1. SCHOOL MAINTENANCE: $1 billion to be spent on upgrading schools. Bulk funding of money to schools in the pipeline includes $1 billion for property maintenance over the next three years. The investment includes $370 million announced in the budget.

2. FISHERIES COMMISSION: Tau Henare is to call for nominations for new Commissioners for the Maori Fisheries Commission. Since becoming Maori Affairs Minister Mr Henare has signaled that he wanted to replace the commissioners on a number of occasions. The Commission is to hold its annual conference tomorrow.

3. CHRISTCHURCH HOSPITAL: Safety matters remain a concern at Christchurch Hospital a year on from a critical Health And Disability Commissioner's report. Hospital managers say these issues are not being raised internally.

4. KOHANGA REO: Concerns that a volunteer worker on parole from the murder of her husband - Ms Tawhai - is working for a Kohanga Reo. Ministry of Education says ultimate control of the Kohanga Reo remains with parents.

5. FOVEAUX STRAIT CRASH: Parents of a boy who died in the Foveaux Strait Crash will seek punitive damages against Souuthern Air.

6. CLAIRE HILLS: Police complaints authority investigation into Claire Hills murder has found that a police officer was guilty of neglect for not notifying the fire service when notified about Hills car burning on Mr Mangere.

7. SUPER: Head of task-force on superannuation denies that the taskforce has a political agenda. The taskforce has released a survey showing that most people do not believe Super will continue in its present for. Most people also believe that a political consensus is unlikely to emerge.

8. WTO: Mike Moore is preparing to cut ties with politics to take on his new non-partisan Director Generalship at the WTO. He will start his new job on September 1. The PM is expected to confirm tomorrow that there will be no by-election in the seat. Moore says he has mixed feelings about leaving the company.

9. PLUTONIUM Diplomatic efforts have failed to stop shipments of Plutonium through the Tasman Sea. Two ships left France yesterday.

10. ISRAEL: New Israeli PM Ehud Barak is ready to resume negotiations with Syria. Israel says it is ready to pick up where negotiations fell apart in 1996.

11. ASSASSINATION FUNERAL: Funeral today for Samoan Public Works Minister assassinated last week - a delegation from NZ is in attendance.

12. JAILED TETRAPLEGIC: Complaint being considered to Human Rights Commission over the mistreatment of a tetraplegic jailed for cannabis possession and left in his own excrement at Waikeria prison for four days,

13. MORGAN FAHEY: Former Christchurch Deputy Mayor Dr Morgan Fahey has been granted a further remand on bail on sex charges.

14. ACC: Sir Owen Woodhouse says premiums will not fall under the new ACC scheme. Woodhouse says he is surprised that private insurers are interested in reducing premiums. I am not a skeptic - it will not happen.

15. RUGBY: Blackout rugby promotional parade in Auckland city centre led by Auckland Mayor Christine Fletcher on a Harley Davidson.

© 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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