Food Prices – Fat Tax – Fire Service Contract – George Bush Protests – Depleted Uranium – Dairy Merger – Solomon Islands – Nepal – Bay of Plenty Murder – Tree Theft

FOOD PRICES: Community, Health and Welfare groups are sounding warnings about rising food prices leading to unhealthy diets, especially for poor people.

FAT TAX: A nutrition lobby group has suggested taxing some foods in order to encourage healthier diets. The group is also suggesting taxing TV watching.

FIRE SERVICE CONTRACT: The Fire Service is on the verge of an historic industrial agreement that could bring to an end a decade long dispute over the Fire Service contract.

GEORGE BUSH PROTESTS: Mounted police in the Swedish City of Gothenberg have had to quell protests aimed at the visit of US President George W. Bush. President Bush has dismissed European concerns over the US withdrawal from the Kyoto Treaty.

DEPLETED URANIUM: A survey on NZ armed service personnel exposure to depleted uranium shows little evidence of any medical problems caused by radiation. Half the survey forms have not yet been returned however.

DAIRY MERGER: The two Dairy Companies involved in a giant merger are warning their farmers that they are running out of time to cast their proxy votes. The industry votes on the merger on Monday.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: There is a claim that unarmed NZ and Australian peace-keepers in the Solomon Islands are being repeatedly shot at because armed rebels do not respect them.

NEPAL: An official investigation has concluded that Nepal’s Prince Dipendra shot his family and then shot himself.

BAY OF PLENTY MURDER: A homicide investigation is underway in the Bay of Plenty following the death of a man by stabbing during what appears to be a home invasion incident.

TREE THEFT: A prison term handed down to a West Coast tree stealer yesterday should discourage others who might steal native timber, says Forest and Bird.

© 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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