1700 to 1707 NEWS
Police are investigating who is behind a campaign of Hate Mail targetting the muslim community in Wellington. A number of abusive and obscene letters have been sent to mainly Somali families - as well as to Iraqis and an Indian family - They liken muslims to pigs - calling them bigots, and they say they have no place in the world and should get out of israel. Some of the letters also contained pieces of pork. This comes after recent attacks on jewish graves and a march in Christchurch to promote racial harmony. A Wellington woman who got anti-Muslim hate mail in her letter box has spoken today about her shock and horror at receiving the obscene letters - one of which was addressed to her 18 year old daugher. Sado Mohammed who is from Somalia told me she got the letters on friday. PRE-REC
Members of Wellington's Islamic and Jewish communities have joined to condemn [illegible] mail letters sent to Muslim families.
Our reporter, Patric Lane was at the meeting this afternoon as Jewish and Muslim leaders gathered to confront the issue. PKG
Several homes in the lower North Island have had to be evacuated as rising river levels and surface flooding cause problems in parts of the Manawatu, Horowhenua and Tararua districts. Rivers levels are expected to peak shortly south of Pahiatua threatening settlements in Konini and the Kahutarawa Valley. Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council plans to open the Moutoa floodgates early tomorrow morning to relieve floodwaters in the lower Manawatu River. The council's incident controller Mark Harrison joins us now LIVE
The army is on standby in case further evacuations are needed, but in the meantime, are flat out sandbagging threatened houses.
Lieutenant Ed Craw is in charge of the operation in Pahiatua and he joins me now. LIVE
Customs officials have told the Auckland District Court of how they first [illegible] up the trail of two Middle Eastern men charged with forging passports on a [illegible] the Crown says has never been seen before in New Zealand. Brothers-in-law Fahad Ajeil ( Far-hard aj-eel) and Riyad Sultan (Ree-ard Sultarn) who were both born in Kuwait are on trial facing a raft of forgery charges.
Anna-Louise Taylor has been at court today. Q + A
1720 BUSINESS NEWS WITH LIZ BANAS
The number of private house sales is forecast to increase significantly as a new wave of companies that don't charge commission fees take on traditional real estate agents. One company which has opened in Nelson and Masterton expects to have 70 franchise agencies throughout New Zealand in two years; claiming to save home sellers thousands of dollars in fees.
But traditional agencies are skeptical, saying no-commission companies have come and gone before. Geoff Moffett reports. PKG
1730 HEADLINES
SPORTS NEWS WITH STEPHEN HEWSON
The Nigerian rebel group fighting government troops in the oil-rich Niger delta says it will launch "all-out war on the Nigerian state" from Friday. And it advises all oil companies to shut production by then. United States oil prices reached a record 50 dollars a barrel as Nigeria emerged as the latest focus for worries about supply in an already tight worldwide energy market. CNN's Andrew kerry reports. PKG
The Federation of Ethnic Councils says acts of racial hatred are becoming common in New Zealand, and it wants tougher laws to punish racists. This comments follow the latest attack - this time targeting Muslim families in Wellington. Letters, sent to mainly Somali families, call Muslim's 'bigots, and warn the Muslim community 'to get out of israel', saying Muslims have no place in the world. The President of the Federation of Ethnic Council's, Pancha Narayanan (pron: na-rye-a-nan) says he fears this kind of racial abuse is getting worse, and he wants tougher laws to deal with it. PRE-REC
Nine holiday makers including seven children had to be rescued after high winds forced their houseboat to beach on the shores of Lake Brunner on the Westcoast [illegible] the South Island. Four children were taken to hospital, two of them had to be treated for hypothermia. Sergeant David Cross says the drama unfolded this morning. PRE-REC
Family Planning doctors have launched a new assault on the chlamydia epidemic, and are hoping a trial project in Wellington will lead to a national screening programme for the country's most common sexually transmitted disease. Rates here a six times higher than in Australia and four times higher than in the UK. Family Planning's executive director Dr Gill Greer says a nine month trial will involve testing all male and female clients under 25 who are willing to provide urine samples for screening. She says doctors have become increasingly frustrated over the lack of action against a disease which continues to escalate. PRE-REC
The Government is putting an extra 16 million dollars into industry training to help address skills shortages in the labour market. The package includes nine million dollars over four years for the modern apprenticeships scheme, five million dollars for industry training, and two million dollars for a support programme for people moving off a benefit and into work. The funding will boost the number of apprenticeship places available, but National is warning that more attention needs to be paid to the quality of training being given. Here's our parliamentary chief reporter Clare Pasley. PKG
A public meeting of most of the women on Pitcairn Island has heard a vigorous defence of the seven men who are accused of a variety of sex offences. The woman claim the charges have been blown out of proportion and that underage mutual sexual relations have been a tradition on the tiny Pacific island. The men face a total of 55 charges, including rape, many of which sources close to the case say are very serious. The seven separate trials begin on Thursday and our reporter, Sue Ingram who's on the island to cover the hearings was at today's meeting. PRE-REC
MANA NEWS
CLOSE & THEME