1New Zealand Post is looking at the possibilities of scrapping its mail deliveries on Saturdays or of scheduling mail deliveries every second day in a bid to remain profitable in the face of declining mail volumes. These options are floated in a letter from the chairman of New Zealand Post, Jim Bolger, to the State Owned Enterprises Minister, Simon Power, which has been released under the Official Information Act.

2The worst oil spill in United States history continues to plague communities and the environment in the Gulf of Mexico. St Bernard Parish in Louisiana is one community which is heavily reliant on its fishing and shrimping industries and which is bearing the brunt of this disaster.

3News from Australia, including: two Australian soldiers killed in combat in Afganistan; drug abuse suspected in the cases of five Australian soldiers currently serving in Afghanistan; and opinion polls show that Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has suffered a spectacular decline in popularity.

4Robert Ayres, Professor Emeritus of the European Institute of Business Administration, says economists are missing out on a major growth driver for the economy. Ayres is the author of several books, including 'The Next Industrial Revolution', and the '13 Percent Economy', which argues that the giant United States economy functions on only 13% efficiency in terms of energy use - meaning 87% is wasted. Ayres argues that traditional measures of economic growth -- including those of productivity growth-- fail to capture the real impact and wasted opportunity of energy efficiency.

5Legal commentator Mai Chen discusses the importance of constitutional watchdogs including the judicial conduct panel and the ombudsman.