McVeigh Execution – Gay Oakes Parole – Power Crisis – Abortion Statistics – Super Bill – Overseas Service Medals – Bush On Climate Change – Prison Escaper

MCVEIGH EXECUTION: Oklahoma City Bomber Timothy McVeigh has been executed. His was the first federal execution in 38 years, though 715 people have been executed in that time. McVeigh died at 12.14am NZT, 7.14am local time. He had no last words, but released a poem instead.

GAY OAKES PAROLE: The brother of murdered Christchurch man Doug Gardiner say they are horrified at a parole board decision to allow Gay Oakes to apply for parole two years early.

POWER CRISIS: Transpower says that reconfiguring the national grid to flow south from the north should ease pressure on power prices.

ABORTION STATISTICS: Health professionals are concerned at the rise in teenage abortions. Statistics show the level of teenage abortions rose 8% between 1999 and 2000. One impact on the number of abortions is thought to be concerns over the safety of contraceptive pills.

SUPER BILL: Details of changes to the Superannuation Fund Bill made by the Finance and Expenditure Select Committee will be made public today when Parliament resumes. The PM says Labour is happy to rely on the support of NZ First to pass the bill.

OVERSEAS SERVICE MEDALS: Former armed forces personnel are welcoming a commitment from the PM to fix anomalies in the overseas service medal regime.

BUSH ON CLIMATE CHANGE: The US President George Bush has reaffirmed his opposition to the Kyoto climate change treaty, on the eve of a trip to Europe. He says that the rest of the world produce 80% of greenhouse gases and that the Kyoto Protocol is unfair on the US.

PRISON ESCAPER: Police looking for an armed robber who escaped from Rimutaka Prison last Thursday have his cell phone number, but have not rung him yet.

© 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.

CONTACT ALASTAIR THOMPSON

• Mobile - 021707044
• Twitter - @althecat
• Google+

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz