** CKPT RUNDOWN FOR TUESDAY MAY 23*******
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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DUNEDIN BABY: The mother of a baby who was found dead at an Otago university student hall of residence on Saturday, has been charged with manslaughter. The 20-year-old international student was admitted to hospital on Saturday with internal bleeding, and the baby's body was later found in a garden at Studholme Hall. The woman appeared in the Dunedin district court this afternoon and our reporter Rowan Quinn was there. LIVE
FEILDING GUILTY: There were tears and sighs of relief in a packed public court gallery today - as David Konia was found guilty of murdering two Fielding pensioners. The 53-year old has been on trial for stabbing to death Margaret Waldin and Ted Ferguson in their flat in in May last year. Our reporter in Palmerston North, Bryan Gibson, spoke to members of the victims' families following the verdicts. PKGE
HUNTER DEATH: The body of an American hunter has been recovered after he fell 300 metres to his death at the head of Lake Wanaka yesterday. A full police investigation is now underway to find out how the man fell. Detective Derek Shaw is with us now LIVE
REST HOMES PAY: Nurses and other caregivers who work in rest homes mounted a noisy pay protest on the steps of Parliament today. They say the money promised in the Budget for the aged care sector - 126 million over four years - will only result in tiny increases in their wages. Our political reporter Liz Banas filed this report. PKGE
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1720 BUSINESS NEWS WITH SEAN KENNEDY
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PARLIAMENT COMMUNICATIONS: National has resurrected an old High Court ruling, in an attempt to show the Communications Minister can't be trusted with commercially sensitive information. The Securities Commission is investigating comments made last week by David Cunliffe, regarding Telecom's dividend policy - after which the share price tumbled. Here's our political reporter, Jane Patterson, on the exchanges in Parliament. PKGE
FIJI POLITICS: Turning to Fiji now, where the Labour Party has resolved its differences with the prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, over who gets which cabinet positions. Labour has accepted the nine portfolios offered by Mr Qarase - and the ministers will be sworn in tomorrow. Fiji's constitution was redrafted in 1997 to allow for a power sharing agreement between the main parties -- but this is the first time such an agreement is being put in place. Here's the vice-president, of the Fiji Labour Party, Krishna Datt. PREREC
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1730 HEADLINES
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SPORTS NEWS WITH STEPHEN HEWSON
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BLUFF SINKING: Divers have abandoned trying to raise the fishing boat, Kotuku from the seabed in Foveaux Strait for today. They've attached two airbags to the boat, which they can inflate to lift the vessel, but need to attach at least one more. The fishing boat capsized and sank 10 days ago, leading to the deaths of six people, including two 9-year-old children. The Transport Accident Investigation Commission's chief investigator, John Mockett, joins us now. LIVE
AUSTRALIA GANGS: Gangs terrorising an Aboriginal Northern Territory town are forcing officials to consider evacuating 300 people. Rioting in Wadeye [WOD-AIR] has driven hundreds from their homes and created a refugee problem. But any evacuation to Darwin would be held up by blocked roads - due to flooding. Dale Seaniger is the local council's deputy chief executive - and says the reason for the fighting goes back a long way. PREREC
LOWER HUTT KIDNAPPING: A man police are hunting for over the kidnapping and stabbing of his ex-girlfriend, is now also wanted in connection with a home invasion and robbery a day later. Police are linking Wayne Clarke to an aggravated robbery last night in Lower Hutt where three men burst into a house attacked a man and a woman - then took off with playstation and DVD gear and the victims' car. The car is a red Ford Telstar registration NX 905. Detective Senior Sergant Ross Levy explains what happened. PREREC
SOUTH AUCKLAND SCHOOLS: The government is defending another attack against its multi-million dollar school building project in South Auckland. 237 milllion dollars is to be spent on seven new schools in Flat Bush - a new town undergoing a population explosion. While locals agree the schools are needed, it's the type of schools which have upset some people. Tony Reid reports PKGE
APPEAL CONVICTION: A former undercover Police officer convicted of threatening to kill the Prime Minister nearly two years ago, has taken his case to the Court of Appeal. He claims that several parts of the case against him were wrong and breached various Court rules. Our Court Reporter, Ann Marie May has been in Court and joins me now. LIVE
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WAATEA NEWS with Eru Rerekura
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OIL EXPLORATION TARANAKI: A funding boost to further explore Taranaki's gas fields will be used to extract so-called tight gas - the fuel that's the most difficult to get at. With the country's main gas field about to run out, the move means other existing gas fields will be thoroughly plumbed to make sure the maximum amount of saleable gas is obtained. But as Claire Crawford reports, one energy analyst says the cash could be better spent elsewhere. PKGE
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