Air Wars – Child Prostitution – Overdose Death – Electricity Re-Regulation – Israel Peace Process – Spy Plane Crisis – National Party Presidency

AIR WARS: PM Helen Clark says she does not expect the Government to get in the way of Virgin Blue. Virgin Blue met with the Government yesterday. Miss Clark says that the Government can waive the requirement for airlines to be locally owned to be eligible under the New Zealand/Australia open skies agreement. Today also sees Air New Zealand Freedom Air open for business on the main trunk.

CHILD PROSTITUTION: The Minister of Social Services is arranging a meeting to discuss child prostitution in Auckland. A group called ECPAT says that child prostitution is increasing and that around 120 child prostitutes were working around the time of the Americas Cup last year. Maori Wardens are concerned that they are unable to deal with the problem.

OVERDOSE: The police in Auckland are trying to piece together the events that led to the death of an Auckland student due to an overdose of the drug GHB.

ELECTRICITY RE-REGULATION: Electricity lines companies are being warned they are under the same threat of regulation as energy company for regulation if they do not introduce lower fixed line charges.

ISRAEL PEACE PROCESS: Jordan says that Sunday’s talks with Israel’s Shimon Peres have not produced a breakthrough yet in the Middle East Peace Process. Jordan’s Foreign Minister has said a ceasefire has not yet been agreed. Meanwhile violence continues in Israel and the occu

SPY PLANE CRISIS: Beijing has decided to allow a US inspection of a US Navy spy plane on Hainan Island. Beijing says that the US has agreed to consider making a payment to China over the incident. George Bush says that the relationship with China is improving.

NATIONAL PARTY PRESIDENCY: The National Party President John Slater is under pressure to be re-elected following a narrow win by his challenger Michelle Boag in Rotorua in the race for the Central Region nomination.

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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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