Coalition Agreement - Kiwimail - Mars Lander - Oil Spill - Ken Douglas On WTO -Chirstchurch Coal - Hawkes Bay Health - School Traffic - Kaipara Murder - Cruise Ships Boon - Somalia - Air Hijinks - Chimp Freed - LIVE CROSS TO PARLIAMENT

COALITION AGREEMENT: The formal signing of the coalition agreement has been moved to the legislative council chamber next to Parliament after more space was needed. (The bulletin was later interrupted for a speech from Helen Clark…)

KIWIMAIL: Kiwi-mail is one of 28 new competitors to NZ Post. Kiwimail has now opened up delivery services from Shell offering 36 cents national delivery. NZPost says it is not surprised that there are not that many

MARS LANDER: NASA will try again to contact its polar lander this evening. This morning a window passed with no contact made.

OIL SPILL: Poor Knights island oil spill has led to calls to keep big ships away from the island.

KEN DOUGLAS ON WTO: Ken Douglas is hailing the WTO meeting in Seattle as a turning point in the future of the world trading system. In the future no meeting will be able to ignore the connection of trade to other issues, he says.

CHRISTCHURCH COAL: Canterbury Coal Producers have been heard at hearings considering a ban on coal use in Christchurch.

HAWKES BAY HEALTH: Healthcare Hawke's Bay has negotiated a long-term commitment with the HFA. More money will be supplied for emergency services and Maori health.

SCHOOL TRAFFIC: A school is issuing infringement notices to cars outside the school who are infringing parking and traffic rules. The notices are not enforceable.

KAIPARA MURDER: Name Suppression has been lifted in a Kaipara murder case.

CRUISE SHIPS BOON: Ports of Auckland expects 29 passenger ships to dock in Auckland for 45 days this summer. Last year cruise boats brought $84 million to the NZ economy. This year the boats will bring even more as there are more, docking for longer. Clipper Oddessy will arrive on December 22.

SOMALIA: A convoy of 120 trucks trying to reach a famine zone in Somalia has been stranded by a flood.

AIR HIJINKS: The cut-price airline K2000 says reports that it has cancelled its flights are fault. The managing director says he thinks someone is trying to sabotage the airline.

CHIMP FREED: A Chimpanzee in Samoa named buddy has been granted release and will be heading back to Africa.

LIVE CROSS TO PARLIAMENT and Helen Clark and Jim Anderton Speeches.

© 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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