National Radio Midday Report

President Wahid – Kyoto Protocol – Corrections Staff – Honduras Ordeal – Arms Talks – G8 Protests – Waiting Times – Economy Class Syndrome – Secondary Teachers – Dunedin Court – Collapse – Indian Floods

PRESIDENT WAHID: Indonesian President Wahid faces possible impeachment. Parliament is set to meet today to sack the president. The President’s latest move is to declare an emergency decree freezing parliament and setting elections for a years time. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark says the big question is whether Wahid has the authority to make sure his emergency decree is upheld.

KYOTO PROTOCOL: Energy Minister Pete Hodgson has pledged NZ support for an agreement enforcing the Kyoto Protocol, currently under negotiation in Bonn, Germany.

CORRECTIONS STAFF: Prisoner support group the Howard League For Penal Reform is coming out in support of the Corrections Association in its claim for better pay for prison officers.

HONDURAS ORDEAL: The parents of a NZ woman shot and sexually assaulted by robbers in Honduras are today flying to the resort island in the Caribbean where their daughter is recovering to support her. The woman’s Israeli boyfriend was shot dead.

ARMS TALKS: US/Russian arms talks have taken a surprise leap forward, with the Presidents agreeing to link missile defence systems to nuclear arms cuts in a bid to strike a new strategic defence pact.

G8 PROTESTS: The Italian city of Genoa is slowly returning to normal after three days of violence between G8 protesters and police. The latest round of protests completely overshadowed the meetings and questions are being asked about whether future G8 meetings will be held, or if their format should be changed.

WAITING TIMES: New Ministry of Health figures show the amount of patients forced to wait up to 6 weeks for radiation cancer treatment has fallen in the past month.

ECONOMY CLASS SYNDROME: Green Lane Hospital in Auckland is seeking 1000 volunteers for research into ‘economy class syndrome’.

SECONDARY TEACHERS: The secondary teachers union and the Government will meet with a mediator in two weeks in an attempt to break the deadlock in pay negotiations.

DUNEDIN COURT: The Otago District Law Society says a major upgrade of the Dunedin Court House should see people get through the court system quicker.

COLLAPSE: Police are investigating whether drugs were a factor in the death of a young Auckland man who collapsed in the street after attending a private party on the weekend.

INDIAN FLOODS: More monsoon rains are predicted for the Orissa province in India, where flooding has caused death and left millions homeless.

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