National Radio Midday Bulletin

Fiji Military - Fiji Casualties - PM’s Reaction - Concorde Crash - Carterton Investigation - Heart Of The Nation - Hastings Murder - Cervical Screening Inquiry - Fast Ferry Speeds - Wanganui Driver Sentenced - Navy To Help In Search - Torch Carrier - Tramper Trapped

FIJI MILITARY: The Fiji military has revealed it is considering charging Fiji leader George Speight with treason. The military has given details of the storming of the rebel headquarters where 369 of George Speight’s supporters were arrested.

- FIJI CASUALTIES: One fifty-nine-year-old man was killed while over 30 were injured. The military said the rationale for arresting George Speight was that native Fijians had failed to support Speight’s coup. There are unconfirmed reports of unsettled activity and problems in some areas on the islands.

- PM’S REACTION: The Prime Minister Helen Clark says the arrest of George Speight comes nine weeks too late, but she is pessimistic about whether Mr. Speight will go on trial.

- CONCORDE CRASH: Concorde owners Air France have revealed that an engine was replaced on the aircraft just before it crashed on Tuesday killing all 109 people on board and four on the ground. They plan to have determined the cause of the accident tomorrow.

- CARTERTON INVESTIGATION: Police have seized bloodstained clothing and other items from the family of the 23-month-old baby girl which is to be examined by forensic scientists.

- HEART OF THE NATION: The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra has been given a stern warning to live within its means and to not have so many full-time musicians by Prime Minister Helen Clark.

- HASTINGS MURDER: The sister of a man found guilty of murdering a Hastings security guard says the murder could have been prevented if her brother was admitted to a psychiatric unit.

- CERVICAL SCREENING INQUIRY: The Ministry Of Health’s ability to run national cervical screening programme has been questioned by an expert at the Gisborne Cervical Screening Inquiry.

- FAST FERRY SPEEDS: Tranz Rail is decreasing the number of its fast-ferry sailings across Cook Strait next summer, from three return sailings a day to two in a reaction to new bylaws on ferry Speeds.

- WANGANUI DRIVER SENTENCED: The man convicted of hitting two boys in his van was sentenced today for four-and-a-half years for manslaughter at a court in Wanganui.
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- POLICE BURGLARY RESPONSE: Police in central West Auckland say a drop in the number of reported burglaries in the district could be due to their targeting of recidivist offenders.

- HASTING BURGLARY RATE: The Hastings Police Chief says his staff have a record second to none rate of improving their towns burglary rate.

- NAVY TO HELP IN SEARCH: The police have asked the navy for help in operation TAM – the investigation to recover the bodies of Olivia Hope and Ben Smart who went missing on New Year’s day in 1998.

- TORCH CARRIER: Australia’s oldest man gets to carry the Olympic torch when it reaches Bendigo today.

- TRAMPER TRAPPED: A tramper’s rescue near Fox Glacier is being hindered by bad weather. He is believed to be suffering from Malaria.

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