National Radio Midday Bulletin

Fiji Crisis - Farmer’s Road - Algal Bloom – Retail Growth - Wrongful Imprisonment - Cervical Screening Inquiry- Middle East Peace - Waikato Crash - Diamond Ban - Nth Ireland Tensions - Olympic Funding - Maori & Frequencies - Sustainable Development - Penguins Lead The Way

FIJI CRISIS: Coalition partners for the deposed Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry have strongly criticised the military’s role in handling the coup crisis, saying they complicit in George Speight’s demands.

FARMER’S ROAD: A farmer who owned a private road on which three teenagers died says he feels victimized by the tragedy. Police are checking the legal obligations of farmers to post warning signs on private roads if they are washed out.

ALGAL BLOOM: An new unusual algal bloom, not seen on New Zealand shores is being held responsible for a ban on shellfish, crayfish and kina in Northland.

RETAIL GROWTH: Growth in retail sales is starting to slow after increasing growth this year. Car sales were responsible for almost all of the increases, while the major drop in sales occurred in accommodation and hotels.

WRONGFUL IMPRISONMENT: The Justice Minister Phil Goff says the current criteria for deciding wrongful imprisonment are too strict and should be revised.

CERVICAL SCREENING INQUIRY: The manager of the National Cervical Screening programme has said there has not been any monitoring of the programme since it started 15 years ago.

MIDDLE EAST PEACE: The United States President Bill Clinton has invited Israeli and Palestinian leaders to a peace summit at Camp David, the site of a previous historic peace agreement for the Middle east.

DIAMOND BAN: The United Nations Security Council has imposed a global ban on diamonds from Sierra Leone. A diamonds-for-guns trade is believed to be fueling a civil war in the province.

NTH IRELAND TENSIONS: Tension is increasing in Northern Island after violence between republican and loyalist demonstrators and the police.

OLYMPIC FUNDING: The New Zealand Olympic Committee will decide which top athlete medal prospects will qualify for extra special funding. Multiple gold medalist equestrian Mark Todd, currently at the centre of drug allegations, is believed to be on the shortlist of candidates.

MAORI & FREQUENCIES: Maori claimants are today seeking leave to take their legal claims for the radio frequency spectrum to the High Court after they rejected the Government plans to sell them a frequency at a discounted rate.

WAIKATO CRASH: One person is dead and two are seriously injured after a crash between a car and a truck in Waikato this morning.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: A international strategy expert says New Zealand is well placed to discuss issues regarding sustainable development because the price it will pay for growth is so great.

PENGUINS LEAD THE WAY; Three penguins tagged with satellite receivers are leading the way home for a host of penguins affected by an oil slick in South Africa.

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