National Radio Midday Report

Exam Mistakes – Police Commissioner Apologises – Name Suppression – Baby Death – Israel Snap Election – Middle East Violence – Voluntary Euthanasia – Florida Recount – MP Reduction – Northland Health – Hail Storm – Quitline – Egg Prices – Power Payment – British Rail

- EXAM MISTAKES: A school certificate maths paper has now been found to have two errors. The NZQA has acknowledged the two mistakes in the maths exams, but have said students will not lose marks. But mistakes can disadvantage students because they throw them in exam situations, when time is of the essence.

- POLICE COMMISSIONER APOLOGISES: Police Commissioner Rob Robinson has apologised to a parliamentary select committee after being reprimanded over delays in supplying information. The apology relates to the case of Murray and Jan Willis, the Auckland couple who fought IRD for 14 years.

- NAME SUPRESSION: A hearing has begun in north Shore district court to consider the ongoing name suppression of an HIV positive North Shore teacher who faces sex charges over alleged incidents with his students.

- BABY DEATH: A 16 year old is to appear in a North shore court on assault charges in relation to the death of an 11month old baby.

- ISRAEL SNAP ELECTION: Israel Prime Minister Ehud Barac has announced early elections and will announce a date in the next few days. Mr Barac looks likely to make a last ditch bid for some form of peace accord with the Palestinians to take to the Israeli people at the poll.

- MIDDLE EAST VIOLENCE: Meanwhile Israeli troops have shot dead a 17 year old Palestinian in the latest clashes in the occupied territories.

- VOLUNTARY EUTHANASIA: The Voluntary Euthanasia Society says the Dutch decision to legalise euthanasia will add momentum to the campaign on the issue in New Zealand. A private members bill is waiting to be introduced into parliament.

- FLORIDA RECOUNT: The Democratic presidential candidate Al Gore has proposed counting all the controversial Florida ballots by a week from tomorrow. Meanwhile, in the US Supreme court legal briefs have been filed in the Republican petition seeking to exclude the recounted votes.

- MP REDUCTION: The woman who organised a referendum to deduce the size of parliament to 99 MPs says it would reduce time wasting and cut bad behaviour in the house. She told the select committee considering the issue that it would force parties to select better behaved members.

- NORTHLAND HEALTH: The chief executive of Northland Health says the imminent departure of three GPs from the area will put increased strain on Kaitaia Hospital.

- HAIL STORM: A major hail storm is believed to have wiped out several apple crops in Nelson overnight.

- QUITLINE: The Director General of Health says immediate measures are being put into place to meet the enormous demand from smokers wanted Government subsidised nicotine replacement therapy. Four time as many people as expected have called quitline, the first phase of the programme.

- EGG PRICES: The organisation that represents professional bakers says rises in egg prices are the last straw, after rises in other ingredients. It says consumers can expect rises in prices of cakes and pastries.

- POWER PAYMENT: Electricity company Transalta says about 100 Christchurch customers missed out on an early payment discount because of a computer bug.

- BRITISH RAIL: British rail passenger suffering has reached new heights - trains face speed restrictions because of track repairs in the wake of crashes, but now the Nottingham-London train, normally a 90 minute ride, took 9 hours after a power failure.

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