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National Radio 8am Bulletin
Tranzrail Death – Winz – Mental Health – Sierra Leone – School Bus Death – Sir Lanka – City Emergency – Family Law – Cancer Inquiry – Spaghetti Junction
TRANZRAIL DEATH: The rail union says its power has been weakened in recent years and wants an independent public inquiry into the recent spate of deaths in Tranzrail’s shunting yards.
WINZ: The State Services Commissioner expects the CEO of WINZ to deal with some of the issues raised in the report of Don Hunn released yesterday.
MENTAL HEALTH: The Mental Health Commission says it will take 10 years to get services up to the level defined in its blueprint. There are not enough clinicians and there is a limit to how fast a new work force can be put in place.
SIERRA LEONE: The UN says it is digging in to defend the city of Freetown. The UN spokesman confirmed that the UN is taking a more robust position. UN relief workers are outside Freetown assessing the situation.
SCHOOL BUS DEATH: Stagecoach and police are investigating an accident in which a 12-year-old boy was killed after his bag got caught in the door of a bus.
SRI LANKA: In Sri Lanka the Tamil Tigers say they are nearly in Jaffna. The Tigers appear to be closing in on the cut off town. Government troops have sworn to fight to the last man.
CITY EMERGENCY: Part of the Wellington CBD has been cordoned off following the burst of a water and gas main.
FAMILY LAW: The government has begun drawing up terms of reference for a review of the law of guardianship in the family court. The government and the Greens last night voted down a Shared Parenting Bill.
CANCER INQUIRY: A woman who found out her mother was dying of cancer last year following two clear smears examined by Dr Bottrill says she nearly overdosed on morphine after the death made her suicidal.
SPAGHETTI JUNCTION: Auckland’s spaghetti
junction has major changes planned for it which could lead
to years of road works and which will cost over $100
million.
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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