National Radio Midday Report

Auckland Traffic Delays - Transmission Gully - E-Government - US/China Tension – Vietnam Blunder – Napier Murder - Dash-8 – Home Detention Escape – Gulf Rescue – Organic Certification – Super Fund – Middle East Deaths – Body Found – Donations Scam – Human Genome – DNA Database

- AUCKLAND TRAFFIC DELAYS: Auckland commuters will face further delays on the roads as cable laying work isn’t up to City Council standards and has to be re-done at the expense of telecommunications companies.

- TRANSMISSION GULLY: The Wellington coroner has given a boost to the campaign for the Transmission Gully highway after investigating serious and fatal crashes on the stretch of SH1 near Paekakariki.

- E-GOVERNMENT: The Government says voting on the Internet could be in place by the 2005 general election. The Government has just launched a strategy that State Services Minister Trevor Mallard says will make the Government’s website a one stop shop for Government services.

- US/CHINA TENSION: The Australian PM John Howard has urged calm and restraint from Taiwan, China and the US over escalating tension over the George W. Bush statement saying the US would defend Taiwan from a Chinese attack and the US sale of arms to Taiwan.

- VIETNAM BLUNDER: Former US senator Bob Carey, seen as a contender for the Presidency, has admitted that a Vietnam War mission he led caused the death of 20 unarmed civilians.

- NAPIER MURDER: Three Napier men being held in custody since a Friday night assault have now been charged with murder.

- DASH-8: A Palmerston North police officer outlining in court some of the difficulties police have encountered with the aviation industry in the lead up to the trial of Gary Sutheran, who is charged with manslaughter and injuring after the Ansett Dash-8 plane he was piloting six years ago crashed, killing four people.

- HOME DETENTION ESCAPE: Police believe a man who walked away from home detention in Auckland may have left the country.

- GULF RESCUE: Two people have been plucked from sinking boat in the Hauraki Gulf.

- ORGANIC CERTIFICATION: A select committee report into organic food produce is recommending a national minimum standard for organic food certification.

- SUPER FUND: A large international funds managing company wants the Government to spell out ethical and socially responsible investment strategies for its proposed superannuation fund.

- MIDDLE EAST DEATHS: Responsibility for latest casualties in the Middle east is not clear. Four Palestinian Fatta movement fighters died in an explosion where the Gaza Strip meets the Egyptian border.

- BODY FOUND: A 27 year old Auckland man has now been charged with murder following the discovery of a body outside a Waikato tavern.

- DONATION SCAM: Aucklanders are being warned about a scam where people are soliciting donations pretending to be with the fire service.

- HUMAN GENOME: There have been renewed calls for the human genome to be from commercial exploitation by changing patent law to make the genome the so the common inheritance of mankind.

- DNA DATABASE: A Queensland MP wants all Australians to be DNA tested at birth for a DNA database to aid crime fighting.

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