TV3 News - 144 Days To The New Millennium

Monday, 9 August 1999, 6:24 pm
Article: Alastair Thompson

INCIS ENDS: The American computer giant IBM has pulled the plug on INCIS. Today a bomb-shell from IBM. Beehive went into siege mode. Clearly we are in for a legal minefield. Troubleshooter Bill Birch was brought in several weeks ago. IBM claims to have presented several feasible options but the government were not interested. IBM spokesman Fred McNeese quoted from Tokyo. George Hawkins says the govt has paid over $104 million for a system which can only receive email. IBM says it is owed lots of money. Police are concerned. Alliance says it is one of the biggest bureaucratic bungles in the history of government. Jane Young live: This was supposed to save all but now it has turned into a headache.

TRIPLE MURDER: Triple homicide inquiry underway in Auckland. Victims a 2 year old girl, 5 year old boy, Nicholas, and their 31 year old Korean mother Angela Han. Man taken to hospital from death house with stomach wounds. Neighbours say they never even heard arguments from the house. Family kept to themselves, they said. Another neighbour says the father was happy and had just started a new job. Police would not be drawn on whether a weapon has been recovered. Police say they are keeping an open mind but charges likely to be laid. Bob McNeil live: Police are still here. Some weapons found here and police are still "keeping an open mind" about what charges will be laid.

SCOTT WATSON TRIAL: Yachtsman has said he noticed unusual markings on the side of Watson's yacht. "In my opinion something went over the side of the boat and then sunk," he said. The witness said the only other way the marks could be made is with a scrubbing brush - but it is unlikely that this was the case. He stuck to his story under cross examination. Policeman responsible for yacht also gave evidence.

GM VANDALISM: Scientists studying GM food are being told to keep crop locations secret. ERMA recommends tighter controls on security. Wild Greens are already targeting next year's crops and say they will not be stopped.

ECLIPSE MANIA: Last total solar eclipse of the millennium sparks UFO enthusiasm. This eclipse will be seen by more people than any ever before as it passes over very well populated areas. In Cornwall they expect the successor to Merlin to be born. Highly commercialised eclipse. Druids are already dancing to keep the skies clear so they can see it.

© 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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