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Girl Dies Waiting – Mussel Worries – Olympics – S11 – Whaling – Crime Stats – UK Petrol Crisis
GIRL DIES WAITING: A 15-year-old girl from New Plymouth on a waiting list for a heart operation dies in her bed. School friends and family gathered to say goodbye today. The girl suffered for a rapid heart beat. Her mother went to wake her on Monday and found her dead. Tributes were paid by friends and family. Last month her mother went public asking for surgery. The Minister told her to go back to the specialists. The condition was not considered serious enough however. The family are considering complaining to the Health and Disability commissioner.
MUSSEL WORRIES: NZ’S entire mussel industry is now threatened by toxic algal bloom as it sweeps south down the West Coast. The bloom has now reached the outskirts of the Marlborough Sounds. The bloom concentrates toxins in mussels. The industry is at pains today to say that mussels on sale are not affected by the scare. At risk are the jobs of mussel processors and harvesters. Supermarkets will run out
OLYMPICS: 300,000 people are on their way into central Sydney to welcome the Olympic Torch. 500,000 office workers are already there. Athletes are getting delayed by bus drivers who do not know where they are going. The IOC says the Olympics are now too big with more than 300 events. Aborigines starting protests have warned other protestors to stay away. Everybody visiting the site is being checked through security. Les Mills says that NZ athletes are unlikely to be late for their events. The opening ceremony is on tomorrow night. Included in the performance will be the Haka. We should know who is carrying the flag later this evening. Blyth Tait is the favourite for the job.
S11: A police car is shown on camera running over a woman seriously injuring her.
WHALING: In the White House US Officials praised Helen Clark when announcing a harsh new stance on Japanese whaling. Japan has reacted angrily.
CRIME STATS: Burglaries are falling but homicides are up. Today police were searching in the Waitakere ranges near the site of another body found dead. The body was found dumped. He was wearing a carving around his neck. There were 104 homicides in the year to June. Waikato police are particularly pleased with their burglary resolution rate – solving one in five. Waikato police say walking the beat has helped. There is an increase in offences involving meth-amphetamines.
UK PETROL CRISIS: Police started to get physical today in Britain as 90% of petrol stations are left empty. They managed to get a few petrol tankers out but not enough. On the streets petrol and patience is running out. Supermarkets have started rationing bread and milk. Hospitals are on alert and all non-urgent surgery has been cancelled. PM Tony Blair is getting angry. Tourists say they hope their holidays will not be spoilt. Great Britain is running on empty.
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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