ASSASSINATION: The Dominion leads today with a report that a case of "a thug running amok" is how a confidential New Zealand diplomatic report describes a political assassination in Samoa. The report from Michael Field of AFP says the confidential report dismisses theories of a coup.

MARCHING GIRLS: The front-page photo shows marching girls marching in front of Wellington's new stadium.

Also on the front page:

- DEPRESSION: a report that guidelines that could help people with depression are gathering dust while thousands of New Zealanders are not getting treatment;

- WASPS ON THE WANE: a report that scientists are "cautiously excited" about new evidence that the parasites they have been using of more than a decade are at last winning the war against wasps;

- PUBLIC SERVICE THRIFT: a report that state chief executives will get a reminder from the Government this week of the need to spend public money wisely;

- CLEANLINESS NUT: a report that a bizarre poisoning trial has been abandoned before it started after the Crown accepted that a foreign student repeatedly put insecticide in a woman's water because he was obsessed with cleanliness.

Inside Political Headlines:

- Political Week Column: National fights to keep bureaucracy under control;
- Samuels, Lee set to fight it out for Maori portfolio;
- Shipley rules out waiving interest charges [on student loans];
- "Throwaway" Winz signs cost $100,000;
- MP served trespass notice;
- Shipley's office "warned of IBM action";
- Henare taunted for walking out on [Fisheries Commission] hui;

CER: The editorial sings the praises of CER.

© 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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