Phillida Bunkle – China/US Tension – Queenstown Police Wife Murder – Milosevic – Health Workforce - Child Abuse – Shooting Accident – Dry March – Mt Eden Prison – Literary Win

PHILLIDA BUNKLE: The Deputy PM Jim Anderton is sure that the PM will accept his decision if he recommends Phillida Bunkle be reappointed to cabinet. Anderton says he has consulted the PM and expects her to take his recommendation.

CHINA US TENSION: Tension is mounting between the US and China after a US plane collided with a Chinese fighter, apparently over Chinese airspace. The Chinese plane appears to be lost. China is blaming the US for the mid-air collision. The 23 strong US air crew are in Chinese custody.

QUEENSTOWN POLICE WIFE MURDER: Police are gathering evidence at the house of a Queenstown police officer where the wife of a police officer was killed on Saturday morning. An intruder is in custody.

MILOSEVIC: Former Yugoslavian President Slobodan Milosevic has told an investigating judge that he is not guilty of charges of abuse of power. Milosevic has given himself up to authorities following negotiations.

HEALTH WORKFORCE: The Government has named a new committee that will help it solve workforce shortages in the health sector. The new chairman of the committee is Christchurch Medical School dean Professor Hornblow.

CHILD ABUSE: Statistics show that only a small percentage of criminal prosecutions against adults relating to child abuse relate to physical abuse. The vast majority relate to sexual abuse. The findings are thought to reflect provisions allowing “reasonable” physical punishment of children.

SHOOTING ACCIDENT: A police party is being flown into the ranges near Taupo to investigate a shooting accident.

DRY MARCH: This March was one of the dryest on record according to NIWA figures. Wellington’s March was the dryest ever and some parts of the South Island received no rain at all.

MT EDEN PRISON: A campaign has been formed to save Mt Eden Prison as a historical relic once the notorious prison has been closed.

LITERARY WIN: Author Elizabeth Knox says she is delighted to win a rich Australasian literary prize for her novel The Vintner’s Luck.

© 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.

CONTACT ALASTAIR THOMPSON

• Mobile - 021707044
• Twitter - @althecat
• Google+

• Linkedin
• Facebook
• Email - alastair@scoop.co.nz