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National Radio Midday Bulletin
Fiji Coup: Crisis – Don McKinnon – Ordinary Life Suspended – WestpacTrust Interest Rates – Raurimu Massacre Decision – Infectious Diseases – Super Bugs – UN In Lebanon – Election Inquiry – Anti-Abortionist Jailed – Universities – Transmission Gully
FIJI COUP - CRISIS: The chairman of the Great Council of Chiefs Sitiveni Rambuka says there is a strong chance that the crisis will be resolved in the next 24 hours. A reporter outside the meeting area says there is no news yet. People on the street regard this as D-Day. The issue being considered is the future of the PM Mahendra Chaudrhy. Over night there was a restless night at the Parliamentary compound. Mr Speight has responded to Mr Rambuka calling him a traitor. In this morning there were stories that he was in a dark mood. The NZ High Commission has been making inquiries about NZ journalists still in the compund.
FIJI COUP – DON MCKINNON: Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinnon and a UN Envoy from East Timor have arrived in Suva to talk and listen. McKinnon has called for the release of the hostages.
FJI COUP – ORDINARY LIFE SUSPENDED: Thousands are not going to work for fear. This morning a Chicken processing plant was burned down outside Suva. Shops are running out of goods. Transport is minimal. The economy is reeling. The sugar harvest has not begun as expected. Tourism is expected to take a nosedive.
WESTPACTRUST INTEREST RATES: WestpacTrust has raised its floating mortgage rate by 0.7% to 8.8% following the ANZ bank. The increase is blamed on Reserve Bank official interest rate rises.
RAURIMU MASSACRE DECISION: Capital Coast Health is relieved that a law suit by the families of the victims of the Raurimu massacre against the health service provider has been struck out in the High Court. The families claimed that Capital Coast Health was liable for not providing sufficient care to mental health patient Stephen Anderson.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES: The Ministry of Health is urging people to get themselves immunised to deal with very high levels of infectious diseases.
SUPER BUGS: Capital Coast Health says some staff are not wearing gloves all the time as is needed in a bid to control the spread of the superbug MRSA.
UN IN LEBANON: The UN Secretary General wants to increase the number of peacekeepers increased in Southern Lebanon to 8000 but wants commitments from Israel to disband the SLA.
ELECTION INQUIRY: The Labour Party is raising concerns over the funding of political parties before a select committee considering the last election. Labour says that while it received anonymous donations too National laundered its.
ANTI ABORTIONIST JAILED: Anti-abortionist Graham Richard White has been sentenced to 2.5 years jail after tunnelling into a hospital and placing fire starting devices.
UNIVERSITIES: UNITEC says it is disappointed at a government decision to temporarily limit the number of universities in NZ.
TRANSMISSION GULLY: A meeting is
underway in Wellington to consider the Transmission Gully
motorway.
Alastair Thompson
Scoop Publisher
Alastair Thompson is the co-founder of Scoop. He is of Scottish and Irish extraction and from Wellington, New Zealand. Alastair has 24 years experience in the media, at the Dominion, National Business Review, North & South magazine, Straight Furrow newspaper and online since 1997. He is the winner of several journalism awards for business and investigative work.
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