National Radio Midday Report

PM Addresses Summit – HRW Says Stop Arms To Indonesia – Flood Compensation- Flood Warning – Prison Beatings – Daring Rescue – Weather Hampers Rescue – Millennium Summit – Palmerston North Murders – Murder Accused Jeered – Toxic Bloom – Sydney Olympics – Children’s Games

- PM ADDRESSES SUMMIT: Prime Minister Helen Clark used her speech in at the UN Millennium Summit to condemn the murder of three United Nations aid workers in West Timor refugee camp. She called on Indonesia to stop the violence in Timor.

- HRW SAY STOP ARMS TO INDONESIA: Human Rights Watch has called on Western Governments to stop supplying military equipment to Indonesia, in response to the West Timor killings. HRW says the Indonesian Army has trained and armed the militia responsible for the violence in Timor.

- FLOOD COMPENSATION: Almost $14m almost is to be paid to flood victims in Alexandra in compensation, and for protection work to prevent future flooding. The Government and Contact energy will share costs equally. The flooding came from Hydro dams on the Clutha river.

- FLOOD WARNING: A flood warning has been issued to Canterbury following heavy rain in the southern Alps.

- PRISON BEATINGS: The Crown Law Office says there is not enough evidence to prosecute the prison guards alleged to have beaten a group of Mongrel Mob linked men, who were awarded damages for beatings and ill-treatment in Mangaroa Prison.

- DARING RESCUE: Police say a daring bit of night flying may have saved the lives of 2 climbers trapped in a blizzard on a mountain in South Westland last night. Rescuers were flown in shortly before 10pm, and tramped to the aid of the climbers.

- WEATHER HAMPERS RESCUE: Police described the weather as “horrible,” in remote Coromandel, where they are searching for a missing tramper.

- MILLENIUM SUMMIT: A dominant theme at the UN Millennium Summit has been the Middle East peace process. Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barak said it was time to seize peace. He said he recognised Jerusalem was sacred to Muslims and Christian, as well as Jews.

- MAORI REPORTING: Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia has said the mainstream media has still to get its act together on the reporting of Maori issues. He says there’s rarely anything positive reported about Maori.

- PALMERSTON NORTH MURDERS: Palmerston North police say they are confident they will catch the killer who killed a mother and child eight days ago.

- MURDER ACCUSED JEERED: A Northland man accused of killing his pregnant partner was verbally abused by people in the public gallery when he appeared in court today.

- TOXIC BLOOM: The toxic Algal bloom that has affected the North Island shellfish industry has not spread to the South Island at this stage. Toxins are at 50 times the safe level in the North Island.

- SYDNEY OLYMPICS: Eight days from start of the Sydney Olympics, the executive board of the International Olympic Committee is set to meet, with drug cheating on the agenda. A number of Chinese athletes have withdrawn from the games following suspicious tests.

- CHILDREN’S GAMES: More than 10,000 school children and their families have gathered in Christchurch for the opening of the Children’s Millennium Games. The games are designed to promote the values of the Olympic movement.

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