National Radio Midday Report

Human Cloning – Heart Study – Northern Ireland – Tertiary Funding – Peter Sinclair – Killing Fields – Lundy Murders – Prison Officers – Recycling Inundation – Retail Sales

HUMAN CLONING: The cloning of humans could start soon. A team of scientists has announced a controversial plan to clone humans in the next few months, meaning the first cloned babies could be born as soon as next year. Severino Antinori, the Italian embryologist heading the project defended his plan at a conference on cloning in Washington.

HEART STUDY: A study of 9000 Australasian heart patients has shown New Zealanders are more at risk of dying of heart disease than Australians.

NORTHERN IRELAND: The latest attempt to rescue the Northern Ireland peace process appears to have ended in failure. The leader of the Ulster Unionists has rejected as inadequate the latest offer from the IRA to put its weapons permanently beyond use.

TERTIARY FUNDING: The apparent agreement between the Government and tertiary institutions to increase funding provided student fees are frozen has been welcomed by students.

PETER SINCLAIR: Veteran broadcaster Peter Sinclair has died in Auckland. He was recently diagnosed with an acute form of leukaemia and he died this morning.

KILLING FIELDS: Cambodia has approved controversial legislation allowing the creation of a court to try leaders of the Khmer Rouge for their 1970s killing fields reign of terror.

LUNDY MURDERS: Palmerston North man Mark Lundy will stand trial early next year for the murder of his wife Christine and daughter amber.

PRISON OFFICERS: The Employment Court has started hearing the case for an injunction against prison officers who are taking industrial action in support of a pay claim.

RECYCLING INUNDATION: The company contracted by the Christchurch City Council to recycle household waste says they have been inundated with paper products, forcing them to dump paper at a landfill.

RETAIL SALES: Retail sales increased 1.2 percent in June this year compared with May.

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