Refugee Boat People – GE Moratoria – East Timor – Israel – Macedonia – Iraq – Gold Mine – Power Crisis – People’s Bank Publicity

REFUGEE BOAT PEOPLE: The Harbour Master in the Australian Territory of the Christmas Islands says the boat people problem is getting out of control. A Norweigian Tanker has been denied permission to land on the island with boat people he picked up at sea.

GE MORATORIA: The Green Party Co-Leader Jeanette Fitzsimons says the Government has a chance to brand NZ as a supplier of GE Free food to the world. The Government has decided to extend a voluntary moratorium on field trials for two months and is considering a two to five year moratorium.

EAST TIMOR: In East Timor the Freitilin Party is today expected to hold the biggest rally in the lead up to the election. Today is the last campaign day before voting begins on Thursday.

ISRAEL: Israel has assassinated the leader of a militant Palestinian faction in his office. The victim had the highest profile of any assassination victim so far.

MACEDONIA: A British Soldier has died near the Macedonian capital of Skopje after a group of youths stoned his vehicle with concrete rubble. NATO says the attack was disgraceful.

IRAQ: An unmanned US Predator aircraft has gone missing over Iraq. The US Air Force say they do not yet know what happened to the aircraft.

GOLD MINE: West Coast protestors, mining interests and environmentalists are converging on Wellington today to support and criticise Conservation Minister Sandra Lee over her decision to refuse permission for a gold mine on DOC land.

POWER CRISIS: The government has moved to stop power companies putting hospitals and schools on the fluctuating spot market without notice. Minister Pete Hodgson says that some customers have received very little or no notice. He says that from now on there will be at least one month’s notice of any such move.

PEOPLE’S BANK PUBLICITY: The Deputy PM Jim Anderton says he has done nothing wrong in using Parliamentary postage to support the People’s Bank. Anderton says the Alliance is allowed to promote policies it supports. The PM says it is appropriate that the matter be referred to the speaker for a ruling. This is expected later today.

© 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.

CONTACT ALASTAIR THOMPSON

• Mobile - 021707044
• Twitter - @althecat
• Google+

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz