Silver Fern – Whitianga Canal Green Light – Runaway Plane – John Prescott Sucker Punch – Tony Blair Gets Stick – 13 Year Old Teacher Shooter – Dairy Farm Fever – Rooster Shot

SILVER FERN: Tourism shakeup. Tourism Board to go. Silver fern is to be used to attract tourists. Idea of changing flag to silver fern does not greatly enthuse Minister, but. Returned servicemen are unkeen on the plan too. The 10 year plan expects to create 100,000 jobs.

WHITIANGA CANAL GREEN LIGHT: All the parties in Parliament have agreed on action to allow a Whitianga waterway luxury real estate project to go ahead. Everyone is struggling to find someone to blame. Nick Smith is blaming the Minister. Jim Anderton says Nick Smith did nothing too.

RUNAWAY PLANE: Auckland today had a runaway plane. The plane was seriously damaged by the time it stopped it’s solo flight after taxiing and taking off with it’s pilot running behind.

JOHN PRESCOTT SUCKER PUNCH: Deputy PM John Prescott in England punches protestor after he chucks an egg at him. Mr Prescott sucker punches the protestor, with a jab from his inside pocket caught beautifully on camera. The protestor then jumps on Prescott in retaliation. Prescott is unlikely to be charged over the incident say police. The protestor is being spoken to by police.

TONY BLAIR GETS STICK: Tony Blair was greeted by a woman at a hospital complaining about the facilities for her husband. She is very forceful and articulate. Blair is embarrassed and asks her if she wants to come and see him. Blair says he is doing his best. She remains unsatisfied but.

13 YEAR OLD TEACHER SHOOTER CONVICTED: The jury in Florida has found a 13 year old guilty of murder for killing his teacher with a single shot to the head. The killing was caught on camera in a school hall.

DAIRY FARM FEVER: Flue like symptoms of leptosporosis are being warned against. Rodents are carriers of the disease which is passed in animal urine. Dairy Farm fever travels widely beyond the farm gate say doctors.

ROOSTER SHOT: A Kapiti coast kindy is recovering after their rooster was shot by a council worker. Little kid says he is sad. Neighbours say the Rooster was awful for months. The Rooster crowed all night longs. The Kapiti Mayor says the rooster made kids happy, but unfortunately made adults unhappy.

© 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