National Radio Midday Report

Papua New Guinea – Rail Sale – Christine Rankin – NZ Post Board – Probation Officers – Waterfront Dispute – Macedonian Riots – Wahid – Ship Of Liberians – AIDS Conference – Immigration Report – Missing Man – Bird Centre

PAPUA NEW GUINEA: The situation remains tense in Papua New Guinea’s capital Port Moresby, after student protests where four people died and businesses were looted. The capital is quiet, with public transport not running.

RAIL SALE: Meetings have begun in an effort to save passenger rail routes if the sale of Tranz Rail’s long distance passenger services to Australia’s West Coast Rail goes ahead.

CHRISTINE RANKIN: The Employment Court has been hearing about tensions and problems surrounding last year’s ministerial review of the Department of Work and Income, at the hearing of Christine Rankin’s $818,000 grievance claim against the State Services Commissioner.

NZ POST BOARD: State Owned Enterprises Minister Mark Burton has threatened to sack any NZ Post director proved to have leaked information about board rows.

PROBATION OFFICERS: The Auckland District Law Society has passed a motion in support of striking probation officers, saying the courts can’t function without them.

WATERFRONT DISPUTE: The Ports of Auckland Company has asked the Employment Court to rule that two strike notices issued by the Waterfront Workers Union during employment mediation are illegal under the good faith provisions of the Employment Relations Act.

MACEDONIAN RIOTS: Western Governments are backing the Macedonian President in his efforts to try to restore calm after riots in the capital.

WAHID: Indonesian President Wahid says his nation can achieve the political stability vital to its continued survival.

SHIP OF LIBERIANS: A ship carrying about 160 exhausted Liberians has disembarked its passengers in Nigeria after being stranded at sea for more than three weeks.

AIDS CONFERENCE: On the second day of the AIDS conference in New York, an appeal has gone out for more help from multinationals in fighting the disease.

IMMIGRATION REPORT: The lawyer for the Samoan cousins, who narrowly avoided deportation after being removed from their home in Hamilton, says yesterday’s report on the incident is inadequate.

MISSING MAN: Fears are mounting for the safety of a 26-year-old autistic man who disappeared from a Dunedin hospital wearing only red underpants.

BIRD CENTRE: There has been more good news for Whangarei’s cash-strapped Bird Recovery Center, pharmaceutical Bayer NZ has agreed to pay its running costs for three years.

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