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National Radio 8am Bulletin
Middle East Crisis – US Destroyer – Oil Prices – Dollar – Storm – Health Standards – Detective Shortage
MIDDLE EAST CRISIS: Tension increased dramatically in Israel this morning after Palestinians lynched two Israeli soldiers, and Israeli helicopters then responded with a missile attack in several waves. At least 97 people have been killed in the last 15 days in street violence, 90 of them Palestinians. Palestinian spokes people have described the Israeli missile attacks as a declaration of war. Israeli PM Ehud Barak says responsibility for the attacks must be born by the mob and the Palestinian police. The UNSG says the Middle East is close to war.
US DESTROYER: The US are investigating an explosion which ripped a hole in a US Destroyer caused by suicide bombers in the Yemeni port of Aden. President Clinton says that terrorists are mistaken if they believe the bombing will stop the peace process.
OIL PRICES: World oil prices have rocketed to 10 year highs of more than $35 US dollars a barrel.
DOLLAR: The NZ Dollar is still trading at less than 40 US Cents following a Commerce Commission decision not to allow the sale of Fletcher Energy to Shell.
STORM: Boat owners in Lytellton are assessing the damage at a marina in Christchurch.
HEALTH STANDARDS: A major international survey shows that large numbers of doctors believe that the quality of care has fallen in recent years. 500 GPs and specialists in NZ were surveyed in the Harvard study.
DETECTIVE SHORTAGE: Rape Crisis says it is
concerned about potential delays in investigation of sexual
abuse cases due to a lack of detectives in Auckland.
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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