DNA Testing - ACT and the Treaty - Commonwealth - Pakistan - Apartment Building Collapses - Hospital Bookings - Auckland Hospital - East Timor - Jonah Lomu - Cricket

DNA TESTING: The Police Association says National's plans to enable police to collect DNA samples from suspects will help catch criminals. However Auckland's council for Civil Liberties says that the plans are risky because of recent foul-ups in DNA evidence.

ACT AND THE TREATY: ACT is expected to announce today that its timetable to end Treaty of Waitangi claims will be a top priority in post election coalition negotiations. Helen Clark says ACT is exploiting

COMMONWEALTH: Commonwealth Ministers meeting in South Africa tomorrow to appoint a new secretary general. NZ's Don McKinnon is the front-runner. The current SG says that sanctions will not be imposed on Pakistan.

PAKISTAN: In Pakistan the former PM has been charged with kidnapping in connection

APARTMENT BUILDING COLLAPSES: Rescue workers are working to dig out survivors from an apartment building collapse in Italy.

HOSPITAL BOOKINGS: The HFA has spent nearly $1 million in the first year of administering the new hospital booking system. A senior project manager says the cost of the system will fall once the system is established.

AUCKLAND HOSPITAL: Construction of the country's new $420 million Auckland Hospital is beginning. The present hospital will become an administration block for the new "National" hospital in Auckland which will centralise Auckland services.

EAST TIMOR: The International Face of East Timor's struggle Jose Ramos Horta will return to East Timor shortly. He has been on an international tour.

JONAH LOMU: All Black Jonah Lomu has rejected a $3 million offer from an English rugby club, the club has confirmed.

CRICKET: India has beaten NZ in the third one day international over night.

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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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