National Radio Midday Report

Name Supression Lifted – Child Abuse Conference – Chopper Crash – Pilot Trial – Doctors’ Strike – Gisborne Hospital Inquiry – Air NZ – Waitangi Fisheries Commission – Super-Yacht Facility – Olympic Packages – Telecommunications Inquiry – Christchurch Homicide – Blazing Tower

- NAME SUPRESSION LIFTED: The Court of Appeal has ended name suppression for a billionaire American who admitted three charges of importing cannabis into New Zealand. His Name cannot be made public until 2:15 tomorrow.

- CHILD ABUSE CONFERENCE: Commissioner for Children Roger McClay will chair a conference on whether the reporting of child abuse should be mandatory for health professionals.

- CHOPPER CRASH: A helicopter has crashed near Wanganui. Only the pilot was on board, but no further details are available.

- PILOT TRIAL: Cross-examination has begun at the depositions hearing of the Ansett Dash-8 pilot who crashed near Palmerston North killing four people five years ago. The judge will decide if there is enough evidence to bring the man to trial on manslaughter charges.

- DOCTORS’ STRIKE: Junior doctors and Public Hospital representatives are meeting in Wellington to try to find a way through their pay dispute. A mediator has been brought in at the request of the hospitals.

- GISBORNE HOSPITAL INQUIRY: The Health and Disability Commissioner has finished interviewing nursing staff employed by Tairawhiti Healthcare as part of its investigation into Gisborne Hospital. The investigation was sparked by reports an anesthetist had reused disposable syringes. The hospital also admitted more than 400 men may have had their prostate cancer tests misread.

- AIR NZ: Air NZ’s profit has been hit by high petrol prices and the poor performance of its associate Ansett Australia.

- WAITANGI FISHERIES COMMISSION: The first meeting of the new Waitangi Fisheries Commission is underway. Only four of the original 10 commissioners are still on the Commission. There are seven new commissioners, including representatives of Urban Maori.

- SUPER-YACHT FACILITY: Training agencies in Whangarei are gearing up for the demands for workers in the city’s new super-yacht industry. More than $80m will be injected into Northland’s economy, with 120 new jobs before Christmas and up to 1000 new jobs in five years time.

- OLYMPIC TRAVEL PACKAGES: A travel agency selling package deals to the Sydney Olympics says New Zealand has missed out on big sales because travel agent’s initial prices were too high.

- TELECOMMUNICATIONS INQUIRY: Telecom has told the ministerial inquiry into telecommunication that it doesn’t believe Internet and data calls are covered by the Kiwi Share agreement with the Government.

- CHRISTCHURCH HOMICIDE: Police begun homicide investigations following the forensic examination of a dead man discovered in Christchurch.

- BLAZING TOWER: Moscow firefighters have put out the fire in its television skyscraper. The tower is now listing visibly. Television broadcasts have been knocked out, with the exception of a private channel, which has been openly critical of the Russian Government. Russian President Vladimir Putin has conceded the blaze, along with the Kursk disaster, underlines Russia’s desperate plight. He said the country is in a shambles, and only economic recovery can put Russia back on track.

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