National Radio Midday Report

Foot And Mouth – Fletcher Challenge – GM Commission – Fire Danger – Production Costs – Monetary Policy Review – Domestic Violence – Fiji human Rights – Gaming Review – Shoplifting Prosecution – Air Accident Investigations – Kosovo Buffer Zone – Ebola – Measles Immunisation - Rescues

- FOOT AND MOUTH: The foot and mouth crisis threatening British farming has worsened, with yet more areas of the country having to adopt extreme measures to control the disease. Farmers on infected farms are imposing isolation on themselves to control the spread of the disease. The public is being appealed to not to go near farms. Authorities don’t know where the virus is in the country, and are imploring people to be cautious. Big sporting events, horse racing and rugby, have been delayed in an effort to stem the spread of the disease.

- FLETCHER CHALLENGE: The Fletcher Challenge Group has reported a slump in its net profit for the first half of the financial year to $22m, a fall of 90 percent compared to the same period the year before.

- GM COMMISSION: The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says New Zealand has to put systems in place to deal with the inevitable surprises GM technology will bring as it develops. He was presenting his findings to the Royal Commission into Genetic Modification.

- FIRE DANGER: The Marlborough District Council says drought conditions in the area have reached record levels. Fire danger is extreme. Total fire bans are in place throughout Marlborough.

- PRODUCTION COSTS: Latest official figures show that cost pressures on production have continued to rise steeply.

- MONETARY POLICY REVIEW: A Government review into monetary policy is due out this afternoon.

- DOMESTIC VIOLENCE: The Principal Family Court Judge Patrick Marney says domestic violence levels may be dropping.

- FIJI HUMAN RIGHTS: Fiji has come under sharp criticism in the annual United States State Department human rights report.

- GAMING REVIEW: The public are being asked to make submissions on the role of gaming, how it should be regulated, and how harm from gambling can be minimised, in an overview of New Zealand’s gaming laws.

- SHOPLIFTING PROSECUTION: Pack n Save says it hopes the prosecution of a woman misusing their do it yourself scanners at its Kapiti supermarket should send a clear message to shoplifters. But the woman’s lawyer said the prosecution was a waste of time, and the supermarket should have deterred her going through the checkout.

- AIR ACCIDENT INVESTIGATIONS: The Transport Accident Investigation commission says it is unable to investigate all the air accidents it would like to because of cost constraints.

- KOSOVO BUFFER ZONE: Nato has decided to reduce the buffer zone along the border between Kosovo and Serbia because of continuing attacks into Serbia by ethnic Albanian rebels.

- EBOLA: Ugandan health officials have declared the country free from Ebola.

- MEASLES IMMUNISATION: South Auckland health care and community health care providers are to run a six-month trial measles immunisation programme.

- RESCUES: Two rescues underway after police received cell phone calls from people in distress.

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