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Fiji Coup: Still Shaky - Media Control - Anti-Abortion Protestor - Health Report - Superbug - Cancer Drug - Musical Chairs - Liz Hurley and Hugh Grant
FIJI COUP - STILL SHAKY: Fiji's shaky hold on democracy remains shaky tonight. Don McKinnon has arrived at the Parliamentary compound to talk to the hostage takers. Steve Christianson reporting. The Great Council of Chiefs has been meeting all day. At 1am Don McKinnon arrived representing the Commonwealth. McKinnon says that he is upset that this could happen at the point of a gun. He says he is here to listen not mediate. Chiefs are yet to decide whether George Speight should be brought to trial. Sitiveni Rambuka says that changes to the constitution are inevitable but there are concerns that these may not be enough for the coup leaders. Doctor says the hostages are medically stable. More people on the streets of Suva today. Schools will reopen tomorrow. There is a curfew in operation after 7pm but police have provided curfew permits for media.
FIJI COUP - MEDIA CONTROL: The authorities have banned Fiji media from broadcasting pictures of George Speight. The Government doesn't want the coup reported in Fiji. This morning there was concern from two media women who spent a difficult night last night inside the compound. Earlier today the rebel security chief was dismissed for talking to the media. The mood this afternoon has changed to one of bouyancy.
ANTI- ABORTION PROTESTOR: An anti-abortion protestor has been jailed for 2.5 years for digging a tunnel under an abortion clinic and leaving fire starters. The man is a Christian community worker who has been involved in protests before. He told TV3 last night that his efforts were aimed at highlighting abortion in New Zealand. The judge says the sentence is intended as a deterrent.
HEALTH REPORT: A report says NZ has one of the highest levels of infectious diseases in the world. Doctors say this is hardly surprising because there are low levels of immunisation. For measels we are the second highest in the world. Food poisoning is also twice as high here. The government says it wants more research before it puts in more money. Doctors however say the causes are obvious.
SUPERBUG: Capital Coast Health has admitted it hasn't responded quickly enough to an out break of the Superbug MRSA. There was an alert on Saturday but it has taken till now for proper precautions to be put in place. The hospital now has signs in all infected wards.
CANCER DRUG: A new experimental pill may be able to stop lung cancer getting worse.
MUSICAL CHAIRS: Musical chairs may promote aggression says a new report.
LIZ HURLEY AND HUGH GRANT: Superstar couple Liz Hurley and Hugh Grant have announced a separation. Hurley doesn't want to talk about it though. The couple survived an embarrassing arrest in Los Angeles of Grant with prostitute Divine Brown.
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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