealand. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0806/S00211.htm

Largesse: Peters Hands Out To The Anonymously Needy - New Zealand First has distributed $158,000 to charitable causes. The money was identified by the Auditor-General as wrongfully spent at the last election. This was disputed by New Zealand First. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0806/S00207.htm

Transport: Auckland on board for second SeePort Week - When Ports of Auckland opened its gates for SeePort Week more than 3000 Aucklanders gladly accepted the invitation to go behind the Red Fence. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK0806/S00149.htm

ETS Crunch Time: Industry Lines Up Against Climate Change Bill - The Climate Change (Emissions Trading and Renewable Preference) Bill is due to be reported back to Parliament on 16 June and the Greenhouse Policy Coalition says they hope the Select Committee has listened to submitters concerns about the Bill. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Sustainable Electricity Association NZ - What happens when the lakes run dry next year? [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0806/S00260.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0806/S00259.htm

Meaty Issues: Meat Industry Launches Red Meat Taskforce - The Meat Industry Taskforce has today outlined the process it is undertaking to complete a sector strategy for the red meat industry in New Zealand. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0806/S00262.htm

Retail: Newmarket Wary Of Pending Election - The head of Auckland's leading shopping district says while the latest retail figures for the month of April released by Statistics New Zealand today weren't as alarming as the figures for the March quarter, it nonetheless will be a very tough winter with the pending general election adding to retailers woes. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Statistics New Zealand - Retail sales up, trend flat [2]
• J P Morgan - NZ retail jumps 1.0% in April on autos, trend flat [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0806/S00253.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0806/S00235.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0806/S00241.htm

Situation In Zimbabwe: British PM Gordon Brown Condemns Mugabe Actions - ''I condemn the arrest of Morgan Tsvangirai for the fifth time in a week, the charging of Tendai Biti with treason, the killing of over 60 people, the beating and torture of over 2000 people, the displacement of over 30,000 and the bellicose rhetoric used by the Zimbabwean government.'' More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00324.htm

Republic Of Kosovo: New Constitution Enters Into Force - The United States congratulates the people of the Republic of Kosovo on the entry into force of their new constitution. This constitution enshrines the aspiration and determination of Kosovo's citizens to create a democratic, multi-ethnic state that is fully integrated into the Euro-Atlantic community. More >> [1]

ALSO

• UK Fully Supports New Kosovo Constitution [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00322.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00320.htm

Foreign Affairs: Colombia's Historic Moment; Major Role For Chavez - Colombia could be facing a historic moment. The dramatic change in Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez's perception of the FARC means that Colombia's leftist guerrilla group has lost its most important ideological ally. The moment is ripe for a profound gesture that would facilitate a comprehensive Colombian-FARC peace process. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00331.htm

Bush Law: Conference To Plan War Crimes Trials Of Bush - "We must try to hold Bush administration leaders accountable in courts of justice," said Lawrence Velvel, dean and cofounder of the Massachusetts School of Law, "and we must insist on appropriate punishments, including, if guilt is found, the hangings visited upon top German and Japanese war-criminals in the 1940s." More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00326.htm

Feeling The Squeeze: Australia & NZ Pressured ADB, Says Fiji's Finance Minister - ''I was told the Bank had been pressurised by Australia and New Zealand into adopting its current stance. These are our neighbours, they pretend to be wanting to help us but are effectively undermining our economy,'' Fiji's Mahendra Chaudhry said. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00325.htm

Global Food Crisis: World Food Programme Launches 4-Year Strategic Plan - The UN World Food Programme announced a new 4-year strategic plan to tackle soaring levels of hunger caused by the global food crisis. "This strategic plan marks a revolution in food aid that supports local markets in breaking the cycle of hunger." More >> [1]

RELATED

• State Dept - Meeting Challenges Of Global Food Crisis [2]
• State Dept - World Food Prize Laureate Ceremony [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00312.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00311.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00306.htm

