Scott Watson Trial - Employment Contracts Act - Petrol Prices - GE Cows - Mahon Report - Lyprinol - America's Cup

SCOTT WATSON TRIAL: Tapes from girlfriend's conversations with Scott Watson heard in court. Hundreds of hours of tape recordings including detailed conversations about Scott Watson's cleaning of the boat. Last of crown's 400 witnesses called today. Arresting officer told about a scar on Watson's nose. Jurors will have a few days off before the defence begins its case next week.

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS ACT: Head to head on the ECA. Jenny Shipley says thousands of NZers will lose their jobs if Labour repeals the ECA. But Helen Clark says they will not put the clock back and will rather give workers more power. PM warns employers not to be seduced by claims of fine tuning. Employers appear to be concerned about Labour's planned changes. National is planning changes to strengthen the act which it will announce later in the campaign.

PETROL PRICES: Caltex is raising prices for the fourth time.

GE COWS: A ERMA hearing on a proposal to put human genes into a cow attracts protests. Maori are concerned about the impact of the proposal on the metaphysical environment which could adversely affect the health of the wider community. The application is about evaluating use of technology in agriculture the applicant says. Cows will be kept behind two, two meter high fences.

MAHON REPORT: Living victims of Erebus observe final tabling of the Erebus report of Justice Mahon into the Erebus plane crash disaster. Transport Minister Maurice Williamson calls a Mahon a hero. Mahon's widow says her husband's career was wrecked by then PM Muldoon. Lots of kind words today for Mahon however NZ First's Robyn McDonald tried to table the Privy Council decision against Justice Mahon - and failed - McDonald is a former Air New Zealand stewardess and says she also lost 17 friends in the crash. Her father was the then head of CAA. It appears healing the wounds is easier said than done.

LYPRINOL: Magic Mussel extract Lyprinol may soon be back on sale under a new label. The cancer society are pleased it is about to be released again.

AMERICA'S CUP: Calls to an end to media stunts at America's Cup base after Sport's Café raid America True base . Rick Sallizo of the programme says that security were quick to nab them. Sallizzo says it appears there is no humour in the America's Cup.

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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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