Taiwan Election – Taiwan NZ Reaction – Mortgage Rates – Mass Suicide –F16s – Fire-fighter Death – Susan Burdette – St
Stephens
TAIWAN ELECTION: Taiwan is struggling with the fallout from elections which have installed the pro-independence reformer
Chen Shui-bian. China appears to be treading carefully following the election.
TAIWAN NZ REATION: New Zealand is hoping for an easing of tension in the wake of the election result. Phil Goff says
that if President Chen does what he says he will do then China will have no need to take any precipitate action.
MORTGAGE RATES: The Bank of New Zealand is increasing its mortgage interest rates from today. Economist Tony Alexander
says the cost of borrowing has increased and the rise is inevitable.
MASS SUICIDE: Police in Uganda say the identification of bodies at the scene of the mass suicide of a millennium cult is
impossible.
F16S: The government is expected to announce its defence spending intentions this afternoon. It is also expected to
release two reports on the decision not to purchase the US F16s.
FIRE-FIGHTER DEATH: A volunteer fire fighter has died after a tanker he was in run off the road near Hamilton airport.
SUSAN BURDETTE: The retrial of the man convicted of murdering and raping Susan Burdette is due to begin again in
Auckland today. Teina Poura’s trial is set down for three weeks.
ST STEPHENS: St Stephens School says it is finding it hard to get rid of bullying at the boarding school.