Telecom Dumps a Million - Leaders Debate - Payne Stewart - Car and Truck Crashes - Maori & Immigration - House of Lords - Fat Cats - Viagra - Bunkle

TELECOM'S DUMPS A MILLION: Westpactrust Bank is accepting the blame for dumping $1 million in cheques discarded at the dump. Including one cheque for $49,000. Envelopes had been slitted open but not emptied. Customers were angered by the news. Telecom said it wasn't it's fault. WestpacTrust admitted it was at fault. Inadvertently opened envelopes had been discarded. Telecom told customers not to worry.

LEADERS DEBATE: First Leaders Debate Tonight - 9.30 - TV3: Scientist says the debates can make or break a leader. Richard Griffin says that too much minding can also be a problem. The politicians reckon they know what the public wants. TV is liked by each of the leaders it seems. Clark. Winston. Prebble. Anderton and Shipley all seem quite cheerful about the upcoming debate. Giffin says none of them are telegenic. First debate live at 9.30pm tonight - TV3.

PAYNE STEWART: Crash investigators are admitting that they may never know why Payne Stewart's plane crashed. Investigators are moving carefully and want to find the cockpit voice recorder. Complex system of pressurization could be too blame but we may never know.

CAR CRASH: Elderly man and woman in hospital after a car went the wrong way onto an off ramp.

TRUCK CRASH: Palmerston North man killed after truck crashes into another crash site involving a truck and a car. The

MAORI & IMMIGRATION: Maori Citizenship hui at Waitangi. Elders of Waitangi said they had only agreed to listen to . Phillip Field said Maori should have a role in immigration matters - he also said people should get their money back and that people should not be misled. Dover Samuel's says the law of the land should be observed.

HOUSE OF LORDS: Members of Britain's house of lords voted to voluntarily relinquish the hereditary peer memberships. One member stands on a table and accuses the house of treason. Centuries of tradition ushered out.

FAT CATS: Paul a 9.4kg cat told he has been eating too much. Vet says it is no laughing matter. Where is the line between fluffy and overweight - you should be able to feel the ribs says vet. Some cats do not like going on diets though. Competition for fat cats to win diet food.

VIAGRA: Viagra has been tested on women and it appears to work. It may be made available to women in three to four years.

BUNKLE. TV3 understands the Alliance will tell voters about a week out from the election to vote for Marion Hobbs in Wellington Central. Sources say the same thing that happened to Mark Thomas last time round will happen to Bunkle. Bunkle however says it is not the situation the party faces right now.

© 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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