Indonesia Worries – Cleaner Diesel – Driver Tuition – Bus Crash – Kiwi Attacked In Honduras - Peru Kiwi Drug Conviction – Snow And Avalanche – G8 Summit – Free Driving Record Set

INDONESIA WORRIES: The NZ PM is advising NZers travelling to Indonesia to keep a close eye on developments in Jakarta. Indonesia’s Parliament , People’s Consultative Assembly, has convened a meeting to replace President Abdurrahman Wahid. Amien Rais, the speaker, says the result is a foregone conclusion and Megawati Sukarnoputri will be sworn in shortly. The Military has refused orders from President Wahid to prevent the hearing of the PCA. The NZ PM says that a difficult situation could arise if Wahid calls people onto the streets. So far only 300 supporters of Wahid have arrived in the Indonesian capital.

CLEANER DIESEL: Trials of lower sulphur diesel are commencing in Auckland. Mobil has come in out of the cold after initially refusing to agree to lower sulphur levels. The Auckland Regional Council says the trial is a step further. Phil Warren says he is a bit miffed that Mobil took so long to come to the party, but. The trial is going to give real numbers on how much air quality will be improved.

DRIVER TUITION: Would-be drivers may have to attend compulsory professional driving lessons under proposals from Transport Minister Mark Gosche The AA says learner drivers should get professional instruction, but it is concerned about costs and availability of services. A pilot is to be set up targeting people before they sit their restricted test.

BUS CRASH: An out of control Wright’s Hill bus left a trail of destruction in Wellington crashing into some council flats. The passengers look very shocked.

KIWI ATTACKED IN HONDURAS: A former Christchurch couple are on their way to Honduras to visit their 28-year-old daughter who was attacked, shot and sexually attacked in Honduras. Her boyfriend was murdered. The family is being assisted by friends in Christchurch.

PERU KIWI DRUG CONVICTION: An NZer, a member of a Salvation Army band, arrested in Peru last year has been convicted of smuggling six kilos of cocaine and sentenced to years in jail.

SNOW AND AVALANCHE: A meter and a half of fresh snow at the weekend led to an avalanche search at Craigieburn ski-field today. It took police three hours to account for 70 people on the mountain at the time of the avalanche. The police flew in a team of rescue staff from Mt Hutt. Mt Hutt is digging out buildings and avalanche proofing the ski-field which has received a 1.5 metre snow dumping.

G8 SUMMIT: Police at the G8 summit in Genoa are being criticised. Nearly 180 people have been arrested, one is dead and hundreds injured. After the protests police raid ring leaders and make arrests, many of injured people. Some say the police arrested and beat the wrong people. As world leaders met behind iron walls several banks and shops were destroyed in riots. Amateur video footage of the shooting of the protestor is shown, this is sparking debate about whether the killing was in self defence. World leaders insist they have made progress. US and Russian Presidents Bush and Putin talked deep cuts in their nuclear arsenals. The British PM reacted angrily to calls for the leaders to stop meeting saying that doing so would turn democracy on its head.

FREE DIVING RECORD: Last week a free-diver set an NZ depth record. Tanya Streeter who teaches people to fool their bodies into thinking they are breathing, sunk to a depth of 91 metres on one breath.

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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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