Law And Justice

The Government is estimating a $6 billion reduction in net debt after the sale of the state-owned enterprises – but concedes the savings on finance costs will be less than what it would have booked from dividends and retained earnings if it kept them.

Treasury  forecasts released today in the Government’s budget policy statement outline the forecast fiscal impact of selling up to 49 per cent in each of the four State-owned power companies – Mighty River Power, Meridian, Genesis Energy and Solid Energy – and by reducing the Crown’s current shareholding in Air New Zealand.

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ST. LOUIS  A St. Louis man has been charged in a string of home burglaries on Blaine and McRee avenues in the Botanical Heights neighborhood.

According to charges, there were six break-ins in November and December, split evenly between the two streets. Police say Harrell Birts, 17, of the 400 block of Whittier Street, confessed th he and others were responsible and had been carrying pistols.

Birts has been charged with 12 counts of burglary and stealing. A judge ordered him held on $150,000 bail.

Internet piracy-accused Kim Dotcom has been remanded in custody.

He will be held in custody until February 22, when extradition papers are expected to be filed.

The decision was reserved since Monday, when after a day of legal ping pong in the North Shore District Court, judge David McNaughton decided he needed more time.

Dotcom, a German millionaire and founder of file-sharing site Megaupload was arrested on Friday on behalf of United States authorities in an FBI-led police raid at his $30m Coatesville mansion.

US authorities are now seeking his extradition.

They allege Dotcom’s company breached copyright laws costing copyright owners more than US$500m in what they call the “Mega Conspiracy”.

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TRENTON — In interviews this morning on NBCs “Today Show ” and MSNBCs ” Morning Joe”, Gov. Chris Christie played interference for GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney — and promoted economic policies unveiled Tuesday in his State of the State address.

Calling Christie a disclosure guy, Matt Lauer, a host of the “Today Show”, asked the Republican governor about Romneys reluctance to release his tax returns after revealing hes taxed at a rate of about 15 percent. Chr

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A public holiday marking the anniversary of the February 22 earthquake would be “counter-productive”, the Canterbury Employers’ Chamber of Commerce says.

The Christchurch City Council yesterday announced plans for a civic memorial service from noon to 1.30pm on February 22 at North Hagley Park, with the Christchurch Earthquake Awards to follow.

The magnitude-6.3 quake that struck the city killed 182 people.

No plans for a public holiday on February 22 were announced yesterday. A spokesman for Labour Minister Kate Wilkinson said if any decision was to be made by Cabinet, it would not be until it met on January 25.

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