National Radio Midday Report

Telecommunications Policy – Plane Crash – Wickliffe Paroled – David Did It – Embryo Research – Turkish Prisoners – Wahid Visits Aceh – Mexican Volcano – Young Prisoner – Overseas Doctors – Workplace Disease – Women’s Cricket

- TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY: The Government has taken a light-handed approach to regulating telecommunications. Communications Minister Paul Swain has unveiled the Government’s plans to boost competition in Telecommunications. The Kiwi Share, which requires Telecom to provide free local calls and keep price rises in line with inflation, will be renegotiated.

- PLANE CRASH: Police and air accident inspectors are examining the scene of a light plane that crashed in North Canterbury, killing three people. Two men and a woman were killed when the Plane crashed in the Rangiora Hills.

- WICKLIFFE PAROLED: One of New Zealand’s longest serving prisoners, Dean Wickliffe, has been granted Parole. The 51-year-old has been serving a life sentence for the manslaughter of a Wellington jeweler.

- DAVID DID IT: Relatives of the Bain family remain adamant that David Bain killed his parents and siblings. David Bain’s case has gone back to the court of appeal following an appeal to the Government for a pardon.

- EMBRYO RESEARCH: Britain’s lower house of Parliament, the House of Commons has passed a law giving scientists more scope to take cells from human embryos to research treatments for nervous diseases.

- TURKISH PRISONERS: Nearly 15 prisoners and two soldiers have been killed in raids by security forces on prisons across Turkey. The raids are an attempt to end hunger strikes by prisoners, protesting against being moved from large dormitories to individual cells.

- WAHID VISITS ACEH: After a week of growing violence that has seen 30 people dead, Indonesia’s President has made a fleeting trip to the troubled province of Aceh.

- MEXICAN VOLCANO: Mexican authorities are continuing to monitor the volcano near Mexico City that erupted spectacularly overnight. There is still a danger of a catastrophic explosion. The danger zone has been extended to a 24-kilometre radius around the volcano, which covers many villages where the people are reluctant to leave.

- YOUNG PRISONER: Child Youth and Family Services says a Christchurch girl held in police cells for four days because of a shortage of youth justice beds is facing serious charges and the girl had threatened that she would escape.

- OVERSEAS DOCTORS: The Overseas Doctors Association says a Medical Council decision to fast track the registration of some foreign trained doctors – from countries including Australia, England and Ireland - is unfair and discriminatory. United Future Leader Peter Dunne described the move as a ‘Whites Only’ policy.

- WORKPLACE DISEASE: The Government body Occupational Safety and Health will set up a panel early next year to investigate links between workplaces and diseases such as cancer.

- WOMEN’S CRICKET: The New Zealand Women’s cricketers have the edge over India in their World Cup semi final against India.

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