Top Scoop Stories - 13 February 2008 News Summary

Wednesday, 13 February 2008, 2:00 pm
Article: The Scoop Editor

Today's Top Scoops - 13 February 2008

LEAD STORY:

Political Shock: Katherine Rich to stand down at election

NZ POLITICS:

Politics/Sex: Greens Attempt To Seduce Drunken Kiwis In London
Protest: Palestinian Ex-Pats Raise Issue of Gaza Siege In Auckland
Education: More Detail On "Schools Plus"
Parliament: Government Rolls Out Programme For The Year
MPs: Brian Donnelly Resigns

BUSINESS SCIENCE & TECH:

Statistics: Primary Products, Capital Goods Prices Up
The Net: Baby Websites Big Hit For Twenty-something Women
Internet: Pacific Surfers Ride Social Networking Boom

WORLD:

UN Forecast: La Nina Weather Likely To Last For Some Months
US State Department: Condoleezza Rice Marks New Great Seal Exhibit
Survival: Encounter Between Oil Prospectors & Isolated Tribe
Timor-Leste: UN Envoy Decries Political Attacks, Hails Government Response

COMMENT:

Yiftah Shapir: Launch Of Israel's TecSAR Satellite
Bill Berkowitz: Will Netanyahu Surge Oust Olmert?
Ravindra Kumar: How Shameful Are The Suicide Incidents Of Indian Farmers!

LIFESTYLE:

Fringe: Streets Play Wins Endorsement
Kiwi Pride: The Legacy of Fred Lives on in his people
Tennis Ball Cricket: Mr 'Whats-His-Face' Next Door In For Torment

Political Shock: Katherine Rich to stand down at election - National MP Katherine Rich today announced that she was standing down from Parliament at the next election. "Over the summer I had a chance to think about the future for my children and my family and concluded that it's time to move on to face new challenges. "The Party is in good heart. I have no doubt that National will win the election and John Key will be New Zealand's next Prime Minister. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• National - Key wishes Katherine Rich well [2]
• NZ Govt - Rich resignation [3]
• NZEI - Commitment to Dump Negative Policies Must Stay [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00166.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00167.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00171.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/ED0802/S00024.htm

Politics/Sex: Greens Attempt To Seduce Drunken Kiwis In London - The London branch of New Zealand's Green Party started their election year campaign in bold style. An enthusiastic group of volunteers attended the famous Circle Line Pub Crawl wearing T-shirts with the slogan 'I only date girls / boys who vote Green'. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PO0802/S00141.htm

Protest: Palestinian Ex-Pats Raise Issue of Gaza Siege In Auckland - A small group of Palestinian students belonging to Students for Justice in Palestine staged protest in front of Aotea Square in Auckland protesting against Israel's siege of Gaza. The peaceful protest while small in numbers did garner lot of support from the busy passing traffic. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00143.htm

Education: More Detail On "Schools Plus" - Education Minister Chris Carter says the government's recently-announced Realising Youth Potential initiative, to be known as Schools Plus, will significantly boost the economy and increase prospects for young New Zealanders. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00168.htm

Parliament: Government Rolls Out Programme For The Year - Prime Minister Helen Clark has announced key priorities in the government's substantial work programme in her annual Prime Minister's Statement to Parliament. "Our priorities this year include easing pressures on household budgets and giving children the best possible start at school and for life," Helen Clark said. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Scoop Full Coverage - Parliament Opening 2008 [2]
• Scoop Audio - Today In Parliament With Tom Frewen [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00158.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00140.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00134.htm

MPs: Brian Donnelly Resigns - New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has announced the resignation of Brian Donnelly from Parliament. The Chief Electoral Officer will now follow the constitutional process as laid out by the Electoral Act. At the conclusion of this process, a further announcement will be made. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• NZ Govt - Peters names new High Commissioner to Cooks [2]

• NZ First - New Zealand First Candidates List - 2005 Election [3]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00135.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00134.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0508/S00573.htm

Statistics: Primary Products, Capital Goods Prices Up - Producers prices rose in the December 2007 quarter, with output prices up 1.5 percent and input prices up 1.3 percent, Statistics New Zealand said today. The main driver in the rise of output prices was the dairy product manufacturing index, while the wholesale trade index was the most significant contributor to the rise in the input index. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Statistics New Zealand - Construction and machinery drive up CGPI [2]
• J P Morgan - NZ PPI a little stronger than market expectations [3]
• J P Morgan - NZ housing market buckling under rates pressure [4]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0802/S00187.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0802/S00188.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0802/S00191.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0802/S00193.htm

The Net: Baby Websites Big Hit For Twenty-something Women - Baby information, wedding, and female orientated magazine and entertainment sites dominate websites which have the greatest affinity for women in their late twenties and early thirties. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU0802/S00184.htm

