Middle East Violence – US Elections – Flood Rescue – Missing Kayaker – Dog Avertisement
- MIDDLE EAST VIOLENCE: A cease-fire between Israelis and Palestinians crumbled in a hail of bullets, sparking fears of
all-out war in the Middle East. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barac and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat are meeting with
US Secretary of State Madeline Albright in Paris tonight to try to find a way through the conflict. More than 60 people
have died in the violence. The cease-fire only lasted half a day. There have been six days of bloodshed and most people
expect more. Funerals for killed Palestinians fuel Palestinian anger, already stoked by religious passion and economic
discontent. Ariel Sharon, Israeli opposition leader, ignited the conflict when he walked on sacred ground for the
Palestinians.
- US ELECTIONS: America’s two presidential hopefuls squared off for the first time today in a face to face debate. The
intellectual but uncharismatic Democrat Al Gore faced likable good ol’ boy Republican George W. Bush, notching up a
narrow victory in the eyes of most analysts.
- FLOOD RESCUE: There was gratitude today from the family of 19-year-old Haden Wallace, who plunged in to the Whanganui
River and was rescued. A 38-year-old man swept away by the river is still missing.
- MISSING KAYAKER: The search is on for a kayaker who is missing just south of Auckland. His kayak was washed ashore.
- DOG AVERTISEMENT: There have been howls of protest over the treatment of a dog in a humourous advertisement for the
Auckland soccer kingz. The dog was not hurt, but almost 100 hundred complaints were received by the SPCA and the
Broadcasting authority.