Power Crisis – Etna In Control – Salvage Attempt On Stranded Yacht – GE Free NZ Or Not? – Two Murders – Drug Bust –
Boiler Room Brokers Busted – Mystery Woman Remembered
POWER CRISIS: The Government is Calling for a 10% reduction in Energy consumption to stave off a power crisis. A meeting
was held to discuss today what to do about the lack of rain. Industry players and key consumer groups agree it is not
time to panic.
Says Pete Hodgson afterwards: “It is not time to go to bed early with the heaters off. It is really important that
people use the energy they need to keep warm. Otherwise they may die and it is not that bad. It is however time to turn
down the thermostat. Time to tell the kids about the computer and time to turn the lights out."
M-Co says they also think people should be cautious too. Lots of people remember what happened in 1992 and we don’t want
that to happen again.
Ratings agency Standard and Poors says that the high wholesale prices should be being passed on to consumers.
On Energy has left the market already. Fresh Start and Trustpower are the only players left who are not also generators,
and they are nervous. Major industrial projects are scaling back production to avoid the Spot Market.
Pete Hodgson has told the market to make it work for themselves.
Q: That sounds like a threat?
A: Not really. In the end today focussed on how we go about conserving power over the next few weeks. The Minister says
he doesn’t want elderly people to turn the lights out and go to bed early. He is going to ask Government Departments to
save electricity too, but not schools and not hospitals.
ETNA IS IN CONTROL: Mt Etna continues to surprise the experts. Etna is defying predictions and is experiencing increased
volcanic activity. Mt Etna’s winter ski field was buried for ever in a huge lava flow. Attempts are being made to try
and direct the flow but they look a little pointless given the size of the flow. The experts are measuring the pulse of
the volcano. “This is more spectacular than anything I have seen says one expert.” Etna is in control.
SALVAGE ATTEMPT ON STRANDED YACHT: Two of the three people stranded on a yacht stranded on a Tasman Sea atoll have left
the yacht. Another is staying for a salvage attempt.
GE FREE NZ OR NOT? A Royal Commission report on Genetic Modification is about to be made public. Demonstrations were
held all around the country welcoming the report. The message was of hope said the Greens Co-Leader Jenette Fitzsimmons,
hope that the GM moratorium would be maintained. NZ has already seen GE experiments in NZ with the birth of these calves
(cute pictures). A lobby group says that GE is necessary for the NZ economy. The Royal Commission report is being kept
under wraps till Monday. The ban on GE field trials is due to end at the end of August.
TWO MURDERS: Two bodies have been found and two homicide investigations begun.
DRUG BUST: 4.5 kilos of Heroin and 1 kilo of Meth-amphetamine have been seized in a drug bust.
BOILER ROOM BROKERS BUSTED: Several kiwis are among more than a hundred foreigners arrested in Thailan. They call them
boiler room brokers. They sell stocks that don’t exist. The Securities Commission says they have known about them for
some time. They bought off more they could chew when they approached John Farrell for investment but. Documents on hard
sell tactics were seized in the raid too. 45 people in NZ have lost around $5 million at least says Farrell, “and that’s
just the tip of the iceberg”. The ring leaders were able to evade police for two years and have got away again. However
we know who they are say officials. There are no details available about the NZers arrested, all foreigners have been
charged with working illegally.
MYSTERY WOMAN REMEMBERED: A memorial service has been held for the mystery victim of an exorcism. Police have been
unable to find any of the relatives of the Korean woman who arrived in the country alone. None of her family or country
people came forward to claim the body. Keum Ok Lee died after an exorcism at a house where she was left after she died.
Her pastor has been charged with manslaughter. MP Pansy Wong says the memorial service was held to mark the fact that
Joanne was a victim. Her body was cremated by the morgue six months after she died. It is believed she might have been
an orphan.