Leaders Debate - Armenian PM Shot - Breast Feeding - Piha and Lifesaving - HNZ Profit - Payne Stewart - Lord Lucan - Hypnotic Line

LEADERS DEBATE: All the political leaders are claiming victory but the story of the day is that neither Helen Clark nor Jenny Shipley want to work with Peters. Winston says he will be happy on the cross benches unless he can find a partner who agrees to a number of conditions. Scientist says the debate was like watching five members of a dysfunctional family. Prebble says he wasn't phased by Peters - Peters had shouted into his microphone he said.

ARMENIAN PM SHOT: The gunmen that killed the Armenian PM are still holed up in the Parliament building. The gunmen are not involved in a coup. The gunmen are caught on video shooting the speaker and the PM. The gunmen say they "just want to improve life in Armenia". Strobe Talbot has been in Armenia and he nearly became involved. Two hours after he left the country the PM was shot. The gunmen want TV air time.

BREAST FEEDING: An Auckland study shows that breast feeding is still on the decline. Plunket says that they cannot do more because they can't get to the mothers quickly enough to help them. Dr Nikki Turner says more support for mothers is necessary. Alliance, ACT, Labour, National and NZ First all respond to the study.

PIHA AND LIVE SAVING: Call for lifesaving funding after Piha deaths. Wife of one of Piha's victims says her husband would want her to take up the cause of funding for life savers. 54 people have died on West Coast in last 20 years. Life savers say they want more money. The Americas Cup has taken sponsorship money and left the beaches vulnerable. 27 people have died at Piha since 1980. Life Savers say they need more money.

HNZ PROFIT: Housing NZ made a $117 million profit in the past year that it is paying to the government.

PAYNE STEWART: The first large pieces have been recovered from the site of Payne Stewart's Lear Jet crash.

LORD LUCAN: Lord Lucan has finally been declared dead. Court now allows his family to access their inheritance. Lord Lucan is considered the killer of his wife and his nanny. Lucan disappeared 25 years ago. He has been assumed to be alive till now. A lawyer says he is not officially dead yet. The probate ruling is different he says. Scotland Yard file is still open.

HYPNOTIC LINE: Napier road marking firm in hot water after 20 km extra line has been painted on the Napier Taupo highway. The line has become a talking point for locals. One says he thought the painter was drunk. Others say they felt the line is hypnotic.

© 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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