**** CKPT FOR WED NOVEMBER 8 *******
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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ACCIDENT BUS: An Auckland school girl is lucky to be alive after being thrown from, and then pinned underneath a van which crashed on the Coromandel Peninsula this morning. Eleven children from Auckland's Glenfield Intermediate and their adult driver were taken to Thames hospital after their van skidded off the Hikuai Settlement Road near Pauanui, and tipped on its side. The van was part of a convoy of three, ferrying the children who were on a school camp. The crash is the latest on the notorious black spot, and locals are calling for the road to be improved or at least for warning signs to be put up. It's also the fourth crash involving school children in the last fortnight. Steve Taylor is one of the volunteer fire officers, first at the scene, and says one girl had serious injuries to her lower leg. PREREC
Our reporter Joy McArthur is a at the scene of the crash. LIVE
US ELECTIONS: CUT Early results coming through in the US Midterm Elections. The Democrats have won a number of crucial seats, but the overall race is still nail bitingly too close to call. The whole House of Representatives and a third of Senate seats are up for re-election. Some results have been delayed, after voting was extended because of voting irregularities in a number of states. And reports are that voter turnout is high. Our US Correspondent, Julie Donnelly, is in Washington and she joins us now. LIVE
ALCOHOL PARENTS: The Government will investigate whether it's possible to prosecute parents for supplying alcohol to a teenage party which then gets violent or results in drunk minors crashing their car. With only hours to go before MPs vote on a bill to raise the drinking age back to 20, Justice Minister Mark Burton and the Associate Health Minister Damien O'Connor have announced they want to take a closer look at how younger teenagers are getting alcohol, and whether current restrictions are working. Both Ministers think the drinking age should remain at 18 but Damien O'Connor says the announcement is not a last minute bid to influence tonight's conscience vote. PREREC
FIJI STANDOFF: We cross now to Fiji and the stand-off between the military commander Frank Bainimarama and the government. The Commodore has spoken publicly for the first time since arriving back in the country earlier this week. The military has pulled back from threatening to remove the Prime MInister Laisenia Qarase from office - but there is still alot of uncertainty about what the next move may be. The chief of staff has told soldiers their courage may be tested in the next few days. Our reporter Linda Skates has been listening to Commodore Bainimarama. She's with us now. LIVE
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1720 BUSINESS NEWS WITH PATRICK O'MEARA
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1730 HEADLINES
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SPORTS NEWS WITH STEPHEN HEWSON
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AUCKLAND FLOODING: A gleaming Rolls Royce car owned by Dragon's Den star and millionaire Barry Coleman became stranded in water during a flooding drama in Auckland. The basement carpark of the City Group building became swamped when a watermain burst at around five this morning. The flood forced the closure of the building and hundreds of workers were sent home for the day. Monica Holt reports: PKGE
RADIOGRAPHERS: District health boards are desperately hoping a 10-day strike by radiographers will be averted with last-minute talks under way in Auckland at the moment. Negotiators for seven DHBs are in discussions right now with the radiographers' union over its demand for pay parity with other DHBs. But planning at dHBs is already well advanced for the strike, set to begin on Friday evening. Here to give us the latest on the talks and DHBs' preparations for it is our health correspondent, karen brown. LIVE
STADIUM AUCKLAND: Now to the latest twist in the stadium saga....
Taxpayers might have to pay more if plans to upgrade Eden Park are abandoned and a new stadium is built on Auckland's waterfront. The Finance Minister has told Parliament's finance and expenditure select committee taxpayers might more strongly support a national stadium, rather than the Eden Park upgrade. Here's our political editor Brent Edwards. PKGE
RAPE HISTORICAL: A jury is weighing up the evidence in an historical rape trial involving a former Far North Police officer. The 47-year-old ex-constable has been on trial at the Auckland District Court facing seven charges including three of rape. It relates to an incident in 1988. Sarah Bristow is covering the trial and she's with us now. LIVE
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WAATEA NEWS WITH ERU REREKURA
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TELECOM INTERNET: Telecom denies it's targeting and slowing down toll-free or low-cost calls made over the internet. An Otago University lecturer has lodged a complaint with the Commerce Commission, claiming Telecom's deliberately slowing down the internet traffic that competes with its own services. Chris Bramwell reports. PKGE
DUNEDIN WATER METERS: People all over Dunedin have their eyes downcast today and it's nothing to do with the miserable southerly that's sweeping through the city. They're on the look out for rogue water-meter covers on downtown pavements. A mystery artist has been replacing stardard-issue council covers with provocative art. And, as our Dunedin reporter Rowan Quinn found out, the latest one was discovered just this afternoon. PKGE
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