Snow – ENZA – Kinleith Fire – Tauranga Murder – IRD Search Powers – Macedonia – War Crimes – Southerner - Security
SNOW: Snow is continuing to fall in the central North Island. All the roads in the area are closed with snow. An Army spokesman thinks it will take a while to open the roads. Tranz Rail says all its ferries are now sailing again – yesterday around 1200 were stranded by the stoppages.
ENZA: Uncertainty remains over whether a new deal will end the row between ENZA and apple growers. The deal depends on a significant majority of growers accepting the deal.
KINLEITH FIRE: Firefighters are dampening down a fire at the Kinleith Paper Mill in Tokoroa. The fire started in a paper machine below the roof in a large building. There are still hot spots in the debris.
TAURANGA MURDER: Tauranga Police want to speak to former tenants of a woman found dead in her flat. The flats had been home to a number of semi-transient people.
IRD SEARCH POWERS: Concern is being raised over new search powers for the IRD included in a discussion document on compliance and penalties. A tax expert and ACT’s Rodney Hide do not like the proposal.
MACEDONIA: NATO has approved a plan to send 400 troops to Macedonia in the next few days. The deployment will prepare the ground for a larger NATO task force. The full force will have a 30 day mission to collect weapons.
WAR CRIMES: A Bosnian Serb army officer has given himself up to face trial for the massacre at Srebrenica. He will be the fourth person to stand trial for the massacre.
SOUTHERNER: The Invercargill Mayor Tim Shadbolt said his council simply did not have enough time to organise a subsidy for the Southerner passenger rail service. The chairperson of West Coast Rail says his company may be prepared to reinstate the service.
SECURITY: Police have found some dubious people working for security firms.