Internet: Pacific Surfers Ride Social Networking Boom - More than six in 10 online New Zealanders (62%) and around 55 percent of online Australians have browsed other people's online profiles within the past 12 months, and 49 percent and 44 percent of New Zealanders and Australians respectively have actively updated their own online profile. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• Netsafe - NZ launches 'Cybercitizenship Pathway' [2]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0802/S00131.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/SC0802/S00019.htm

UN Forecast: La Nina Weather Likely To Last For Some Months - The current La Niña weather pattern - which began in the third quarter of 2007 - is expected to strengthen and continue through the middle of the year, bringing wetter conditions to Australia and the western Pacific and a drier climate to the Americas. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00143.htm

US State Department: Condoleezza Rice Marks New Great Seal Exhibit - The Great Seal of the United States embodies the ideals of independence, unity and strength as our national identity. Sometimes called the Eagle and the Shield, our Seal links to a tradition that dates back thousands of years. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00142.htm

Survival: Encounter Between Oil Prospectors & Isolated Tribe - Unconfirmed reports indicate that a team prospecting for oil deep in the Peruvian Amazon has encountered a village belonging to previously-uncontacted Indians. If the reports are true, the Indians are members of the Cacataibo tribe. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00145.htm

Timor-Leste: UN Envoy Decries Political Attacks, Hails Government Response - A senior UN envoy today decried attempts on the life of the President of Timor-Leste, who was wounded yesterday in a shooting, and the PM, who escaped a separate attack on his motorcade, while praising the maintenance of calm in the country. More >> [1]

ALSO:

• United Nations - Ban Ki-moon Condemns Shooting Of Timor President [2]
• European Commission - Attacks Against Timor-Leste's Leaders Comdemned [3]
• Gordon Copeland - Australia Acts on East Timor. NZ Stands Still [4]
• ETAN - Attacks On President & PM Of E. Timor Condemned [5]
• VOA News - East Timor's President Shot; Australia Sends More Peacekeepers [6]
• VOA News - Jose Ramos-Horta In Serious But Stable Condition [7]
• Scoop Audio - Audio: PM Shocked By Ramos Shooting [8]
• NZ Govt - Peters condemns attack on Ramos-Horta [9]
• United Nations - Timor-Leste Leader Wounded In Shooting - UN [10]
• VOA News - East Timor President Wounded In Rebel Attack [11]
• Newsflash - Timor Leste's President Shot in Rebel Attack [12]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00144.htm
[2] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00130.htm
[3] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00140.htm
[4] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00131.htm
[5] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00133.htm
[6] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00131.htm
[7] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00129.htm
[8] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00117.htm
[9] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/PA0802/S00124.htm
[10] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00126.htm
[11] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO0802/S00124.htm
[12] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00113.htm

Yiftah Shapir: Launch Of Israel's TecSAR Satellite - The TecSAR satellite undoubtedly constitutes a technological breakthrough for Israel's defense industry. It is an advanced satellite with few competitors in the world. It is unique in its capabilities and in its size (similar American surveillance satellites are much heavier). For the defense establishment in Israel, it provides coverage of the whole Middle East. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00139.htm

Bill Berkowitz: Will Netanyahu Surge Oust Olmert? - Netanyahu, a close ally and friend of U.S. Christian Zionists, "is waiting in the wings, talking tough on Gaza and Iran, saying Olmert should strike hard and fast with 'disproportionate force' against Palestinian terrorists."' More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00138.htm

Ravindra Kumar: How Shameful Are The Suicide Incidents Of Indian Farmers! - Due to indebtedness the suicides of more than thirty thousand farmers in the provinces of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and other parts of the country compel us to bow our heads in shame. The way to India's progress, as Mahatma Gandhi said, goes through the villages. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/HL0802/S00137.htm

Fringe: Streets Play Wins Endorsement - Street theatre hit Wellington last night with Familiar Strangers, a play that tackles the perceptions we have of the characters on Wellington's streets... Downtown Community Ministry's David Cross says, "The characters are as endearing as they are insightful. You come face to face with folk on the very edge of society but who have real stories to tell. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0802/S00147.htm

Kiwi Pride: The Legacy of Fred Lives on in his people - Pioneering Kiwi eye surgeon and humanitarian Professor Fred Hollows died 15 years ago today, but his legacy lives on in the many eye doctors and nurses that have been trained to continue his sight-saving work throughout the world. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0802/S00042.htm

Tennis Ball Cricket: Mr 'Whats-His-Face' Next Door In For Torment - L&P has decided to throw a bit of a BYC tourney down in sunny Paeroa on Saturday the 8th of March. The locals are offering up their backyards for us to have a hit in, which is pretty sweet. More >> [1]

[1] - http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU0802/S00129.htm

ENDS

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