FIREFIGHTERS ON MILLENNIUM DUTY: The Sunday Star Times leads today with a report that firefighters are threatening to abandon duties during the millennium celebrations after the Fire Service rejected demands for big overtime payments for New Year work.

BASTION POINT CONCERT: The front page photo shows Tim Finn in LA an accompanying story says he is looking forward to playing the Bastion Point concert in Auckland on New Year's eve.

Also on the front page:

- STEFFI GRAF VISIT? a report that tennis queen Steffi Graf is set to visit New Zealand, possibly for our premiere tournament the ASB Classic;

- ALL BLACK COMES CLEAN: a report that All Black great Andy Haden, the man who organised the Cavaliers tour of South Africa, has come clean on player payments, saying the rugby rebels received $50,000 each for the trip;

Inside:

- ASSASSINATION: a report that Fatu Tielu well remembers the phone call one evening in 1992 when he heard someone shouting at him: "do you want to get shot". The man threatening him was one of the accused in the Samoan assassination case;

- REPUBLICANISM: a report that Republican calls in NZ are gaining momentum;

- STATE HOUSING: a report that the government is poised to tart up state housing;

- TEACHER ABUSE: a report that the teacher accused of taping up children's mouths says the kids asked for it;

TELECOM: The editorial welcomes new Telecom CEO Theresa Gattung.

© 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