The Government will spend $58 million purchasing the Westhaven Marina which it will then sell to the Auckland City Council for 80% of that price. Reaction.Helen Clark (PM - Labour); John Banks (Auckland City Mayor); voxpop; Trevor Mallard (Associate Finance Minister); Ken Shirley (Act Deputy Leader).
A NZer detained by British authorities in Southern Iraq has been released and strongly advised to leave Iraq. However another NZ man remains missing. Phil Goff (Foreign Affairs Minister).
Iraqi militants are reported to have killed one of four kidnapped Italian civilians. Lakhdar Brahimi (United Nations Envoy).
The US President has altered US policy on the Middle East, deciding to back the Israeli PM's demand to keep some of its key settlements in the West Bank. George W Bush (US President); Ahmed Qurae (Palestinian PM); Rashid Khalidi (Middle East Expert); Edward Walker (Former US Ambassador).
Torrential rain is sweeping across Fiji for the second time in a week, causing more flash flooding. Setoki Qauqau (Villager); Sanjay Rao (Navua Hospital).
$215 million will be spent to bring Waikato and Thames Hospitals up to scratch. Julie Law (Accident and Emergency Nurse); Jan White (Waikato District Health Board Chief Executive); Sandy MacMillan (Maternity Nurse); Stan Simms (Hospital Supporter).
In a controversial court decision, a 13 year old girl has become the first child in Australia to be given approval for a sex change on psychological grounds. Louise Newman (Royal College of Psychiatrists); Alan Finch (Gender Identity Awareness Association).
A fresh team of NZ Defence personnel have left for a six month tour of duty in Afghanistan.
The head of the CIA says it will take years to fix problems in the intelligence service, and says the USA was effectively unprotected at the time of the September 11 terrorist attacks. Thomas Kean (9/11 Commission Chair); Timothy Roemer (9/11 Commission); Robert Mueller (FBI Director).
South Africa's ruling African National Congress seems poised for another victory in the country's third democratic election.