EAST TIMOR – Cabinet Meeting – NY – Australia. OTHER NEWS – China Visit – Tourism Board – Health and Disability Commissioner – Rugby And Cricket Broadcasts – Ansett Lockout – Wages of Lotto – Smoking Complaint – Hurricane Floyd

EAST TIMOR – CABINET: Cabinet prepares to discuss the risks of a mission to East Timor. Cabinet is due to meet shortly – 1.30pm. The single issue cabinet meeting is not expected to be lengthy. The Defence Minister will set out options and will ask for extra money to pay for the mission. Shipley says it is potentially the most dangerous mission in a generation. A press conference is scheduled for later today after the cabinet meeting.

EAST TIMOR – NY: Details of the UN mandate are still being sorted out. Indonesian foreign minister says that Indonesian Military will cooperate with the UN peacekeepers. They will not be confined to barracks.

EAST TIMOR – AUSTRALIA: The overall relationship has taken an immense battering. But the Australian government does appear to be getting some cooperation from the Indonesian government. Air-drops of food have now been delayed – permission has been granted by President Habibe – but there are still issues to be sorted out on the ground. The public mood in Australia is difficult to gauge as there have been no

CHINA VISIT: The Chinese President is on his way back to China after being farewelled at Christchurch Airport. Chinese community in Christchurch were delighted to be able to farewell the President. The President appeared to be relaxed. Hong Kong Journalist says that President Jiang wants to establish himself an image on the international stage.

TOURISM BOARD: The Tourism Board says the coverage NZ has received over the past few days just can’t be bought. The visits of the Presidents have coincided with advertising. The President’s statements on NZ are also likely to be used extensively.

HEALTH AND DISABILITY COMMISSIONER: 73 people have applied for the Health and Disability Commissioner’s job which will shortly become vacant. The present commissioner will resign after a five year term. The job has not in recent years been without controversy.

RUGBY AND CRICKET: TV3 will become the free to air broadcaster of Rugby and Cricket in New Zealand.

ANSETT LOCKOUT: Tickets hard to get on main-trunk flights today following Ansett pilots lock-out.

WAGES OF LOTTO: Chairman of Lotteries Commission says the next CEO of Lotto will be paid far less. Geoff Thompson says he has not considered resigning as he believes he hasn’t done anything wrong.

ONE TREE HILL: A decision will not be made on One Tree Hill’s damaged pine for possibly three years. Replacing the tree could take a long time. Ngati Whatua want the current tree.

SMOKING COMPLAINT: Complaint being investigated into a stop-smoking course at Wellington Girls College where several girls felt sick after they were made to smoke two cigarettes in very quick time. An anonymous complaint has been received by the MOH.

HURRICANE FLOYD: A weakened hurricane Floyd is heading north towards Carolina after grazing Florida.

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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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