National Radio Midday Bulletin

SOUTH AUCKLAND KIDS: A report into health of South Auckland kids shows major health and nutritional problems in young people in the area. Immunisation rates are low and 1/3 of all kids seen by Middlemore children are iron deficient.

SMACKING: The Minister of Justice says the government will not change the law that allows parents to hit their children, despite claims that it breaches the UN Convention on the Rights Of The Child.

IRD: IRD says they are studying the implications of the Winebox finding last week. Winston Peters says the department should take immediate steps to collect the $2 million involved in the Magnum transactions but IRD say they need to examine the finding more fully.

WATSON: A former girlfriend says how Watson and her sister showed up in Whangarei unannounced on February 8. They stayed two nights and on Feb 13 he returned until March. He told her he thought the missing couple were on a boat which had sunk in Cook Straight.

QUAKE: The cleanup is under way in Turkey and the death toll is 12,000. The rescue teams are beginning to leave and it is considered extremely unlikely to find more survivors. Disinfectant is being spread and shelter being constructed.

STORM: Hurricane Brett is beginning to lash Texas with winds of 160km/h peaking at 225km/h. It is however missing populated areas.

ECO: A coalition of recreation and environmental groups has released a wish list of environmental goals they hope will be adopted before the election. The 14 point list includes stopping native logging, a carbon tax and a five year moratorium on genetically engineered foods.

MANUKAU: The mayor of Manukau says he is disappointed a group of residents has walked out of a committee set up to examine asbestos debris in the Flat Bush area. They group say nothing proactive has been done to remove the asbestos from up to 1500 sites and they are sick of the inaction.

LEILANI FAREWELLED: Leilani Read is being farewelled today at a funeral in Wellington. More than 500 mourners have turned up at St Pauls and people are standing outside the church to hear the service.

CRICKET: England is now the worst test cricket nation in the world, having just displaced New Zealand following an 83 run defeat at the hands of the Black Caps.

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