National Radio Midday Report

Pilot Medicals – Trade Surplus – Power Bills – Health Industrial Action – National Caucus – Burton Trial – Simpson Trial – Bus Driver Appeal – Fisheries Quotas – Asylum Seekers – GE Action – Buried Alive – Afghan Detainees

PILOT MEDICALS: Pilots have won their case against the Civil Aviation Authority over medical tests at the High Court. The court found in favour of pilots who claimed the CAA was acting unlawfully over medical certification.

TRADE SURPLUS: New Zealand has had its first annual trade surplus since 1995, but imports are on the rise.

POWER BILLS: Trust Power is increasing its charges for most of its customers in the Far North. There is concern in the community that low-income people in the area won’t be able to pay their power bills.

HEALTH INDUSTRIAL ACTION: The Canterbury District health Board says it has no plans to lock out any of the 1200 mental health, geriatric or dental staff who have begun low level industrial action, including refusing to work overtime or work outside their usual areas.

NATIONAL CAUCUS: National Party President Michelle Boag has told the old guard in the National caucus to move aside and let new blood take over.

BURTON TRIAL: The High Court in Invercargill has been told that Mark Edmond Burton, who is accused of murdering his mother Patricia Burton in March, stabbed her repeatedly with two kitchen knives. Mark Burton is pleading not guilty on grounds of insanity.

SIMPSON TRIAL: The High Court Trial of Auckland doctor Christopher Simpson, who is accused of murdering his elderly and unwell mother Florence Simpson, has begun. Mr Simpson has pleaded not guilty.

BUS DRIVER APPEAL: An appeal is underway in Auckland against the convictions of a former stagecoach bus driver who ran over a student. He was convicted of careless driving causing death and failing to stop after the incident.

FISHERIES QUOTAS: The Ministry of Fisheries plans to rapidly increase the introduction of new species into the quota management system.

ASYLUM SEEKERS: More than 430 mainly Afghani asylum seekers on a stricken Indonesian ship have arrived on Christmas Island, off North Western Australia, after threatening their rescuers.

GE ACTION: Hundreds of activists have destroyed test sites for genetically modified maize in France.

BURIED ALIVE: A medical examiner has found that six Portuguese businessmen murdered in Brazil were buried alive. Police have now arrested six men in connection to the murders.

AFGHAN DETAINEES: Red Cross representatives in Afghanistan are hoping to get letters today from eight foreign detainees, arrested on suspicion of promoting Christianity, to pass on top family members.

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