National Radio Midday Report

CYF Review – Foot And Mouth – Lundy Denied Bail – Party Hopping – Wheelibin Ride – Fiji Constitutional Case – British Rail Crash – Seattle Earthquake - Road Safety Review – Makara Fire – Mururoa Atoll – Searchers – Drugs Trial

- CYF REVIEW: Child Youth and Family has been given a shake up in a major review of its ability to care for and protect at risk children. The report makes it clear the department is under extreme pressure and is not always able to place clients. It raises concern about the services provided by staff and the high staff turnover. It recommends a blueprint for how clients are cared for and placed. It calls for more funding and a register for children. Social Services Minister Steve Maharey said he wanted to carry out all 57 recommendations, but said it would take time.

- FOOT AND MOUTH: Britain has announced new outbreaks of foot and mouth disease. 26 cases have now been confirmed. Reports of a German outbreak were unfounded. There is a possibility of an outbreak in Northern Ireland. A world-wide ban on British livestock and meat is in place.

- LUNDY DENIED BAIL: Mark Lundy, the man accused of murdering his wife and daughter, was denied bail when he appeared in Palerston North District Court this morning. He is due to appear again on May 8.

- PARTY HOPPING: The Government is defending legislation designed to stop MPs party hopping, in the face of a potential revolt from within Labour ranks.

- WHEELIBIN RIDE: A 19-year-old Dunedin woman was killed this morning, and a 19-year-old man is in hospital with serious head injuries, after riding a wheelibin down Baldwin St – the world’s steepest street.

- FIJI CONSTITUTIONAL CASE: Fiji’s interim administration says it will hold a cabinet meeting this afternoon to discuss the ruling due this afternoon’s court of appeal decision on the legality of the current administration.

- BRITISH RAIL CRASH: Investigations into a freak British rail crash in which 13 people were killed has focused on how a car carrying a trailer slid from the motorway onto a railway and into the path of a Newcastle to London passenger train.

- SEATTLE EARTHQUAKE: An earthquake nearing 6.8 on the Richter scale has rocked the Seattle area in the United States. No one was killed, but there were injuries and damage to windows and older buildings.

- ROAD SAFETY CONFERENCE: A two-day driver education conference in Wellington organised by the AA, bringing together safety experts and councils, has called for compulsory road safety education in schools.

- MAKARA FIRE: Fire fighters are still trying to control the forest fire near Makara in Wellington. Winds forecast for this afternoon are causing concern. Meanwhile, the Met service has forecast as much as 25 mm of rain for the dry areas of Wellington and Marlborough.

- MURUROA ATOLL: The Government trying to get further information from France following reports that say the rock of Mururoa Atoll, where France tested nuclear bombs, has become fragile and is deteriorating.

- SEARCHERS: An Airforce helicopter is carrying searchers into remote bush in the Nelson area to try to find an injured man who has been surviving on dog biscuits for two days.

- DRUGS TRIAL: The jury in a trial of a Napier lawyer on drug charges has retired to consider its verdict.

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