Gisbourne Pathologist - Police Budget Blowout - Appeal Dismissed - Fire Service Contract - Lebanon Pullout - Mozambique
Floods - Pinochet Returns - Ellis Inquiry - Team New Zealand - Piha Beach - Retail Down
GISBOURNE PATHOLOGIST: The Health Funding Authority has defended its decision not to widen the investigation into the
work of the retired Gisbourne Pathologist Michael Bottril. The official inquiry is due to start this month in Gisbourne
but it may be delayed until April.
POLICE BUDGET BLOWOUT: The minister of Police George Hawkins meets with Police officials this afternoon to find out why
Police have breached their budget by $20 million.
APPEAL DISMISSED: The Court Of Appeal has dismissed the appeal of a fourteen-year-old boy given a stiff sentence for the
brutal joint-rape of an Auckland woman last year.
FIRE SERVICE CONTRACT: The chairperson of the Fire Service Commission says she is confident that the tensions that have
plagued the fire service can be put to rest by bringing everyone under a single employment contract. Fire fighters have
been locked into disputes with Fire Service management and volunteer fire fighters for the past few years.
LEBANON PULLOUT: Israel is still waiting for an official announcement from Syria reacting to a withdrawal of Israeli
troops from Lebanon. The Syrians are expected to announce that they too will pull out of Lebanon.
MOZAMBIQUE FLOODS: Relief workers trying to coordinate the rescue efforts in Mozambique saying conditrions in the
country are frustrating them in their distribution of food and medical supplies.
PINOCHET RETURNS: Chile’s President elect says he will never forgive former President August Pinochet for his alleged
war crimes and says he will fight to ensure the General is not immune to prosecution.
ELLIS INQUIRY: The Minister of Justice Phil Goff is expected to announce this week the results of an inquiry into a
Peter Ellis case.
TEAM NEW ZEALAND: Team New Zealand should know by the end of the day how they will be flown to the South Island for
victory parade celebrations.
NATIONAL CERTIFICATE: The Ministry of Education is urging principles to assure schools and parents about the delayed new
National Certificate which will replace the old School Certificate examination.
CIVIL RIGHTS MARCH: The United States president Bill Clinton is retracing the steps of a thirty year old civil rights
march from which begins in Alabama.
COKE BOYCOTT: CocaCola is facing a mass boycott of Afro-American workers across the country after black rights groups,
National Association for the Advancement of Coloured Peoples (NAACP) alleged that they covered up racial discrimination
against employees.
PIHA BEACH: Surf lifesavers say they cannot patrol Piha beach all the time because of a lack of resources. They urge
swimmers to be careful when swimming outside of patrol times.
RETAIL DOWN: New Zealanders tighten their purse over the holiday period with latest statistics showing retail sales are
generally down.