MRSA – Congo – El Salvador – Tranz Rail – East Timor –Bonuses – Inflation – Rat Plague – Rugby on Cable TV

MRSA: Cases of MRSA rose by 60% last year and the super-bug has spread outside hospitals. Child care centres and rest homes are on alert for the bug.

CONGO: There are reports of a coup attempt in the Democratic Republic of Congo, some saying that President Kabila is dead.

EL SALVADOR: People in the worst hit area of El Salvador are scouring body bags looking for their relatives. Rescue workers have given up hope of finding survivors now. The death toll is expected to exceed 1000 in the quake.

TRANZ RAIL: Tranz Rail is being accused of abusing its monopoly on the Cook Strait run. Federated Farmers and the Road Transport Forum say the problems have been caused by taking the Arahunga off the run.

EAST TIMOR: The Indonesian Army has arrested a man thought to be responsible for killing NZ soldier Private Leonard Manning.

BONUSES: The government is moving to ensure that bonuses paid to pubic servants were appropriate. Housing staff are having an extra three days leave looked at by the State Services Commission.

INFLATION: Inflation figures out this morning are expected to show a peak in inflation at close to 4% in the year to the end of December.

RAT PLAGUE: DOC is worried about a rat plague around Lake Wakitipu and Queenstown called by heavy beech tree seeding.

RUGBY ON CABLE: Telstra/Saturn is expected today to confirm it has bought the rights to screen an end of year rugby tour by the All Blacks to Argentina, Wales and Scotland.

© 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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