Transrail Fined - Dash Blood Found - Embryonic Cloning - Education Discrimination - Japan Cabinet Selected - Ethiopia
Famine - Internet Rights - Burdett Trial - Tumor Trial - Wort Warning - Defence View - Dubai Strangling - Mystery
Climbers File Open
TRANSRAIL FINED: Transrail has been fined $37, 500 in a Wellington District Court following a Maritime Safety Inquiry
which found Transrail had acted negligibly. A young crewman died after an accident while working on the Fast Ferry last
year
DASH BLOOD FOUND: Wellington Police have revealed that blood belonging to missing law student Gavin Dash has been found
on the wall of his flat. They are now looking for two pieces of carpet from the flat.
EMBRYONIC CLONING: The Labour list MP Dianne Yates says the Private Members Bill saying what scientists can and cannot
do with embryonic cloning is currently at the select committee stage. The Bill would ban all cloning of embryonic cells
and the selling of all human body parts.
EDUCATION DISCRIMINATION: The ACT party says new education legislation abolishing bulk funding and reintroducing zoning
will lead to racial discrimination. ACT’s Donna Awatere says the best schools now will become the enclave of the white
middle class.
JAPAN CABINET SELECTED: Japan is set to select Yoshiro Mori to replace its outgoing president who is in a coma after a
stroke in the weekend. The old Cabinet has also resigned and is likely to be re-elected.
ETHIOPIA FAMINE: Ethiopia has renewed its plea to the United Nations to help it respond to a famine in Northern Africa.
A government apokesperson says the response internationally so far has been very slow.
INTERNET RIGHTS: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has criticised governments who try to restrict the use of the internet
in their country.
BURDETT TRIAL: The defence for Teina Poura says his so-called confessions to police of the murder of Susan Burdett do
not hold water. Defence lawyer Marie Dhyrberg says the Mr Poura was induced to offer evidence about the murder because
of the $20,000 reward offered. She says serial rapist Malcom Rewa was likely to have acted alone.
TUMOR TRIAL: The depositions hearing for a south Auckland couple charged with manslaughter has begun in a court. The
Mangere couple failed to treat their son’s cancer, and the boy was found with a basket-ball sized tumor by ambulance
staff. He later died.
WORT WARNING: The Health Ministry has advised people who are taking St John’s Wort along with other medicines to take
care. Health advisors say the herbal remedy may reduce the effectiveness of other treatments for ailments such as AIDS
and epilepsy.
DEFENCE VIEW: The New Zealand Ambassador to Washington told the Prime Minister Helen Clark he wouldn’t like to see NZ
only supplying ground troops to a combat situation – the most risky front line areas. Rather, Jim Bolger says he would
prefer a mix of both air and ground capabilities.
DUBAI STRANGLING: The New Zealand police are working with British police on the strangling of a Kiwi crew man on a ship
of the coast of Dubai.
MYSTERY CLIMBERS FILE OPEN: The Te Anau police are keeping a file on two mystery climbers in the South Island open after
a radion ham operator picked up a distress call last month. No tourists have gone missing.