Biosecurity Funding - Road Safety - Solomon Islands - Fiji Coup - Journalist Murdered - Microsoft Split, Stock Falls -
Magic Mussels
BIOSECURITY: The government is going to spend an extra $187 million on the environment over the next five years. Possums
will be attacked. NZ is not clean and green enough. Sandra Lee says that over 1000 species on the brink of extinction.
An extra $10 million will be spent on looking after the Kiwi. Marine Biodiversity will get lots of money too. Even this
money won't be able to deal with the damage. Sandra Lee says that to make the package a success it will need to work
with Labour and
ROAD SAFETY: An extra $152 million will be spent on making the roads safer over the next four years. Traffic police are
going to come back. Police will step up a gear in combating drink drivers. The first highway patrols will hit the road
before Christmas and there will be no more hidden speed cameras. Former traffic officers say the move is a good one.
SOLOMON ISLANDS: Australian Navy to the rescue in the Solomon Islands. An Australian naval landing ship will arrive in
Honiara in a few hours for evacuation duties. Around 700 Australians and 225 NZers are in the Islands. Andrew Nori has
declared a civil war. His Eagle Force has two naval boats and lots of guns. He is outnumbered by the IFM. Foreign
Minister Phil Goff still hopes to travel to Honiara in spite of the fighting.
FIJI COUP: More violence from George Speight's supporters today. Today attacking a police officer who tried to . Food
shortages are leading people to the dump to search for food. Nearly half the population is below the poverty line. With
an Australian trade ban most of the clothing industry will be shut down in a month or two.
JOURNALIST MURDERED: Police say the attack on Kylie Jones was brutal and sustained. The murder weapon is thought to be a
knife. Jones was a writer for Eye magazine. People are scared to walk in the parks in Glen Innes. Screams were heard
from the park the night of the murder and police say they are disappointed they weren't called.
MICROSOFT SPLIT: Microsoft is dealed a potentially crippling blow. The Department of Justice is delighted. Microsoft is
ordered to split into an operating system and an other software company. CEO Bill Gates fights back saying that
consumers have enjoyed low prices from Microsoft. Appeals are likely to delay any actual split for some time.
MICROSOFT STOCK: Microsoft shares have closed today at $140, down $100 from highs of $240.
MAGIC MUSSELS: Two companies will be prosecuted for promoting Lyprinol a Green Mussel extract as a cancer cure. The
Cancer Society is pleased with the prosecution. The Broadcasting Standards Authority had earlier found TVNZ guilty of
breaching standards with a report on the Green Mussel extract. Lyprinol is still available under different names.