National Radio Midday Report

China Crisis – Oncology Crisis – Cervical Screening Report – Expensive Logs – Grass Skirt Death – Bus Death – Educated Mums – Maori Arts Clash – Jennings Guilty Of Defamation – Retirement Savings – Easter Trading – Manurewa Prisons – Scalding – Kursk Nuclear Armed – Foot And Mouth

- CHINA CRISIS: America has expressed regret but not the apology the Chinese demanded over the collision between a US spy lane and a Chinese fighter that killed the Chinese pilot and forced the US plane to land on Chinese soil. The Chinese has accused the US of arrogance over its refusal to apologise, and won’t relinquish the plane or its crew.

- ONCOLOGY CRISIS: Auckland Hospital’s oncology department has been forced to close down one of its radiation machines because of a lack of oncology specialists.

- CERVICAL SCREENING REPORT: Report of the cervical cancer screening inquiry is now with the Health Minister. The report will be released midday on Tuesday, a year to day since hearings began.

- EXPENSIVE LOGS: The Timber Federation says major New Zealand log suppliers are demanding far too much for their logs.

- GRASS SKIRT DEATH: The High Court in Auckland has heard that the setting on fire of Gareth McFadyn’s grass skirt at the Merryl Lynch office party last year causing his death appears to have been a prank. Matthew Schofield has admitted causing the death of Mr McFadyn by setting his grass skirt on fire.

- BUS DEATH: The trial of an Auckland Bus Driver facing charges relating to the death of a 12-year-old boy trapped in the door of his bus has been told a device to detect objects trapped in the rear door had been switched off.

- EDUCATED MUMS: New research shows that a well-educated mother has more influence of a child’s achievement on school than income.

- MAORI ARTS CLASH: A clash has erupted over the appointment of a non-Maori woman to head the Aotearoa Traditional Maori Performing Arts Society.

- JENNINGS GUILTY OF DEFAMATION: The High Court ruled that ACT MP Owen Jennings defamed Roger Buchanan, a senior executive of the Wool Board, over comments relating the Board’s sponsorship of a Barbarians rugby tour of Britain.

- RETIREMENT SAVINGS: Finance Minister Michael Cullen has revealed more detail about how tax relief can be used to encourage retirement savings without damaging Government revenue.

- EASTER TRADING: Garden centres and unions have been arguing for and against a law change allowing garden centres to open over Easter in the Commerce Select Committee. The legislation has to be rushed through all its stages this afternoon to be in place by this Easter.

- MAUREWA PRISONS: Corrections Minister Matt Robson has assured residents in South Auckland suburb Manurewa that two new prisons in the area will not pose a danger to residents.

- SCALDING: A person badly burned by hot water has been taken to hospital from Mt Eden Prison.

- KURSK NUCLEAR ARMED: A Norwegian TV station says the Russian submarine Kursk was carrying nuclear weapons when it sank.

- FOOT AND MOUTH: UK foot and mouth cases has passed 1000, but authorities are optimistic the slaughter method is working and healthy stock will not need to vaccinated.

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