SCOTT WATSON TRIAL: The Dominion leads this morning with a report that Olivia Hope did not have "stubby" or short fingernails, contrary to Scott Watson's lawyer's assertion, her father Gerald told the High Court at Wellington yesterday. Gerald Hope is pictured with the story holding a map of the Marlborough Sounds.

Also on the front page:

- ASSET SALES: a report that the Government is about to notch up asset sale No. 40, but has yet to complete a single case study on the economic impact of privatising a state-owned company.

- KOREAN CLASH: a report that South Korea sank a North Korean gunboat and heavily damaged several others yesterday, in the first naval clash in the Yellow Sea since the 1950-53 Korean War.

- BOAT BILL: a report that the Government was fast-tracking legislation last night allowing it greater flexibility to detain refugees because of the threatened arrival of a shipload of Chinese boatpeople from the Solomon Islands;

- RUGBY: a report that the Manu Samoa rugby team has moved to a more upmarket Auckland hotel because team management felt its accommodation was not suitable to prepare for Friday night's test against the All Blacks.

Inside the paper:

- POLICE: a report that a $6 million boost to police has saved 145 non-sworn jobs;

- WTO: a report that Mike Moore is facing a do-or-die day in his race for the WTO job;

- PQS: several reports of incidents in question-time yesterday including the PM's pension, Williamson and Maori seats and alleged disagreements in the National Party caucus;

KOSOVO: The editorial argues that Jim Anderton and Helen Clark should admit that bombing worked in Kosovo.

© 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

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