National Radio Midday Report

Information Selling – Fletcher Energy Sale – Corrin Released – Fiji Government – Prankster Pleads Guilty – Search For Hunter – Infant Run Over – British Train Crash – Seattle Quake – Govt Criticised – Scientist Accuse Govt – Trustee Elections – Clinton Investigated – Mir Splash Down – Fire – Convicted Lawyer – Internet Twins

- INFORMATION SELLING: The Department of Work and Income has confirmed that at least three of its staff are under investigation for allegedly selling client details to debt collectors.

- FLETCHER ENERGY SALE: A hearing involving rival bids to take over Fletcher Energy has begun in the High Court today. The consortium led by Greymouth Petroleum is seeking an injunction to delay a shareholders meeting next Tuesday which could see Fletcher Energy sold to Shell and Apache.

- CORRIN RELEASED: Ministry of Foreign affairs have confirmed that seven oil workers, including New Zealander Dennis Corrin, taken hostage in Ecuador have been released.

- FIJI GOVERNMENT: A Fijian high chief has expressed support for Fiji’s interim Government, which was ruled illegal by the Fiji Court of Appeal yesterday. He has rejected a return to the Mahendra Choudhry government.

- PRANKSTER PLEADS GUILTY: A man has admitted causing the death of a co-worker by setting fire to his costume at a Christmas party. He pleaded guilty to manslaughter.

- SEARCH FOR HUNTER: More than 70 search and rescue personnel are in the Abel Tasman National Park today searching for a hunter who is missing with his dog, the pair surviving on dog biscuits.

- INFANT RUN OVER: An infant has been killed after being run over by a car at the Ashburton Showgrounds today.

- BRITISH TRAIN CRASH: British police have removed the last of the 13 bodies known to be inside the wreckage of yesterday’s train crash, but they can’t be sure of the final death toll.

- SEATTLE QUAKE: Seattle is beginning the cleanup after a strong earthquake there yesterday. There have been aftershocks. Only one death has been linked to the quake, a woman had a heart attack in the aftermath.

- GOVT CRITICISED: A family court judge, Peter Boucher, has criticised the Governments handling of at-risk children.

- SCIENTISTS ACCUSE GOVT: The New Zealand Association of Scientists says a Government plan to take $50m in special dividends from Crown Research Institutes breaches its election promises.

- TRUSTEE ELECTIONS: Nominations have opened for the sixth election of school trustees since they took over the running of Primary and Secondary Schools in 1989.

- CLINTON INVESTIGATED: Bill Clinton’s spate of last minute pardons are under investigation in hearings before the American House of Representatives Government Reform Committee.

- MIR SPLASH DOWN: The Mir space station will splash down in the pacific between March 10 and Mar 15.

- FIRE: An arson investigation has begun after a sports building at Wellington High School and a nearby building were both damaged by fire this morning.

- CONVICTED LAWYER: The Hawke’s Bay law society will discuss the conviction of one of its members on drug charges at its monthly meeting next week. The lawyer could be struck off the roll of barristers, and be unable to practice.

- INTERNET TWINS: The husband of the American couple who are battling for custody of twins sold on the internet has been arrested on allegations of child abuse.

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