Middle East Peace Summit – Israel Violence – Inflation – Business Confidence – Solomons – Fiji – Zimbabwe – Marina
Disaster
MIDDLE EAST PEACE SUMMIT: Israeli and Palestinian leaders say little progress has been made at their Egyptian summit.
The leaders came with the aim of ending the violence. It would be very difficult for Yasser Arafat to agree to Israeli
demands.
ISRAEL VIOLENCE: Meanwhile fresh violence has erupted in the Gaza strip. At least 101, mostly Palestinians, have now
been killed in violence which started on September 28th.
INFLATION: The government is being accused by National of failing to provide any sense of direction to the economy as
inflation rises. Labour’s Michael Cullen says that Bill English needs to recognise that the government has no control
over petrol prices.
BUSINESS CONFIDENCE: A major business confidence survey shows just over half businesses expect business conditions to
worsen.
SOLOMONS: The PM of the Solomon Islands says that 2 years of conflict has taken the country back 20 years in terms of
development. A team of 20 NZ peace-keepers will be deployed with 80 other peace-monitors to the island group.
FIJI: The Fiji police say that Mahendra Chaudhry will be given special protection when he returns home this week.
ZIMBABWE: Riot police in Harare, Zimbabwe, have clashed with protestors over price rises in bus fares. 100s of
protestors have also stoned the house of a leader of the War Veterans.
MARINA DISASTER: An organisation representing some of the boat owners who lost their boats in a Lyttelton Marina last
week says they are considering legal action to recover losses.