Cheaper electricity for domestic users is being promised by a new national energy retailer, unveiled today. First Electric - which is wholly owned by ECNZ - aims to deliver cheaper electricity to domestic and small business customers, shaving hundreds of dollars off their annual power bills It's available in Auckland, Tauranga, Rotorua, Taupo, Wellington and Christchurch from today and it hopes to expand to the rest of the country by early next year. The company's chief executive, Alasdair MacLeod, joins me now. LIVE IV
Joining me now is our economics correspondent Bronwen Evans. LIVE IV
The Court of Appeal's substantially reduced the sentence imposed on a Feilding [illegible] convicted of the manslaughter of her autistic teenage daughter. The Court's quashed the four year term imposed on Janine Albury-Thompson and replaced it with a jail term of 18 months. Her husband, Bruce Thompson - in tears at the time of her sentencing in July -is thrilled she's won her appeal. AUDIO CUT
Joining me now is Albury Thomson's lawyer Mike Behrens. LIVE IV
There have been violent scenes at an Auckland University council meeting after hundreds of students stormed it in protest at the setting of next year's fees.
In August, the University decided to introduce a differential fee structure, which means students pay more if their course costs more. Chanting students entered the council's fee setting meeting, forcing council members to leave - our reporter Mary Jane Aggett was there. LIVE IV
1715 BUSINESS HEADLINE
[illegible] facing New Zealand chilled lamb exporters to Britain look likely to increase One major British supermarket chain has ordered a halt to New Zealand sales of chilled lamb - and as Eric Frykberg reports, four other big chains look set to follow suit. PKGE
Searches are continuing for two people believed to have been on board a runabout which capsized on Auckland's Manukau Harbour. A police helicopter has had no luck this afternoon finding the man and woman who are presumed to have drowned.
After calling in Interpol, police believe they now know who the couple are - the woman is thought to be a Briton, Chloie Summerley, while her companion is believed to be Luke or Shane Armstrong. Joining me now is Inspector John Walker LIVE IV
1730 HEADLINES
The Court of Appeal has rejected requests from the Government and several Māori organisations to have their say in a controversial Māori trout fishing case.
They wanted to be heard during next week's appeal by Wanganui fisherman Kirk McRitchie against a High Court ruling that Māori do NOT have a customary right to fish for trout without a licence. LIVE IV WITH Court Reporter Merle Nowland
In the United States - a landmark court battle begins this week between computer giant Microsoft and federal anti-monopoly regulators in a struggle which will affect the course of the computer age. The outcome of the case could dramatically change how people buy and use software, including browser programs, used to seek information on the internet. I asked our reporter in Washington Owen Fay to explain what's at the heart of this case. IV
Meanwhile, there's concern companies are rushing to get onto the internet, wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on websites that no-one is visiting or buying products from. PKGE EX Emma Brown
A new political party has been launched in Fiji, which its opponents describe as potentially destabilising. The new Methodist Church-aligned political party, the Christian Democratic Alliance, is backed by church ministers and disgruntled army and police officers. The commander of Fiji's Military Forces, Ratu Epeli Ganilau, attended the party launch. Opposition leader Jai Ram Reddy says the commander's attendance at the launch is disturbing - and he's also [illegible] the new party's backers include supporters of the 1987 military coups. AUDIO CUT
Joining me now is correspondent in Fiji Shui Singh. LIVE IV
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1750 MANA NEWS
In a conservation first, dozens of tuatara have been liberated on Soames Island in Wellington Harbour. Our reporter Mathew Lark was there. PKGE
1800 NEWS