Auckland Transport Terminal – Hijacking – Sentencing Changes – DEKA Closure – Foot and Mouth – Oil Production Cuts – Indian Defence Scandal – Whiteware Tariffs - MIR

AUCKLAND TRANSPORT TERMINAL: Auckland is to proceed with construction of a central city transport terminal in spite of a $75 million increase in the cost. Councillors argued about it last night and agreed after the Mayor said that Infrastructure Auckland would provide $90 million and Transfund $20 million.

HIJACKING: A hijacked Air Liner which ws on route to Russia is now on the tarmac in Saudi Arabia. One crew member on the plane has been stabbed. The hijackers, Chechens, have asked for an end to the Chechnya war.

SENTENCING CHANGES: Justice Minister Phil Goff says that sentencing law changes are designed to keep serious violent criminals behind bars for longer.

DEKA CLOSURE: The National Distribution Union want a law change to ensure all workers receive minimum redundancy rights following the closure of DEKA. All employees hired after 1993 by the store have no redundancy clause. Meanwhile The Warehouse say they were expecting DEKA to close.

FOOT AND MOUTH: Britain is to substantially expand its slaughter programme to combat Foot and Mouth disease. A further 100,000 sheep near infected areas will be slaughtered. Meanwhile Prince Charles has made a donation to farmers.

OIL PRODUCTION CUTS: OPEC producers are negotiating cuts in production to maintain oil prices. Cuts of up to 1 million barrels a day are on the agenda.

INDIAN DEFENCE SCANDAL: The Indian Defence Minister has resigned over a bribery scandal exposed on an Internet news site whose journalists posed as arms dealers.

WHITEWARE TARIFFS: A whiteware importer says that the Government’s decision to slap temporary dumping tariffs on Korean whiteware are unfair and anti-competitive. Paul Swain says the interim measure is designed

MIR: People in the lower half of the North Island had an opportunity to view MIR this morning. One viewer said it looked very bright and fast.

© 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.

CONTACT ALASTAIR THOMPSON

• Mobile - 021707044
• Twitter - @althecat
• Google+

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz