MORE CERVICAL CANCER CASES REVEALED
The number of Gisborne women who have developed cervical cancer has risen. Just a few weeks ago, the Gisborne cervical cancer screening inquiry was told that 39 people had developed cervical cancer since 1990 - today, the inquiry was informed that 61 cases have now been notified to the cancer registry. Health correspondent Rae Lamb is at the inquiry - she explains the significance of the latest information. LIVE
HEALTH SYSTEM RESTRUCTURE BEGINS
The government's begun restructuring the health system, prompting praise from health workers and lobby groups, but criticism from the previous National Party administration. The health minister, Annette King, has tabled the Public Health and Disability Bill, which restructures the health system into 21 locally elected district boards which can plan and manage local health services. Doctors and nurses are welcoming the new legislation, saying it marks the end of an ill-fated attempt to run public hospitals as commercial enterprises. Veronika Meduna compiled this report. PKG
A former health minister in the National Government, the party's deputy leader Wyatt Creech, is sceptical of the changes. AUDIO
The new district health boards will have eleven members - seven elected at local body election time, up to four more will be appointed by the Health Minister who can not only sack an entire board but also dismiss individuals. Joining us now is the health minister Annette King.
BUSINESS NEWS with GILES BECKFORD
[illegible] BANK WARNS OF RISES
The Reserve Bank is fast approaching crunch point over whether to push up interest rates in response to surging inflation. The bank's governor, Don Brash, has given an unusually revealing speech today, warning that interest rates will go up if workers demand higher incomes in response to rising prices. Here's our Economics Correspondent, Stephen Harris.
FIJI TOURISM INDUSTRY WANTS TOURISTS TO RETURN
The Fiji Tourism Industry has begun a campaign to convince villagers to stop looting and burning, saying its crippling the tourist trade. The group, made up of indigenous Fijians, want foreign embassies to lift their travel advisorys and encourage tourists to return. Our reporter in Fiji, Barbara Dreaver joins us now.
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with STEPHEN HEWSON
TRANZRAIL APOLOGISES
Tranzrail has said sorry to its workers who have been injured while working for the company and has also apologised to families and friends of others who have been killed. The apology came at the third day of the week-long Ministerial inquiry into Tranzrail's safety practices. Our reporter Sarah Gregory has been at the inquiry today and she joins me now. LIVE
LAW GRADUATES CHASE TOP DOLLAR
New Zealand is losing its top law graduates to large law firms in Britain and the United States, which are offering ten times the starting salary a new lawyer can expect to earn here. A graduate can expect to earn around 30 thousand dollars a year in their first job in New Zealand In the United States, a shortage of young, talented lawyers means big law firms are willing to pay graduates up to three hundred thousand New Zealand dollars. Melita Tull reports.
GOLDIE FRAME RECOVERED
The frame of a Charles Goldie paining stolen from Auckland museum has been found inside the museum. Yesterday afternoon the small portrait of a Māori [illegible] was wrenched from the wall by thieves after they disabled a security camera. Detective Constable James Watson who is leading the inquiry says the frame was found after a police search this afternoon - he joins me now. LIVE
DEFENCE OPENS IN MCCARTHY MURDER CASE
The man accused of murdering Whangaparaoa woman Joanne McCarthy has told the High Court in Auckland that he couldnt have killed her because at the time of her death, he was checking out a bank in Milford to see how easy it would be to rob.
Travis Burns is charged with murdering Mrs McCarthy at her home in 1998. The Crown says DNA found under Mrs McCarthy's fingernails links Burns to the crime, and closed its case yesterday after calling nearly 100 witnesses. Our reporter Julian Robins has been in the High Court listening to the opening of the defence - he joins us now. LIVE
MORE CALLS TO CLOSE ORANGE ROUGHY FISHERY
There's been another call for drastic reductions in the amount of orange roughy being caught in New Zealand. Forest and Bird has been campaigning to close parts of the multI-million dollar fishery - and several months ago targeted the [illegible] fishery off Taranaki. Now it's turned its attention to the Bay of Plenty fishery saying latest Minsitry of Fisheries figures show orange roughy is being caught at more than 30 times its sustainable yield. The industry has rejected the calls for closure as an over-reaction - I put that to Forest and BIrd marine spokesman Barry Weeber. PREREC
CLOSE & THEME