HEADLINES & NEWS
Detectives involved in the international investigation into a major heroin trafficking syndicate in the South Pacific, say one of the key figures arrested in Fiji has been in and out of New Zealand several times. The 49 year old Suva restaurater is described by police as a principle figure in the drug ring, which police swooped on over the weekend seizing about 350 kilograms of heroin destined for the Australia and US markets. The huge stockpile is worth more than a hundred million dollars. The co-ordinator of the National Drug Intelligence Bureau Detective Inspector Cam Ronald says police are investigating who the man made contact with when he was here, and why. PREREC
Pacific Islands leaders have put off making a decision on the potentially divisive issure of whether Fiji will host next year's South PAcific Forum. The Kiribati forum's final communique leaves the decision on Fiji to the Kiribati president to consult and decide, in two months time.
However, the Prime Minister, Helen Clark, says she won't attend next year's forum unless another country is the venue. She says the present political situation in Fiji is inconsistent with the Biketawa Agreement, which commits members to democratic processes, I asked her what she intends doing to ensure Fiji isnt next year's forum venue. PREREC
A just-released Ministry of Health report reveals that almost half a million people are supplied with sub-standard drinking water. The annual review of the Microbiological Quality of Drinking says about 478-thousand people are supplied with water which does not meet the national drinking water standard. But the review says that almost 2 point 65 million New Zealanders were supplied with water that meets the national standard - an improvement of more than one percent of the previous year. The Ministry of Health spokesperson Bob Boyd joins us now. LIVE
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Controversial clauses dealing with same sex and de facto couples will remain in the new Property Relationships legislation. The Justice and Electoral committee is recommending retaining those clauses - at the same time it is recommending reinstating the words 'marriage', 'husband', and 'wife' into the wording of the bill. Here's our political reporter Kathryn Ryan. PKGE
Transrail has thrown its weight behind a study on whether it's worth keeping the Napier to Gisborne railway line open, even though a few weeks ago it identified the route as not being commercially viable. Today local and central government leaders from Hawke's Bay and Gisborne met to discuss the line's future - Heugh Chappell reports. PKGE
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Government to have a book about his Gulf War experiences published has told the High Court he signed a confidentiality contract under duress. The British Ministry of Defence is trying to stop Mike Coburn from publishing his book, "Soldier Five", which includes material about the British SAS role in the Gulf War in 1991. Our reporter Barbara Dreaver was at the High Court in Auckland - she joins me now. LIVE
British researchers claim to have made a major breakthrough in the fight against rheumatoid arthritis, which occurs when the body's defences mistakenly attack healthy joints and tissue. A research team from University College in London has identified drugs that can improve the debilitating condition with a single treatment. But as Sarah Gregory reports, it may be years before it's known if the research will bring any relief for sufferers in New Zealand. PKGE
The Royal Commission on Genetic Modification has been called on to relax the rules on the use of genetically modified organisms because they are too strict and make applications too expensive. The call's come from Auckland UniServices, which is a subsidiary of Auckland University doing commercial contracts using the university's staff and facilities. Professor Peter Gluckman, the former [illegible] of the University's medical school, says most GE experiments use modified organisms that pose little risk and should not need to go through lengthy approval procedures. We're joined now by our science reporter, Veronika Meduna. LIVE
The battle over the right to take water from what was once one of New Zealand's best trout rivers comes to a head this week. Genesis Power wants permission to continue to divert water from the Tongoriro River into its Tokaanu power station on the southern shore of Lake Taupo. But some anglers, the Department of Conservation, and local iwi want the Waikato Regional Council to reduce the amount of water the company can take from the river. Our Environment Reporter Bryan Crump compiled this piece. PKGE
New Zealand's billion-dollar mining and minerals industry is being urged to rescue its public image and defend itself from criticism from the environmental movement. A major mining and minerals conference in Wellington has heard that the industry has the potential to double its returns in the next ten years. But speakers say achieving that will be much easier if the public understands what [illegible] is doing to clean up its act - our Economics Correspondent, Stephen [illegible], reports. PKGE
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