1700 to 1707 NEWS
An Investigation is underway into the country's biggest school after the [illegible] of inappropriate material on the computers of more than 10 staff members of the Correspondence school. The material, some of which the school says is pornographic, was found during an audit of the school's 600 computers and laptops. One teacher has already resigned and a complaint is been laid with the police. Fiona Wilde reports. pkg
Preparations are underway in the Bay of Islands for Waitangi Day - and the Prime Minister Helen Clark has confirmed today she intends to be there, for New Zealand's 164th birthday party. However, Miss Clark says she hasn't sought any assurances from the organisers about security arrangements, should protest action occur. She says her programme for the day has yet to be confirmed. CUT
Today Māori wardens, the navy, the police, and representatives of the Waitangi National Trust, headed by the Governor General have been finalising the Waitangi Day progrrame. But as Lois Williams reports the wild card this year is the seabed and foreshore issue - and how that will affect the mood. PKG
An 18 year old Hamilton man is to face trial on charges relating to a high speed crash which killed his 17 year old friend in the city in September last year. The car driven by the accused was crammed with nine young people. Karl Tairi is charged with the manslaughter of Nicholas Smith, reckless drving causing injury to some of the other passengers, dangerous driving and the use of methamphetamine. Andrew McRae was at today's depositions hearing and he joins me now. live
1720 BUSINESS NEWS WITH JOHN DRAPER
The Government is to accept 20 asylum seekers from Nauru for resettlement in New Zealand on humanitarian grounds. The group, mainly made up of women and children, includes six Iraqi women. Those women may later be joined in New Zealand by their husbands, currently in Australia on temporary protection visas. The Immigration Minister Lianne Dalziel joins me now ... live
Computers are under attack from a new virus capable of slowing down or crashing programmes. The virus, WORM_MIMAIL. R (worm-MY-MAIL-dot-are), sends itself by email and is hard to trace because it can change its subject line. It may also pop up a dialogue box asking for personal details in an attempt to steal other systems' information. Internet expert Paul Reynolds explained how to identify the virus. prerec
1730 HEADLINES
SPORTS NEWS WITH MURRAY WILLIAMS
The Human Rights Commission is urging the Government it to apply human rights standards to its seabed and foreshore policy.
The Commission has released a letter which it sent to Helen Clark in November - three weeks before the government announced its policy direction. It says consideration of human rights will lead to an outcome that balances the rights, interests and responsibilities of New Zealanders. Liz Banas has the story. pkg
An Environment Court hearing has begun about plans to build a new women's prison in south Auckland. Two groups are appealing against the building of the 150 bed facility and protestors disrupted the court hearing today. Sally Wenley who was at the hearing at the Manukau District Court joins me now...... live
In the United States the Democrats are on the attack over Iraq and the White House on the defensive ahead of tomorrow's vote in New Hampshire for the democrat presidential candidate. This follows the resignation of the chief U.S. weapons investigator in Iraq, David Kay who after ten months of inspections has declared there is nothing he has seen which leads him to believe such programmes existed. But as our US correspondent Owen Fay reports from Washington, the White House is arguing - that doesn't matter. pkg And tomorrow night in Britain the Hutton report into the suicide of the British weapons expert Dr David Kelly will be released.
Health officals in Asia are preparing to meet in the Thai capital to discuss a [illegible] to the bird flu virus, which has so far killed seven people across the continent. In Thailand today, the disease claimed its first two human victims. Pakistan has joined the list of countries affected by bird flu, and two boys in Cambodia are suspected to have come down with the disease. A spokesman for the World Health Organisation, Peter Cordingley says Asean countries plus China, Japan and South Korea, will meet in Bangkok tomorrow to discuss the deepening crisis. cut The World Health Organisation says an effective vaccine against the virus may be months away, but while scientists are concerned it may mutate again to allow human to human transmission, Mr Cordingley says there is no sign of this at the moment. cut WHO spokesman Peter Cordingley.
National party supporters are beginning to gather at the Orewa Rotary Club in Auckland for a major scene setting speech by the party's leader Don Brash. The main theme of the speech - entitled 'nationhood' - is race relations. In an embarrassing slip this afternoon, the speech - which is embargoed til seven thrity tonight - was emailed to the Prime Minister. Helen Clark has already criticised it as being racially divisive. Our political editor Kathryn Ryan is there. live
For many years the former Prime Minister Sir Robert Muldoon used his summer address to the rotarians to present his state of the nation speech. The president of the Rotary Club of Orewa, Neville Fraser, explains why the club invited Dr Brash to speak time. pkg
The quarter finals of the Australian Open began today in Melbourne as the remaining players headed into the business end of the tournament. With upsets occuring in earlier rounds, day nine is serving up some intruiging matches. Joining us now is our commentator in Melbourne, Dave Worsley. live
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