Young America Folds - Labour Crunches Figures - Voting Begins - Taranaki Rugby Punch - PM Meets All Blacks At Airport

YOUNG AMERICA FOLDS: Young America syndicates boat almost breaks in half while racing in the Hauraki. Safety of crew was the first concern of the skipper. John Bertrand whose boat sunk off San Diego expresses his sympathy. He says the winds were stronger when his boat sunk. Martin Tasker live: Has this suck their campaign? Not really. They can now apply to the jury to use their other boat. Can they afford it? The New York yacht club is one of the better funded syndicates.

LABOUR CRUNCHES FIGURES: Labour says it can afford all its promises. National reckons it can't - but Labour's Michael Cullen says core promises will cost $1.9 billion over three years and is absolutely deliverable. The rest is less guaranteed. The spending will be paid for by ditching tax cuts. National remains committed to tax cuts. But Winston Peters is promising to block both tax cuts and rises. National now accepts that Labour's figures add up. Alliance says he would spend more. NZ First says Labour's plan won't work.

VOTING BEGINS: Special voting begins for voters who need to vote early.

TARANAKI RUGBY PUNCH: After lots of criticism the Taranaki Rugby Union has taken back a "most memorable moment" award it gave yesterday to a player for punching another player - in self-defence.

PM MEETS ALL BLACKS AT AIRPORT: Warm welcome for All Black coach and team at Auckland airport . John says fans should put the nightmare behind them, says he will be affected by the loss for the rest of his life. This avo Hart's horse Holmes DG did not win at Avondale race course - pipped at the post in a photo finish. PM Shipley meets the team at the airport with hundreds of fans. Many other supporters turned out to welcome them back. Fans say they are proud of the team. John Hart and Taine Randell make jokes at press conference.

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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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