Vet Strike – Auckland Police Radios – Rob Waddell – Mark Middleton – Submarine Crash – Hepatitis B Screening – Text Rescue – Crooked Cricket

VET STRIKE: At least one meat works is still operating in spite of a strike by MAF vets. The Finnigan plant near Balclutha is still open. Most of the 120 vets went on strike at midnight. The union says a new offer will be put to vets today. A spokesman says he does not hold out much hope of the offer being accepted. The Minister of Agriculture is unhappy that the strike has gone ahead today. The offer has to be accepted by 5pm tonight.

AUCKLAND POLICE RADIOS: A scheme to bring digital technology to the Auckland police has collapsed. Police say the system failed to reach specifications. The problem was that it could not provide instant communication. Tait Electronics is blaming an overseas contractor for the failure.

ROB WADDELL: Rob Waddell says he is as proud of winning the Halberg award for three times in a row as he was when he won his gold medal at the Olympics. Team NZ was team of the year.

MARK MIDDLETON: Rallies outside courts in around the country for Mark Middleton’s sentencing today are being called mob justice by a Q.C.

SUBMARINE CRASH: Japan has formally protested to the US following revelations that a civilian was at the controls of the Nuclear submarine when it crashed into a Japanese fishing boat killing nine.

HEPATITIS B SCREENING: Auckland and Northland doctors are hoping to test hundreds of people for Hepatitis B. Around 100 GPs will offer free blood tests for the condition.

TEXT RESCUE: A mobile phone text message for help from a boat off the coast of Indonesia successfully summonsed help.

CROOKED CRICKET: An anti-corruption cricket official in NZ for a visit says he thinks his work is cleaning up the game.

© Scoop Media

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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