National Radio 7am Bulletin

Tuesday, 12 September 2000, 7:09 am
Article: Alastair Thompson

Singapore Free Trade – Education Trade – S11 – Oil Prices – Women’s Prison Inmates - Avalanche

SINGAPORE TRADE: National And ACT are threatening to scuttle a Singapore Free Trade Agreement over a strengthened Treaty of Waitangi clause in the agreement. ACT and National now risk being labeled anti-free-trade.

EDUCATION TRADE: Education NZ says NZ institutions in NZ could benefit by millions of dollars if the agreement with Singapore goes ahead.

S11: Unionists in their thousands are expected to converge on the Crown Casino today on day two of the S11 protests. Organisers of the WEF have gone on the offensive today. Aus PM John Howard has also “condemned unconditionally” the violence on the streets.

OIL PRICES: World oil prices have lifted overnight by $1.20 a barrel to over $34 USD. OPEC has a target range of $22 to $28. Meanwhile the UK PM Tony Blair says his government will not reduce the price of petrol by reducing petrol tax. Tony Blair says policy is not made on blockades and pickets in Britain. OPEC is blaming consuming countries for not realising the role of petrol taxes in setting the price of petrol.

WOMEN’S PRISON INMATES: A surplus of women’s prison inmates in Christchurch means inmates will be housed in men’s prisons because of a lack of space.

AVALANCHE: Warning that the avalanche risk in the Southern Alps is very high.

© 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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