National Radio Midday Report

Cervical Smears – Enza – Christine Rankin – Leased Executives – Scott Buried – Retail Sales – Jamaican Shoot-out – Gun Trafficking – Homeless Aucklanders – Invincibles Jersey – Huntley Upgrade – Allocated Seats – Purple Prose

CERVICAL SMEARS: The Minister of Health Annette King has this morning sought assurance from health officials that they are looking further into the case of a Northland woman who has had five smears misread by the Northland Pathology laboratory.

ENZA: National has offered to support legislation to ensure pip-fruit growers are not forced to pay for foreign exchange losses incurred by Enza.

CHRISTINE RANKIN: Chief Employment court Judge Tom Goddard has reserved his decision in the $818,000 Christine Rankin grievance case. It is not known how long it will take before he makes his decision, but the judge says he understands both sides want a quick decision.

LEASED EXECUTIVES: A survey ordered by State Services Minister Trevor Mallard has shown there are 97 leased executives working for Government departments, and nearly half of those work for the Department of Work and Income.

SCOTT BURIED: Fiji Red Cross Director John Scott, who was murdered with his New Zealand partner Gregory Scrivener, has been laid to rest in Fiji.

RETAIL SALES: Retail sales increased by 0.4 percent in May, Statistics New Zealand figures show.

JAMAICAN SHOOT-OUT: The Jamaican Prime Minister has called out the army to restore order in the capital after 20 people were killed in a gun battle between security forces and residents in a poor Kingston neighbourhood.

GUN TRAFFICKING: A United Nations conference in New York on gun control is focusing on the illegal traffic in small arms.

HOMELESS AUCKLANDERS: The Auckland City Mission says it is seeing a huge increase in homeless people this winter because of a lack of affordable housing.

INVINCIBLES JERSEY: The row over whether clothing company Canterbury is breaking copyright with the production and sale of rugby jerseys based on the 1924 Invincibles jersey has moved to the High Court today.

HUNTLEY UPGRADE: State Owned power company Genesis Power says its plan to upgrade the Huntley Power station won’t have any adverse environmental effects.

ALLOCATED SEATS: The Village 4 cinema chain is running a trial on allocating cinema seating after letting moviegoers find their own seats for 10 years.

PURPLE PROSE: A Canadian legal secretary who penned a tribute to Pomeranian dogs running rampant in Liechtenstein has taken out the prize for worst prose this year.

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