PNG IMF Riots – Rail Sale – Macedonia – Indonesian President – Dairy Laws – Christine Rankin – Fisheries Quota – Car Sales

PAPUA NEW GUINEA IMF RIOTS: Papua New Guinea faces calls for a national strike today following the death of three university students in the wake of IMF and World Bank backed economic reforms. Australia is urging PNG to stick with the economic reforms.

RAIL SALE: The head of the Australian company buying five profitable passenger rail routes says it will be able to keep four more lines open if more tourists use it. The Transport Minister says the Government wants to keep rail services if possible.

MACEDONIA: Macedonia’s President has called for calm following riots in the capital in the wake of a ceasefire agreement. Meanwhile the Macedonian army has confirmed it has restarted a fight with Albanian rebels now they have been moved by NATO to a new location.

INDONESIAN PRESIDENT: The PM will press Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid to deal with human rights issues when she meets with him this afternoon.

DAIRY LAWS: Opposition MPs are promising thorough scrutiny of Dairy industry regulations designed to ensure open entry and exit for farmers, and domestic competition.

CHRISTINE RANKIN: The Christine Rankin court hearing resumes in Wellington today. Ms Rankin spent most of yesterday in cross-examination. Another witness, Helen Quilter, said the Minister visited WINZ and said he would be roasting WINZ for a few months as it was necessary that he be seen by the public to be doing that.

FISHERIES QUOTA: Changes to fisheries quota have been announced by the Minister of Fisheries. Orange Roughy quotas have been increased.

CAR SALES: The biggest car auction firm says that changes to the motor vehicles dealers regime will be useless unless they are properly enforced.

© 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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