Cannabis Allegations - Body Found In Auckland - Immigration - Insider Trading - WINZ - Terrorists Freed - Bomb Threats In US - Truck Crash - Hubble Repaired - Mice Plague Threatens Birds

CANNABIS ALLEGATIONS: One of the two men accused of smoking a joint has denied an allegation that he smoked cannabis in Parliament. Journalist Alastair Thompson admits smoking a cigarette in the debating chamber but denies smoking dope. Gerry Brownlee says what is allegedly done is stupid. Alliance leader describes Alliance staff member Steve Collette - also accused - as a mature computer boffin . "We have to keep things in perspective he says" . Political Editor Jane Young - There will be no video evidence of this allegation as the only security cameras in the house are trained on the public gallery.

AUCKLAND MURDER: Body of middle aged man found in Auckland on beach. Body carried to shore by police. Death does not appear to be from natural causes say police.

IMMIGRATION: Cindy Abu freed from Auckland woman's prison. Lianne Dalzeil welcomes the decision. Another immigrant who has been deported has been sent back as a stateless person. Two other Russian immigrants who sailed from Russia in a under-equipped boat are free to stay . One of the Russian's remains in prison.

INSIDER TRADING: Fletcher Challenge has replaced its Chairman who resigned yesterday in relation to technical share trading breaches with former Telecom CEO Rod Deane.

WINZ: Steve Maharey says $9000 was paid for bringing together the WINZ briefing paper.

TERRORISTS FREED: Northern Ireland's terrorist prisoners have been set free for Christmas. In 1983 one of them carried out a grenade attack on IRA mourners. Another blew up a fish and chip shop six years ago. A jail built to hold 800 dangerous prisoners holds only two inmates tonight.

BOMB THREATS: Bomb threat alert on packages from Frankfurt. US Airports on high alert. Extra staff brought on to keep airports safe.

TRUCK CRASH: Freak accident in South Africa when tanker crashes.

HUBBLE REPAIRED: Astronauts replace components of the Hubble space telescope.

MICE PLAGUE: Plague of mice sweeping South Island beech forests threatens native birds. Special year for beech forests which have been supplying extra food. The problem is that when feasting stoats run out of mice they will attack native birds. In one conservancy 88 stoats were caught in September. Fly fishers say the fishes are bigger because of the mice plague.

© 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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