Scoop: Top Scoops + Just Politics

Wednesday, 23 January 2002, 2:58 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

TODAY’S TOP SCOOPS
New Navy Plan - Fewer Guns
Sport & Pretzels Off The Agenda For Washington Visit
Firas Al-Atraqchi: Bomb Iraq?
No Change In Interest Rates
Genesis To Compensate Misled Customers
Images: Former Russian Soldier Waits For Death
OPEC Chief Wellington Bound

AMERICAN STRIKES - FULL COVERAGE
Govt Silence On Guantanamo Bay Must Be Broken
Amnesty Requests Guantanamo Bay Visit
NZ’s Promises To Afghanistan
Kiwi SAS Utilisation In Kabul Criticised
THE RECEIVED VERSION - OFFICIAL UN, US & UK COMMENTS

OTHER NEWS
Govt. Plan To Talk To Students About Their Loans
Ballooning Health Funding Shortfall
Pick And Mix To Replace Survival Of The Fittest In Cows
Bill’s Talking Super Still
Writing To The Ocker Brokers

New Navy Plan - Fewer Guns

- The future shape of New Zealand's maritime force was revealed today by Defence Minister Mark Burton. See... A Modern Navy Matched To NZ's Needs [1] - ACT - Labour Turns Navy into Expensive Fishing Patrol [2] - National - Maritime Review big downgrade to Navy [3] - Alliance - Customs Will Benefit From New Navy Boats [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00114.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00118.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00117.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00116.htm

Sport & Pretzels Off The Agenda For Washington Visit

- Prime Minister Helen Clark said today that she will meet United States President George W Bush in Washington on 26 March. See... PM To Visit United States [1] . See also United Future - A Social Call, Or Something More Worthwhile? [2] .

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00113.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00119.htm

Firas Al-Atraqchi: Bomb Iraq?

- Let’s knock out all those missiles pointing upwards. What? They ain’t missiles? Minarets? What the heck are those? Let’s get them too! And let’s write ‘ramadhan greetings’ on our bombs...uhm something like...”say hello to Allah”. See... Firas Al-Atraqchi: Bomb Iraq? [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0201/S00018.htm

No Change In Interest Rates

- The Reserve Bank today left the Official Cash Rate unchanged at 4.75 per cent. See... OCR unchanged at 4.75 per cent [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0201/S00052.htm

Genesis To Compensate Misled Customers

- In a settlement with the Commerce Commission, both Genesis Power Limited and its contractor, Source Distribution Limited, have acknowledged breaching the Fair Trading Act by making claims liable to mislead customers over the price of electricity in the Wellsford area. See... Genesis acknowledges misleading customers [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/BU0201/S00057.htm

Images: Former Russian Soldier Waits For Death

- As you, probably, know, the Russian government is totally corrupt now. It causes starvation among the Russian people. The Russian pensioners and war heroes do not receive any money from the government. See... Scoop Image Feedback: Corruption in Russia [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/HL0201/S00019.htm

OPEC Chief Wellington Bound

- Associate Energy Minister Paul Swain says for the first time New Zealand is to host the Secretary General of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). See... OPEC Secretary-General in NZ in February [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00098.htm

Govt Silence On Guantanamo Bay Must Be Broken

- Green Foreign Affairs spokesperson Keith Locke wants the Government to speak out against the degrading treatment of al-Qaeda and Taleban prisoners at Guantanamo Bay. See... Govt Should Speak Out Against Prisoner Humiliation [1] MORE: - ACT - Greens Talking PC Rubbish On Taleban PoWs [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00092.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00096.htm

Amnesty Requests Guantanamo Bay Visit

- Amid growing concern about the treatment of prisoners held at the Guantánamo Bay prison in Cuba, Amnesty International today wrote to the US authorities to request access to the detention camp. See... AI Requests Access To Guantánamo Base [1] . See also... News Briefing - Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Pace [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0201/S00053.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0201/S00055.htm

NZ’s Promises To Afghanistan

- New Zealand has offered its skills and its expertise to help the people of Afghanistan re-build their country, Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs Matt Robson said last night in Tokyo. See... NZ pledges help to re-build Afghanistan [1] and On Reconstruction Assistance To Afghanistan [2] .

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00100.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00101.htm

Kiwi SAS Utilisation In Kabul Criticised

- National today called on Helen Clark to assure New Zealanders that our SAS troops are being utilised in the areas they are trained and funded for, rather than building camps for German commandos in Kabul, National Defence spokesperson Max Bradford said ... See... Elite soldiers not camp builders [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00097.htm

THE RECEIVED VERSION - OFFICIAL UN, US & UK COMMENTS

- News Briefing - Secretary Rumsfeld and Gen. Pace [1] - Statement On The Absence Of Enron Stock [2] - Wolfowitz Interview with Atlanta Journal [3] - Secretary Rumsfeld Interview with Newsweek [4] - Rumsfeld Interview With The Washington Post [5] - Rumsfeld Interview With NBC Meet The Press [6] - DoD Images: Al Qaeda Prisoners At Camp X-Ray [7]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0201/S00055.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0201/S00054.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0201/S00052.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0201/S00051.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0201/S00050.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0201/S00049.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0201/S00047.htm

Govt. Plan To Talk To Students About Their Loans

- The government will publish a document for public discussion on options for reform of the financial support provided to tertiary students this year, Associate Education (Tertiary Education) Minister Steve Maharey said today. See... Discussion document to canvass student support [1] and Govt. Response To Student Loans/Allowances Inquiry [2] .

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00122.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00123.htm

Ballooning Health Funding Shortfall

- It is no surprise that the country's district health boards will be running up a combined deficit of $220 million, National's Health spokesperson Roger Sowry said today. See... Health Minister Covers Up Ballooning Deficit [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00115.htm

Pick And Mix To Replace Survival Of The Fittest In Cows

- A new application by Agresearch to genetically engineer cows would allow them to create almost any type of transgenic cow that takes their fancy, Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said today. See... Application Would Allow Smorgasbord Of GE Cows [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00112.htm

Bill’s Talking Super Still

- Superannuation will be a key election issue and one that Government must start telling people the full story about, says National Party leader Bill English. See... Super a key election issue - English [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00105.htm

Writing To The Ocker Brokers

- Commerce Minister Paul Swain has released his letter to the Australian Stock Exchange outlining concerns over ASX proposals to significantly lift the threshold for listed entities to qualify for Foreign Exempt Status. See... Swain letter to ASX [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/PA0201/S00109.htm

© 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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