Ambulance Assault – Aerial Death And Escape – Wellington Murder – Body Identified – Virgin Blue – Lord Of The Rings – Nuclear Guinea Pigs – POW Compensation – Australian Women Soliders – Graham Parry Appeal – FBI McVeigh Bungle

AMBULANCE ASSAULT: Auckland Police may lay manslaughter charges against a man who assaulted several ambulance officers as they attempted to resuscitate his father. The man appeared in court today. A police officer and ambulance were also attacked during the incident. The man has been charged with assault, resisting arrest and wilful damage. Police say they are investigating whether the man is also responsible for the death of his father by preventing resuscitation efforts.

AERIAL DEATH AND ESCAPE: There has been one fatality and one lucky escape in two separate aerial dramas today. A parachutist found himself stuck in high voltage power lines. It was the paraponter’s 13th jump. In another incident a glider crashed killing the pilot.

WELLINGTON MURDER: Police have found the body of Helen Francis Whitcliffe. Her body was found below the summit of the Rimutakas. An unemployed 26-year-old, Daniel McLean, has been charged with murder and a woman has been charged with committing an indecency on the body.

BODY IDENTIFIED: Police have confirmed a body found in Wellington Harbour is that of Terry McDonald. No foul play is suspected.

VIRGIN BLUE: Virgin Blue has applied to operate on Trans-Tasman and NZ domestic routes. Meanwhile the Government is expecting to hear shortly from Air New Zealand about its need for a capital contribution.

LORD OF THE RINGS: Following the Cannes screening of LOTR footage, tourism and trade officials think there will be an enormous spin off for NZ tourism. Tourism booms in Australia and Scotland are attributed to the films Crocodile Dundee and Braveheart. A map of NZ filming sites has been released.

NUCLEAR GUINEA PIGS: TV3 has obtained a copy of a document relating to the testing of Nuclear weapons on NZ veterans after the Second World War. The documents from the Australian National Archive names five Kiwi officers involved in the tests. The army have not yet contacted the officers. The Defence Minister says he is concerned to find whether the officers consented.

POW COMPENSATION: Former WWII POWs have received $30,000 compensation cheques from the Government for their wartime suffering. 125 eligible veterans have not yet applied for their cheques.

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN SOLDIERS: A plan to put women in the front line of Australian armed combat is catching flak from Australian war veterans. Rules in the infantry and armoured sections of the Australian army say that women are not allowed. Combat is not nice say veterans. The Australian Treasurer thinks that women should be able to work in combat.

GRAHAM PARRY: Disgraced gynaecologist Graham Parry has appealed in the Auckland District Court against being struck of the Medical Register. Parry was found guilty of disgraceful conduct over his failure to diagnose cancer in Colleen Poutsma, who has since died.

MCVEIGH BUNGLE: The FBI’s bungle over the Oklahoma Bombing case, where they withheld 3000 documents from the defence, has led confessed bomber Timothy McVeigh to reconsider his decision not to appeal his death sentence. The FBI has left some congressional leaders questioning the agencies competency. Justice officials say the bottom line is that McVeigh is guilty.

© Scoop Media

Alastair Thompson

Scoop Publisher

Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.

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