Dairy Payout – Dodgy Diesel – Electricity Bill – Race Riots – Wage Unfairness – George Speight Trial – Failed Coup – Phillipines Hostages - Violent Students – 7s

DAIRY PAYOUT: The Dairy Board is to make an extra payment to dairy farmers boosting farmer incomes by $2 billion.

DODGY DIESEL: The New Zealand refining company has enlisted help from overseas to find out why the cold weather additive they put in diesel has clogged fuel filters. Experts have arrived from Europe, says a spokesman.

ELECTRICITY BILL: The Opposition says it has blown the whistle on the Government by blocking the report back of an Electricity Regulation Bill. Tony Ryall says that it is the opposition’s job to blow the whistle on draconian governmental powers.

RACE RIOTS: The police in greater Manchester are gearing up for another night of violence in Oldham. At least 30 people have been injured so far.

WAGE UNFAIRNESS: The CTU is accusing employers and the Reserve Bank of a double standard following a salary survey that shows executive salaries rose by more than 6% while worker salaries rose by just 4.2%.

GEORGE SPEIGHT TRIAL: Committal proceedings begin in Suva today for Fiji Coup leader George Speight. The proceedings will decide whether there is sufficient evidence for a trial. The media will not be allowed to report the case.

FAILED COUP: At least a dozen people are dead after a failed coup attempt in the Central African Republic.

PHILIPPINES HOSTAGES: The Philippines President has ordered a full scale military attack on rebels from the south of the country who have taken 20 hostages.

VIOLENT STUDENTS: The School Trustees Association thinks a special fund may be needed to deal with dangerous and violent students. The call follows a school hiring security guards to protect pupils from two suspended pupils.

7S: The Kiwi 7s team has won a competition in the UK.

© 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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