HEADLINES & NEWS
The government has just launched a 16 million dollar project to improve living conditions and fight infectious disease rates in South Auckland. Nearly 1000 state houses are to be extended or modified in a bid to provide better and bigger homes in an area plagued by overcrowding. Both the prime minister and the Minster of Housing helped a large family start to shift out of their small two bedroom Housing New Zealand property and into a newly modified house with four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Sally Wenley was there. PKGE
Dianna Lennon is a professor of community and pediatric health, at the Auckland Medical School - she was today's launch and she joins us now. LIVE
Fiji's Labour party caucus has met today and agreed to initiate steps for a government of national unity. The decision was taken in the absence of Labour leader and former Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudhry, who sent an apology. Mr Chaudhry, an Indo-Fijian, returned to Fiji at the weekend. Last week, the Appeal Court had ruled in favour of re-instating his people's coalition government. Our Suva correspondent Shalen Shandil joins us now. LIVE
BUSINESS NEWS WITH PATRICK O'MEARA
The Court of Appeal in Wellington has this afternoon heard an application by Peak Petroleum to delay tomorrow's planned shareholders vote on the future of Fletcher Energy.
Peak wants Fletcher Challenge to present its offer to buy the multi-billion dollar oil and gas company for 30 cents a share more than the rival bidder, the Shell and Aapache Corporation. Fletchers is backing the Shell bid and has refused to put the Peak offer to its shareholders tomorrow.
Our Business Editor, John Draper, has been following the story and joins us now... LIVE
An Auckland doctor is warning people to be on alert for the Australian white-tail spider following an increase in the number of patients who've recieved a nasty bite. Dr Neil Hutchison practices on the North Shore and although he's seen the Aussie invader around for a couple of years, there are now alot more of them, and on average he's treating one person a fortnight who's been bitten. Dr Hutchison says the bite causes a severe local reaction, with painfull swelling and a blister which respond slowing to anti-histamines. I asked him why he thinks there are now so many of the spiders around. PREREC
The deposition hearing for a doctor accused of murdering his terminally ill mother has opened in the Manakau District Court. Christopher Simpson is charged with the murder of 82 year old Marjorie Simpson in her Howick home last October.
Our reporter Julian Robins was in court today and joins us now... LIVE
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with RICHARD CROWLEY
Five groups of searchers assisted by an Iroquois helicopter have again found no trace of a tramper who is now nine days overdue from a walk in the central South Island. The police say they are concerned about 55 year-old Harry Smith who is missing in the Matakitaki-Three Tams area, southeast of Murchison. Mr Smith is an experienced and well equipped tramper but the police have few clues as to where he might be. Sergeant Peter Summerfield is co-ordinating the search and rescue operation. He says the search teams are having to cover a massive area: PREREC
The computer giant Microsoft has announced that five New Zealand computer dealers have agreed to pay the company compensation for selling illegal pirate software. Microsoft say the five dealers have all agreed to pay an undisclosed sum after admitting breaking copyright laws. The Business Software Alliance estimates that pirate copies accounts for almost a third of all software sold in New Zealand and costs the computer industry here 41 million dollars in losses. Joining us now is Microsoft's corporate attorney Vanessa Hutley. LIVE
The Thai Prime Minister says that an explosion and fire that destroyed a Thai [illegible] 737 he was about to board was an assassination attempt. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had a narrow escape on Saturday when the plane that was due to take him to Chiang Mai burst into flames on the tarmac at Bangkok's international airport just minutes before taking on passengers. Our correspondent in Bangkok Simon Ingram says all the evidence at this stage supports the assassination claim. PREREC
Returning to Fiji now, our reporter in Suva, Shalin Shandil says the military have detained the deputy leader of the former Fijian government, Dr Tupeni Baba. Shalen Shandil joins us again now. LIVE
After more than a decade of research, New Zealand scientists have identified the cause of the disease which has decimated the native cabbage tree. The disease, which kills infected cabbage trees within a year, has stripped large trees from some parts of the country. Landcare Research and HortResearch scientists have used DNA techniques and electron microscopy to pinpoint the cause of the disease. One of the research team, Landcare scientist Dr Ross Beever, says it's all the fault of an elusive bacteria: PREREC
MANA NEWS
CLOSE & THEME