Superyacht Development – Israel – Waitangi Day – Arahura – Nelson Protests – Sir David Beattie – Sir Robert Mahuta – Fiji – Chechnya - Golf

SUPERYACHT DEVELOPMENT: A superyacht company coming to Auckland is only doing so because the Government fast-tracked the sale of land at Hobsonville, says Jim Anderton.

ISRAEL: The right-wing Likud party leader Ariel Sharon is maintaining a huge lead in polls in the lead-up to Israeli elections.

WAITANGI DAY: The PM has defended a decision for the government not to be represented at Waitangi this Waitangi Day. The PM says she wants Waitangi Day to be marked with dignity. Meanwhile one of the major sponsors of Waitangi activities has pulled out.

ARAHURA: Tranz Rail says the Arahura should leave on time today following an electrical fault yesterday and last night.

NELSON PROTESTS: There has been a low key protest at the port of Nelson against Mainland Stevedores this morning.

SIR DAVID BEATTIE: Former Governor General Sir David Beattie has died aged 76. Sir David chaired an inquiry into the court system in 1977 and 1978.

SIR ROBERT MAHUTA: Mourners will today farewell Tainui leader Sir Robert Mahuta today. There has been debate over the weekend about where to bury the leader.

FIJI: Fiji Labour Party meetings at the weekend may have elected a new leader for the Labour Party. Conflicting reports make it difficult to know what happened.

CHECHNYA: Russian armed forces have freed an American aid worker for Medicines Sans Frontiers who was kidnapped while working in Chechnya.

GOLF: Kiwi Golfer Michael Campbell has won the Heineken Classic in Perth for the second time.

© 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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