National Radio Midday Bulletin

National Radio Midday Bulletin

Refugee Camps Closed - Telecom Action - Maori Child Abuse - Pm Reaction - Speight Beaten - Transrail Safety - Homicide Inquiry - Japanese Whaling - Solomons Ceasefire - Youth Crime Rise - Cervical Inquiry - Lawyers Recruited - Bolshoi Salvage

REFUGEE CAMPS CLOSED: Indonesia has ordered the immediate closure of refugee camps in West Timor after international pressure to do so. The move comes after the fatal shooting of a New Zealand soldier by a group of militants.

- TELECOM ACTION: Telecom is being taken to court by the Commerce Commission over its internet access 086 number which it says is anti-competitive.

- MAORI CHILD ABUSE: Minister for Maori Affairs Parekura Horomia says all Maori must take a stand over child abuse, not only the leadership, after child abuse figures showed Maori were five times more likely to abuse their children than Pakeha.

- PM REACTION: Meanwhile, the Prime Minister says Maori institutions need help to change the tide of abuse, but she says it is important not to stereotype Maori as a group.

- SPEIGHT BEATEN: A lawyer for Fiji coup leader George Speight says Speight and some of his men were beaten by navy personnel on their way to an island prison. A Red Cross team who visited the prisoners said they were being treated well.

- TRANSRAIL SAFETY: Occupational Safety and Health has told a ministerial inquiry into TranzRail employee safety that the incidents of death for the company’s workers is around eight times the national average.

- GOVT MPS BRIEFED ON ERB DETAILS: Government MPs have been briefed on changes to the Employment Relation Bill which are about to be made public.

- HOMICIDE INQUIRY: The police in south Auckland are about to release more details into a homicide inquiry they are about to launch into a man who went missing in bush four years ago. Initially the case was treated as a missing persons case.

- JAPANESE WHALING: The United States and Australia are increasing pressure on Japan to stop a new whale hunt in the north Pacific ocean.

- SOLOMONS CEASEFIRE: A cease fire to end the Solomon Islands ethnic conflict is expected to be signed today by leaders from both Isetabu and Malaitan Eagles forces.

- YOUTH CRIME RISE; A youth court judge has stressed the lack of residential units for young criminals is largely responsible for the rising rate of youth crime.

- CERVICAL INQUIRY: There needs to be more investigation into the ethical obligations of the people running the national cervical screening programme, says a request to the cervical cancer inquiry in Gisborne.

- LAWYERS RECRUITED: Large law firms around the country have put into practice plans to re-recruit New Zealand lawyers who have gone to work overseas for better pay.

- BOLSHOI SALVAGE: Talks about salvaging the legendary Bolshoi Theatre are underway in Moscow with international organisations asked for help for funding.