Comalco Production Cuts – Electricity Legislation Under Urgency – G8 Protestor Released – University Funding – Biological Weapons – Liver Transplants – Macedonia – Solomon Islands – Waiheke Airlines

COMALCO PRODUCTION CUTS: The recent big increases in wholesale electricity prices have led Comalco to cut production by 5%. Comalco says the real pain for the company will come next year. It says the production cut

ELECTRICITY LEGISLATION UNDER URGENCY: Parliament will sit under urgency today to pass an electricity industry bill. The legislation sets up an industry based governance board and gives the government backup powers to regulate. Energy Minister Pete Hodgson says that the bill will not solve the wholesale price problems. The bill is expected to pass with the support of NZ First and the Greens.

G8 PROTESTOR RELEASED: A NZ man arrested in disturbances in Genoa at the G8 summit, Sam Buchanan, has been released from prison and is awaiting deportation.

UNIVERSITY FUNDING: Universities say they are cautiously optimistic of a breakthrough in their negotiations with government over funding issues following high level talks.

BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS: The US says it will not support plans to strengthen a Biological Warfare Convention. The news comes after 6.5 years of negotiation and the US is the only country not supporting the new convention. The US says it is not another case of the Bush Administration against the world.

LIVER TRANSPLANTS: A decision has been made to approve a limited number of liver transplants in Auckland.

MACEDONIA: After a night of rioting efforts are underway to control a mob in Skopje the capital of Macedonia. The mob attacked British and US embassies over their support for Albanians. Meanwhile on the border the Macedonian army has closed the border with Kosovo.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: Compensation payments for loss and damage in the Solomon Islands have been suspended following apparent interference with the list of payments.

WAIHEKE AIRLINES: Waiheke Airlines, which operates from Waiheke and Great Barrier Islands to Auckland, is facing suspension of its services following a CAA investigation.

© 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