National Radio Midday Report

Lundy Murders – Murder Sentences – Enza – Dairy Growth – Australian Manhunt – Britomart Funding – Native Trees – Telco Submissions – US Economy – Jail Term – Baby Assault – Old Driver

LUNDY MURDERS: The Palmerston North District court has heard the last day of evidence in the preliminary hearing of Mark Lundy, who is accused of bludgeoning to death his wife Christine and daughter Amber. The court heard about extensive forensic testing in the Lundy home.

MURDER SENTENCES: The Law Commission is recommending a change in the sentencing for murder, which would give judges the discretion to give a lower sentence than life in special circumstances. Justice Minister Phil Goff is backing the recommendation, and says it is in line with the bill he intends to introduce to Parliament next month.

ENZA: The Hawkes Bay Apple Growers chairman says an investigation into the foreign exchange dealings of Enza is a win for them and says the findings say Enza can’t force growers to pay the bill for its $54 foreign exchange debt.

DAIRY GROWTH: A new Ministry of Agriculture survey shows the average dairy farm’s profit more than doubled last year.

AUSTRALIAN MANHUNT: Northern Territory police say continued public help is vital if they are to catch the man accused of shooting a British tourist and abducting the tourist’s girlfriend, Joanne Lees, who escaped.

BRITOMART FUNDING: The Auckland regional funding body, Infrastructure Auckland, says it was always going to fund just part of the Britomart downtown transport project.

NATIVE TREES: The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment wants farmers and forest owners to plant more native trees. Farmers say they are already doing that, but say the fear of action by environmentalists trying to stop them milling indigenous trees is scaring them off.

TELCO SUBMISSIONS: The major telecommunication companies are making submissions to the Commerce Select Committee in Auckland on proposed legislation to reform the industry.

US ECONOMY: The Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank, Alan Greenspan, says the future for the American economy is not clear; that the slowdown in the economy has not ended; and that a further cut in interest rates may be needed.

JAIL TERM: The Crown has asked the Court of Appeal for a declaration that it applied at the right time to keep a serious repeat sex offender in jail longer than usual, because of the belief he would re-offend.

BABY ASSAULT: A mother charged with assaulting her baby is undergoing psychiatric treatment until she is fit to appear in court. She was due to appear at the Auckland District Court today.

OLD DRIVER: A Timaru man has passed his drivers license test two days before his 100th birthday, the oldest man in this country to do so.

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