National Radio Midday Report

Hamilton Casino – David Doherty – David Bain – Ferry Delays – Apple Exports – Middle East Peace Talks – Falling Petrol Prices – Diving Accident – Nursing Course – Privy Council – College Elects – Seed Screening – Mall Development – Absent – President Target

- HAMILTON CASINO: Hamilton looks set to get a casino. The court of appeal has given its approval for the Hamilton Riverside Casino to go ahead, overturning an earlier High Court ruling which quashed a casino licence granted by the Casino Control Authority in October 1999.

- DAVID DOHERTY: David Doherty says the stress of being accused, sentenced, and serving three years in jail for the rape of an 11 year old girl he didn’t commit has seriously damaged his mental health. The Government has announced that he will receive compensation, but has not yet decided how much he should get.

- DAVID BAIN: David Bain, convicted of murdering his family, will learn the outcome of his petition seeking a pardon from the Governor General this afternoon. His case has gone before the court of appeal and the Privy council and been rejected by both. He is serving a life sentence for the murders.

- FERRY DELAYS: Truck drivers are growing increasingly frustrated at delays getting across the Cook Strait due to engine trouble taking the Aratere ferry out of service.

- APPLE EXPORTS: ENZA has decided it will not appeal against the lifting of its high court injunction against independent exports of apples. ENZA obtained a temporary injunction two weeks ago, complaining of the amount of independent exports. But the resulting freeze brought complaints that it could jeopardize such exports.

- MIDDLE EAST PEACE TALKS: Lebanon and Egypt have both warned Palestinian negotiators against making concessions to Israel in renewed peace talks in Washington.

- FALLING PETROL PRICES: Falling fuel prices are not likely to reduce costs for consumers generally.

- DIVING ACCIDENT: The company and an instructor involved in a diving accident that killed three people in the Marlborough Sounds in March have appeared in Court.

- NURSING COURSE: Government is being asked to step into a row over a Massey University decision to introduce an undergraduate Nursing Course on it’s Palmerston North Campus. The Manawatu UCOL Polytechnic already offers a similar programme in the region and has done for 20 years and says the city can’t sustain another course.

- PRIVY COUNCIL: The Law Society says it is time to move on from the Privy Council as our final court of appeal, and move to a two tiered appeal system within New Zealand’s court of appeal.

- COLLEGE ELECTS: The United States Electoral College has voted for George W. Bush to become the 43rd President of the United States.

- SEED SCREENING: The Government has introduced a new testing regime for seed imports to screen for genetically modified seeds.

- MALL DEVELOPMENT: The Manukau City Council is planning to sell three streets and a carpark to the development company, Westfield, to build a new mall.

- ABSENT: Woman at centre of the collapsed Auckland Regional Friendly Staff Society, Shelley Donald, did not turn up for sentencing in court today, so an arrest warrant has been issued.

- PRESIDENT TARGET: Elite guards in South Africa have reportedly been asked to do their target practice on cutouts of the president Mbeke and his cabinet colleagues. South Africa’s defence minister has vowed to investigate the claims made in a weekend paper.

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