Pakistan Sharif Sentence - Susan Burdette – Water Safety – Health Boards – Mayors On Jobs – Howard Apologises – Cuban
Boy – Climate Change
PAKISTAN – SHARIF SENTENCE: The Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon says the life sentence imposed on former
Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif should be suspended. “The most appropriate thing.” However Pakistan’s military ruler General
Musharraf says the trial was legitimate and followed international norms.
SUSAN BURDETTE: The brother of Susan Burdette ask in the wake of a Teina Poura verdict why people commit crimes like
they did against his sister. Jim Burdette says he doesn’t know who is guilty.
WATER SAFETY: Water Safety New Zealand says it is struggling to maintain the gains it has made in reducing drowning
deaths. The organisation says more money is needed to get the message out to the public on the danger of water.
HEALTH BOARDS: The Minister of Health is defending her wish to be able to sack Health Board members. Wyatt Creech says
this raises constitutional issues as the elected board members should be accountable to their electors.
MAYORS ON JOBS: Around 30 Mayors are meeting in Christchurch trying to find ways to reduce unemployment. The Mayors say
it was important to have as many mayors as possible involved.
HOWARD APOLOGISES: Aussie PM John Howard has apologised to Australia’s Aboriginals for comments in a report concerning
the “Stolen Generation”.
CUBAN BOY: Elian Gonzalez’s father has arrived in the US. He will stay in the home of the top Cuban diplomat in Miami.
CLIMATE CHANGE: Pacific Island nations want NZ to show leadership on climate change by ratifying the Kyoto Protocol. The
protocol requires Greenhouse gas levels to be reduced to 1990 levels over the next decade.