Child Abuse – Botswana Plane Crash – Prison Law Reform – US China Relations – Internet Defamation – Petrol Prices – Transmission Gully – Bar EFTPOS Security

CHILD ABUSE: There are claims new national guidelines for GPs will not prevent cases such as the death of James Whakaruru happening again. A doctor said the guidelines are only part of the solution.

BOTSWANA PLANE CRASH: The bodies of three NZers who died in a plane crash in Botswana yesterday have been recovered. The tourists were on a safari through South Africa.

PRISON LAW REFORM: Temporary release for prisoners is one of the areas that will be considered when laws relating to prisons are considered in a law review process. Corrections Minister Matt Robson says day release can help with rehabilitation.

US CHINA RELATIONS: America has suspended all military relations with China which is continuing to hold the US EP3 spy plane. No reasons have been given for the move. China meanwhile is warning of a possible arms race if the US proceeds with its National Missile Defence plan.

INTERNET DEFAMATION: The first NZ case testing defamation law on the internet is due to go to court. The case in the Palmerston North court relates to an alleged defamation in an email sent to members of the Internet Society concerning a member of the Domainz board.

PETROL PRICES: Oil and petrol prices are expected to be unsettled in coming days as global pressures to raise prices rise. Caltex raised prices last night by four cents a litre.

TRANSMISSION GULLY: An attempt to change the law to speed up the building of the Transmission Gully Motorway has failed in Parliament. A private members bill from Peter Dunne was defeated by the government.

BAR SECURITY: Christchurch police have asked bars to shore up security following eftpos security breaches, one in which $11,000 was taken.

© 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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