HEADLINES & NEWS
OVERSEAS EXPERT SAYS 80 PERCENT FAILURE IN REPORTING
There have been major revelations at the Gisborne cervical cancer inquiry, with an overseas expert giving evidence suggesting a very high level of under-reporting of abnormal smears by retired pathologist Michael Bottrill. The evidence has been given by Annabel Farnsworth, the Australian pathologist responsible for re-reading the smears originally read by Dr Bottrill. Our health correspondent Rae Lamb is at the inquiry and joins me now. LIVE
TALKS CONTINUE WITHOUT CLINTON
[illegible] to bring peace to the Middle East have ended in failure, with the [illegible] peace summit at Camp David in the United States breaking up without agreement.
The summit was convened by U.S. President Bill Clinton in an effort to broker a deal between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian President Yasser Arafat.
But a short time ago the White House announced there was no agreement, ending nine days of often acrimonious argument behind closed doors at Camp David. Mr Clinton said working on the agreement was one of the toughest things he had ever done. AUDIO
SOLOMON ISLANDERS BEGIN CEASEFIRE TALKS
While the Camp David talks have failed, negoitations which began today in the Solomon Islands have raised fresh hopes of a breakthrough in the ethnic conflict there which has claimed at least 70 lives. Members of the two warring factions, the Malaita Eagle Force and the Isatabu Freedom Movment have just finished their first day of talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire agreement. Negotiations are taking place on board the Australian navy ship Tobruk, and come amidst a further outbreak of violence, and another Foreign Ministry [illegible] for New Zealanders to stay away from the islands. New Zealand's High commissioner to Solomon Islands, Nick Hurley is on the Tobruk. I asked him what the atmosphere has been like. PREREC
BUSINESS NEWS with CATHERINE WALLBRIDGE
POSSIBLE SIGHTING OF JORGENSON
Police say they're taking seriously a sighting of the notorious convicted double murderer Ronald Jorgensen west of Auckland earlier this year. Jorgensen and John Gillies were convicted of the mafia style machine gun killing of two men in a house in Bassett Road, Remuera, in 1963. Jorgensen served time in jail and in 1984 was out on parole when he was apparently involved in a car crash in Kaikoura, but his body was never found. Despite a number of alleged sightings as far away as Western Australia over the years - he was legally declared dead in 1998 - 14 years after the car crash which police believed was staged. I asked Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Bush why he believes the latest sighting is for real. PREREC
TWO MORE YOUTH PRISONS TO BE BUILT
The Government is to build two more youth prisons in Christchurch and Wellington, and extend an existing one in Hawkes Bay. The prisons are for under 20-year-olds, and aim to keep young offenders away from hardened criminals. They also have a strong emphasis on rehabilitation. The Minister of Corrections Matt Robson says that unless there's a targetted approach to reduce young people offending, the prison population will increase by 40 percent in the next ten years. Heugh Chappell reports.
PKG
PROTESTS IN OKINAWA AGAINST US
In Japan - thousand of protesters have gathered outside a US airbase on the island of Okinawa demanding an end to the American military presence there. The demonstration comes just hours before world leaders arrive for the G8 summitt where the richest seven nations and Russia will discuss amongst other things, free trade, third world debt, and the need for stable oil prices. The US military has been on Okinawa since it invaded towards the end of World War Two. The base has long been a source of irritation to the locals - joining me now from the protest is reporter Charles Scanlon. LIVE
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with CHRIS REID
PEACE TALKS HAVE NO RESOLUTION
Returning to our earlier story - and the failure of the Middle East peace talks at Camp David in the United States. The summit was convened by U.S. President Bill Clinton in an effort to broker a deal between Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. But a short time ago the White House announced that after nine days of often acrimonious argument, the Camp David talks had ended in failure. We cross live to our correspondent in Washington, Steve Mort. LIVE
NZ-FIJI RELATIONSHIP COOLS
Fiji's High Commissioner, Isimeli Bainimara, has received a dressing down at the Beehive, as the Government formally condemns the events in Fiji. Mr Bainimara was called in by the Foreign Minister, Phil Goff, to be told directly of New Zealand's concerns about the failure to resotre democracy. Mr Goff says the High Commissioner was emotional during the 20-minute meeting. Mr Bainimara [illegible] he received a stern message from the Government. Mr Goff says that New Zealand wants Fiji actively working to restore democracy. AUDIO
In Fiji, about 25 members of the deposed coalition government have been meeting to discuss how to regain power. The former prime minister Mahendra Chaudhry says he can not recognise the unlawful acts of George Speight's coup, and he will fight for the return of his government. Our reporter in Suva, Shona Geary, joins me now. LIVE
DRAG RACING PLAGUING REGION
Local authorities in South Auckland want the government to provide tough new laws to crack down on illegal street drag racers, which they describe as a plague in the region. The Manukau City Council says up to 400 cars and crowds of spectators are drawn to the clandestine events - and that's causing major problems in the city. Our reporter Eileen Cameron has been investigating the problem. PKG
NEW APPROACH FOR CLAIMS UNVEILED
The Government is trying a new approach to settling Treaty of Waitangi claims, announcing six principles it will use for settlements. The Treaty Negotiations Minister, Margaret Wilson, says the principles will provide some certainty to Māori about the government's approach in claim negotiations. Our Māori Issues Correspondent Chris Wikaira joins us now. LIVE
CLEAN LESS, BE MORE HEALTHY
Throw away your anti-bacterial cleaners - or use them with caution. That's the warning from an American geneticist, who says overusing anti-bacterial cleaners at home weakens children's immune systems and could be helping create antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Elizabeth McLeod reports. PKG
CLOSE & THEME