Jerusalem Wedding Disaster – GE Cows – Rat-Poison Spill – Budget Reaction – Babysitters – Missing Fishing Boat – More Ansett Groundings –Foxton Vandalism – McDonalds Fat

JERUSALEM WEDDING DISASTER: A wedding party in Jerusalem turns into a disaster zone when three stories in the building collapse. Up to 1400 wedding guests may have been in the building. Israeli authorities are quick to point out this was not a terrorist attack. Distraught residents crammed the streets. Every ambulance in the country was called to the scene.

GE COWS: Waikato cows with human genes will not have to be put down afterall. TV3 is not allowed to film the six cows carrying calves with human genes. ERMA says that it did originally follow proper process, and now has included reference to this in its decision. Scientists hope to be able to produce a human protein in the cows milk for use with multiple sclerosis. The Green Party and local Maori are not happy and are consulting lawyers. The six cows are due to give birth in mid-June.

RAT-POISON SPILL: Tests on sea-water near a rat-poison spill in Kaikoura show barely detectable quantities of the poison.

BUDGET REACTION: Universities deliver a strong message to the government on the lack of money for them in the budget. But the PM was in no room today for a revolt. Helen Clark says that University Management will have to face students if they refuse the government offer. Business people meanwhile appear quite happy with the budget. Barry Coleman says business are not unhappy. Michael Cullen says that the idea of cutting corporate tax will be considered next year with the taxation review.

BABYSITTERS: The Child Safety Foundation wants the legal age of babysitters raised from 14 to 16. It says that the tragic fire in Northland this week is evidence that too much reliance is being placed on teenagers to look after children. Maori in the community however say the real problem is substandard housing in these isolated areas.

MISSING FISHING BOAT: Searchers admit there is now little hope of finding two missing Napier fishermen alive. An Aerial search for the Moeraki Bay today recovered some flotsam, but not from the missing boat. A friend of the missing fisherman says that he is a cautious fisherman.

MORE ANSETT GROUNDINGS: Three more Boeing 767 Ansett Jets were today grounded in Australia with minor problems. Ansett says the latest groundings have nothing to do with the groundings earlier this year.

FOXTON VANDALISM: Two Foxton teenagers have been arrested for vandalising the house of a dead war veteran. His medals are missing.

MCDONALDS FAT: McDonalds has apologised to two USA Hindus over the fat used to cook their fries. Here in NZ there are calls for more labelling on McDonalds food. NZ McDonalds fries are cooked in tallow, beef fat, though that has been phased out in the US.

© 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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