Fiji Murder – George Speight – Housing Standards – ENZA – Christine Rankin – Northern Ireland – Israel – Race Riots – Women’s Refuge - John O’Shea Dies – Wimbledon - Cricket

FIJI MURDER: Fijian Police have arrested a suspect for the murder of Red Cross Director John Scott and his partner Greg Scriverner. The suspect is a young unemployed man who was taken into custody last night. Police say as they gather evidence they have found none of any political motive in the killing.

GEORGE SPEIGHT: A premliminary inquiry into Treason charges against George Speight, his brother and 11 others is scheduled to begin today, after more than a month of delays.

HOUSING STANDARDS: An organisation representing landlords says that if the government wants to clean up sub-standard housing it should concentrate on property owners as well as landlords.

ENZA: The Apple Exporter ENZA faces a busy week of meetings this week as its dispute with growers escalates. ENZA will be meeting with the Apple and Pear Board and with Hawkes Bay Growers.

CHRISTINE RANKIN: The Government Minister Ruth Dyson will appear this morning as the final witness in WINZ boss Christine Rankin’s employment dispute case. Ms Dyson is expected to spend half a day in the witness stand and then the two sides will sum up their cases.

NORTHERN IRELAND: A flash-point Protestant parade has passed off peacefully in Northern Ireland’s Portadown area. There has been little sign of trouble.

ISRAEL: The militant Islamic group Hamas has threatened to unleash a wave of suicide bombers in revenge for the death of an 11-year-old boy yesterday. So far 17 Palestinians and 9 Israelis have been killed since the June 13th truce began. Members of Hamas’s military wing say there are 10 would-be martyrs waiting inside Israel ready to blow themselves up.

RACE RIOTS: Petrol bombs were hurled at police in the UK in Bradford over the weekend during more, this time far more serious, race riots.

WOMEN’S REFUGE: The Women’s Refuge Board has not confirmed whether it will take action against Merepeka Raukawa-Tait for her visit to the opening of the Mermaid Strip Bar in Wellington. Tait has apologised for her actions.

JOHN O’SHEA DIES: The film industry is remembering pioneering film maker John O’Shea who has died. O’Shea made Ngati and many other NZ films. He founded Pacific Films.

WIMBLEDON: The defending champion Venus Williams has won the Wimbledon women’s title. UK’s bright hope in the men’s contest, Tim Henman, has been eliminated in the semi-finals.

CRICKET: Australian cricketers have beaten England by an innings and 118 runs in the first Ashes test.

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Alastair Thompson

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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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