TV3 News

Thursday, 29 June 2000, 6:19 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

Revenge In The Air Following Samuels Sacking – Cuban Boy – Floods – Oil Spill – Greenpeace Protest – Backpackers Suspect Caught – Fraudster Jailed

REVENGE IN THE AIR: The knives are out for Richard Prebble and the ACT leader knows it. Dover Samuels is now a back-bencher and the fallout from his sacking looks likely to be considerable. Richard Prebble says he doesn’t want to be attacked. Labour MP David Cunliffe says that Prebble’s position is “a bit rich”. Samuels is now focussing on his replacement. He wants John Tamihere to be the new Minister. Tamihere meanwhile says he has a clean record that has been thoroughly investigated. Saturday’s hui for Nga Puhi to endorse Samuels has been cancelled at his request.

CUBAN BOY: America's most famous tug of love child returns to Cuba after the US Supreme Court rejects a bid to keep him in the US. His departure was a big event. The end of what a family friend said was a jubilant day. Elian Gonzalez was clearly pleased and excited to be leaving. In Miami supporters of his relatives gathered to mark the departure.

FLOODS: Auckland and Northland were swamped in a storm over night and today homeowners brought out the mops. Households did not expect the floods. Augie Auer says the real problem was a monsoon level cloudburst this morning which dumped 70mm of rain in three hours.

OIL SPILL: African penguins on Robin Island are being rescued from an oil slick near Cape Town. A huge rescue operation is underway to save the penguins. Thousands of volunteers are at work. Conservationist says that 1/3 of the population of the penguin is threatened by the slick.

GREENPEACE PROTEST: Greenpeace protestors have set up an unusual protest underwater near a nuclear reprocessing plant in France.

BACKPACKERS SUSPECT CAUGHT: Arson suspect Robert Long is captured after being shot near the town of Childers where he is accused of setting fire to a backpackers hostel and killing 15. Survivors of the fatal fire were pleased that Long had been found.

FRAUDSTER JAILED: Christchurch woman Karen Barr is sent to prison for stealing $2.7 million from a law firm trust account. Barr has admitted one big charge. Her lawyer says she was influenced by a former partner. Barr is thought to have stolen $250,000 a year for 13 years.

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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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