National Radio Midday Bulletin

Fiji Hostages - Fiji High Com - Cop & Cannabis- Teachers On Cannabis- Radio Spectrum Auction- University Funding Report- Cervical Inquiry- Dangerous Needles- Forestry Protest- South Island Tourism- Bookstore Price-War- Boys In Netball

FIJI HOSTAGES: The meeting of the Great Council of Chiefs has started in Suva but the remaining 18 hostages have still not been released. The major sticking point is a decree, which hands over the military’s interim power to a new president.

- FIJI HIGH COM: The New Zealand High Commission in Fiji is on high alert today, saying all new Zealanders in the country should be packed and ready to evacuate. Civil disobediance in the Islands continues with reports of another tourist resort being occupied by landowners.

- COP & CANNABIS: A Horowhenua Police Officer has appeared in the Palmerston North District Court on charges of supplying cannabis. The man’s name was suppressed for one day.

- TEACHERS ON CANNABIS: The National School Trustees Association has launched a nationwide petition today to stop the Government entertaining any ideas of cannabis decriminalization.

- RADIO SPECTRUM AUCTION: The Finance Minister Michael Cullen says the Government is postponing the auction of the new radio spectrum frequencies because of legal action, not because the prices offered for the spectrum were lower than expected.

- UNIVERSITY FUNDING REPORT: A report released today paints a gloomy prediction of university funding over the past 20 years, showing a thirty per cent decrease over the period.

- CERVICAL INQUIRY: The Australasian Royal College of Pathologists has rejected comments made about it closing ranks to protect former Gisborne pathologist Michael Bottrill saying they were offensive.

- DANGEROUS NEEDLES: The needle exchange programme national coordinator, says it is very concerned about a large bag of needles found and played with by children in an Avondale suburb in Auckland.

- FORESTRY PROTEST: The organisers of a protest march in Hokitika say today is the last chance for West Coast residents to voice their opposition to Government plans stopping native logging.

- SOUTH ISLAND TOURISM: The popularity of the South Island continues to grow with the latest accommodation figures from Statistics New Zealand showing the area is bearing the brunt of the increased national growth in the sector.

- BOOKSTORE PRICE-WAR: Smaller booksellers say they are feeling the brunt of a price war in selling the latest Harry Potter book, with major retailers selling the book at a loss to attract customers.

- BOYS IN NETBALL: A school trying to play more than one boy in its school junior netball teams is taking the issue to the Human Rights Commission.

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