Waterfront Dispute – Global Warming – Galapagos – Cabinet Meets – Tourism Boom – Oz Immigration – Contact Energy – Middle East Peace – Body Found – Rafting Death

WATERFRONT DISPUTE: The Minister of Labour says she will encourage Waterfront Workers and Carter Holt Harvey to go to mediation to discuss their dispute over contracts awarded to Mainland Stevedores. The Government says that it has been trying for months to arrange mediation between the parties.

GLOBAL WARMING: The UN says a report that shows the impact of global warming is worse than first thought has an impact on the need to reduce the use of fossil fuels.

GALAPAGOS: Ecuador has appealed for international help to assist it to clean up an oil spill on the Galapagos Islands in the Eastern Pacific. A large number of rare animals have been caught up in the spill already.

CABINET MEETS: The Government is officially back at work today with the first cabinet meeting of the year. On the agenda: dairy mega-merger, bonus payments, strategy.

TOURISM BOOM: Tourist operators are looking forward to another bumper year according to a Tourism Industry Association survey of its members. The survey found that more than 60% expect an increase in profits this year.

OZ IMMIGRATION: Illegal immigrants in Australian detention centres will soon be governed by tough new rules. On Sunday detainees rioted at one detention centre.

CONTACT ENERGY: Small shareholders in Contact Energy have won their campaign to stop increases to directors’ fees. A Wellington shareholder says more questions about Contact Energy remain.

MIDDLE EAST PEACE: Israel has opened its borders to West Bank and the Gaza Strip as negotiators meet in Egypt. Talks are being held against a backdrop of four months of violence.

BODY FOUND: Police hope to formally identify a body found in Auckland as that of Keith London following forensic tests today. London went missing after his wife was found dead.

RAFTING DEATH: Rotorua Police are still trying to notify the family of a Dutch tourist killed in a rafting accident.

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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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