National Radio Midday Report

Middle East Peace Talks – Suitcase Found – Cardiac Waiting List – British Train Crash – Murray Stretch Murder – Separatist Flag – Betting On Tua – G.M. Inquiry – Rimutaka Prison – Child Accidents – Xena Caned – Cell Phone Recycling – Beethoven Lead Poisoned

- MIDDLE EAST PEACE TALKS: Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barac says he has told his security forces to do everything they can do to implement the agreement reached between Israel and Palestine at the Middle East Summit after three weeks of violence. Both sides committed to work gradually to stop the violence. But Israeli officials warned that violence needs to stop in the next 48 hours before they can take the agreed steps. Already there have been sporadic outbreaks of violence. Yasser Arafat has said the violence is counter to the accord.

- SUITCASE FOUND: Police investigating the killing of Lisa Blakie earlier this year say a suitcase similar to the one Ms Blakie was carrying when she went missing has been found in a water race near Christchurch. The suitcase has not been retrieved and the area has not yet been searched.

- CARDIAC WAITING LIST: The head of Cardiology at Waikato Hospital says more facilities and not just money are needed to ease the growing waiting list for cardiac surgery.

- BRITISH TRAIN CRASH: British police have ruled out terrorism as the cause of a high speed train crash north of London which killed four people and injured 34.

- MURRAY STRETCH MURDER: The Court of Appeal have been told that if Constable Murray Stretch was not a police officer then his murderer Carlos Namana would not have received the 18 year minimum non-parole period.

- SEPERATIST FLAG: Independence leaders in Indonesian province Irian Jaya are preparing for clashes with security forces after saying they will defy a ban on raising the separatist morning star flag.

- BETTING ON TUA: The TAB is taking bets on David Tua’s World Heavyweight title fight, despite its concerns about the way professional fights are run overseas. In the past TAB has refused to take bets on professional boxing, but will make an exception for the fight.

- G.M. INQUIRY: Crop and Food research says genetic engineering is crucial to the future of “knowledge agriculture” in New Zealand.

- RIMUTAKA PRISON: Rimutaka prison is to expand. 120 beds will be added before the end of next year.

- CHILD ACCIDENTS: A new study shows that on average two children are killed in New Zealand a week through accidental injury.

- XENA CANNED: Xena: Warrior Princess will be canned at the end of its sixth season, which will wrap up filming next year.

- CELL PHONE RECYCLING: The Australian mobile phone industry is working to recycle old cell phones. Batteries from old phones dumped in landfills leach heavy metals. Some materials can be recycled.

- BEETHOVEN LEAD POISONED: Testing of strands of hair clipped from Ludwig van Beethoven suggest lead poisoning could have been behind his ill health and eventual death.

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