Storm Insurance Claims – Roads - Qantas – South Pacific Forum - German Economic Slowdown – Macedonia – Radio Strike – Student Work Scheme - St Theresa Of Calcutta

INSURANCE CLAIMS: Insurance companies are bracing for their costliest payout on record in relation to bad weather. There has been a lot of car, house and crop damage this winter.

ROADS REOPEN: Police say roads are open again through most of the North Island after the storm. 160 houses are still without power near Taihape, but.

QANTAS: Qantas Airways has warned governments on both sides of the Tasman that its future as an Australasian airline is in doubt if it is not allowed to carve up NZ. Rather it will be forced to form an alliance with another foreign airline.

SOUTH PACIFIC FORUM: NZ is taking a strong message to Nauru to clean up its act and combat money laundering. The Australian PM’s absence has disappointed some leaders. PM Helen Clark says that other leaders absences are understandable.

GERMAN ECONOMIC SLOWDOWN: In another sign of the extent of the economic slowdown Germany’s economy has stopped growing. On the face of it Germany seems to be facing recession. European banks are also warning that there are no signs of growth in the US economy.

MACEDONIA: A NATO contingent of 400 British troops will leave for Macedonia in the next few days to begin setting up to collect rebel Albanian weapons. NATO commanders have described how

RADIO STRIKE: A strike continues of Radio New Zealand staff who are members of the PSA. Some regular programmes are off the air.

STUDENT WORK SCHEME: The new student work scheme unveiled by the Government yesterday has been welcomed by students. The President of the Canterbury Association says it does not address the EUB problems but.

SAINT THERESA OF CALCUTTA? - In India a special team have completed a report on Mother Theresa which could accelerate her path to Sainthood. The report has been sent to the Pope.

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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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