Macedonia – Oil Prices – Hartner Construction – Prison Labour – Southland Power – Living In The Country – NSW Body Parts – Foot And Mouth – Tauranga Tramper Search – Formula One

MACEDONIA: Macedonia’s PM says his army is using heavy artillery and tanks to fight Kosovo based Albanian rebels. On the Kosovo border BBC’s Nick Wood says there is lots of guerrilla activity.

OIL PRICES: The head of BP in NZ says that fuel prices are likely to rise in the next few days due to an OPEC production cut. How many cents the rise will be is not known. Peter Griffiths says it is normal for oil companies to raise prices before OPEC’s cuts actually take effect.

HARTNER CONSTRUCTION: Demands to have a Statutory Manager appointed to Hartner Construction are in the hands of government officials. The Securities Commission will be advising the Minister about the case. They have so far forwarded a complaint to the Companies Registra. Hartner Construction recently went into receivership.

PRISON LABOUR: All prison labour schemes are being transferred to a central organisation which will be looking at getting into computing and information technology areas as well as farm labour. The Minister of Corrections says that the plan fits in with public desires for prisoners to work more.

SOUTHLAND POWER: Southland businesses are expecting a boom in economic activity to follow completion of a new power tunnel at Manapouri Power Station.

LIVING IN THE COUNTRY: Would be rural dwellers are being warned about the possible consequences. Noise from farm machinery and smells from silage have to be accepted.

NSW BODY PARTS: The NSW government has ordered an inquiry into the removal of organs in public hospitals. Glebe Morgue has been accused of being a body parts supermarket for medical researchers.

FOOT AND MOUTH: A British Government spokesman is insisting that Foot and Mouth disease has been contained after the number of cases climbs over 300. Meanwhile another case has been confirmed in Northern Ireland.

TAURANGA TRAMPER SEARCH: A search is on for two elderly trampers who have gone missing near Tauranga. About 50 people are involved in the search.

FORMULA ONE: Michael Shumacher has claimed his sixth successive Formula One victory in the Malaysia Grand Prix.

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

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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