Trip to Europe 2008: Meeting With Sarkozy, Bush Urges Iran To Rethink Nuclear Offer - On Iran: "Their leadership is willing to isolate them further... we want the Iranian people to flourish and to benefit... to be strong so people can grow up in peace and hope; and this Ahmadinejad takes a different position," - President George W Bush. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00297.htm

United Kingdom: Queens Birthday Honours List 2008 - Many honoured have been involved in charitable or voluntary work, or extra-curricular activities linked to their professions. This is in keeping with the British Prime Minister's intention that the significant majority of honours should go to local heroes. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00309.htm

Water World: European States Use Waterways To Promote Peace - Nine South-East European countries have adopted the Athens Declaration, pledging to use the region's waterways to encourage greater cultural understanding, emphasizing the importance of rivers, lakes and maritime routes in contributing to regional cooperation. ''No civilization and no culture is monolithic as both are the result of millennia of contacts and exchanges.'' More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00301.htm

Mideast Peace: Who Is Obama Trying To Please? - When, in a recent AIPAC (American Israel Public Affairs Committee) conference, Barack Obama revealed some of the specifics of his revised approach in dealing with Iran and its controversial nuclear program, many John McCain supporters interpreted it ... More >> [1]

RELATED

• Obama Addresses AIPAC Conference [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0806/S00201.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00080.htm

James J Murtagh: Epidemics of AIDS and Ignorance Grip South Africa - South Africa - Yesterday, a Million Man march was held in South Africa, June 10 2008, protesting the government's ineffective approach to both AIDs and violence. The March was a follow up to a smaller but equally vocal march in Johannesburg April 19, 2008. ... More >> [1]

RELATED

• African Traditions Influence Spread Of AIDS [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0806/S00198.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0806/S00146.htm

Journalism: Exiled Burmese Editor Aung Zaw Talks - Burmese journalist Aung Zaw printed the first copy of Irrawaddy magazine on a black and white photocopier in Bangkok 15 years ago. Scoop contributors Spike Mountjoy and Joseph Barratt caught up with Aung Zaw at the magazine's busy headquarters in the Northern Thai city of Chang Mai. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Spike Mountjoy - Burma: In the calm before the storm [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0806/S00184.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0806/S00181.htm

Vincent L. Guarisco: The Long Road Ahead Will Be Hard-Earned - Many years ago in the dead of winter in 1982, I met-up with my father in Washington DC. I traveled there in November from Arizona to attend the historic unveiling of the new Vietnam Memorial Wall -- a national tribute given to a weeping nation trying to heal from the madness of war... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0806/S00200.htm

DOJ Official: Rumsfeld Personally Approved of Brutal Interrogations - Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld personally authorized the use of brutal interrogation techniques against suspected terrorists imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay despite warnings from the FBI that the methods amounted to inhumane treatment, was ... More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0806/S00192.htm

Rawk 'n' Roll: San Francisco 60s Revivalists On Tour - Since the 90's, The Brian Jonestown Massacre has been making some of the most stunning music ever heard. Named in tribute to the legendary Rolling Stones guitarist, they formed in 1990 in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0806/S00136.htm

Tertiary Education: Writings Of Literary Great Published - Three previously unpublished works are included in a new book of writing by the Scottish novelist, poet and travel-writer Robert Louis Stevenson. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0806/S00043.htm

Improvised Chuckles: Witless Comedy Returns To Wellington - Wellington's finest improvised soap opera is back in 'The Young and the Witless 2: an improvised soap opera'! More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0806/S00138.htm

Art and Entertainment: Dressed To Thrill In Fur And Farm Equipment - Flax, muka, natural clay oxides, paua and magnolia leaves came together in a symphony of totally natural art for the body Friday afternoon, as 'Papatuanuku and Ranginui', created by the Huntly Campus of Te Wananga O Aotearoa, strutted away with the Ag Art Wear 2008 Supreme Award for most outstanding design. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0806/S00132.htm

Iconicness: Paua Shell House At Canty Museum - After many months of behind-the-scenes conservation and cataloguing, the shells from Fred and Myrtle Flutey's paua shell lounge are returning to the walls in their new home at Canterbury Museum. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0806/S00131.htm

ENDS

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