John McNutt – Foot and Mouth In France – Aid Review – German Sheep Lies – Reserve Bank – Fiji – Solomon Islands – Economy Class Syndrome – Fires And Rain

JOHN MCNUTT An NZ army colonel will observe at a Kuwait inquiry into the events that led to the death of Major John McNutt. A NZ inquiry will also be held on his return to NZ.

FOOT AND MOUTH IN FRANCE: Livestock exports have been banned from France following the discovery of Foot and Mouth disease in France. The French Government is hoping it can contain the outbreak. An estimated 170,000 animals in the UK have already been killed.

AID REVIEW: A radical review of $220 million in foreign aid expenditure had been necessary to ensure aid money was being well spent, says Minister Matt Robson.

GERMAN SHEEP LIES: Meat NZ’s European General Manager says he is satisfied with what is being done by the German organisation CMA to correct its lies about NZ sheep. Tim Ritchie said that sometimes it is best to “let sleeping dogs lie”.

RESERVE BANK: The Reserve Bank will release its quarterly Monetary Policy Statement later this morning deciding whether to cut interest rates. Most economists expect Dr Brash to cut interest rates later in the year.

FIJI: The Great Council of Chiefs have confirmed the incumbent President in his position and have made several other decisions that they will not announce. Unconfirmed reports indicate the Council of Chiefs is preparing to back the illegal interim government.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: There has been little response from paramilitaries in the Solomon Islands to an amnesty calling them to surrender their weapons.

ECONOMY CLASS SYNDROME: Experts on economy class syndrome say that the symptoms of deep vein thrombosis can affect all travellers – not just those in economy class on long haul flights.

FIRES AND RAIN: 80 fighters have controlled a scrub fire at Porirua which has closed Porirua college. Meanwhile overnight rain has helped control a fire near Picton.

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Alastair Thompson

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Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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