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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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A hotel doorman found guilty today of murdering Wanganui barmaid Tania McKenzie vented his rage shortly after the verdict - and was taken kicking and yelling out to the court cells. 28 year old Shane Daniel Randle has been on trial in the HIgh Court in Wellington.Our Court reporter Anne Marie May was there she joins us now. LIVE
The police in Christchurch are tonight searching for a sex offender who absconded from home detention on Monday, and who the Corrections Department says is at high risk of reoffending. In 1997, John Clarke kidnapped and raped a fifteen-year-old girl, while he was on bail for another sex attack.He was released from prison in November last year and has breached his home detention twice since then. Inspector Gary Knowles says he wants to hear from anyone who may know where Clarke is. PREREC
National is trying to do everything it can to delay the controversial bill to outlaw parents from using force to discipline their children. Labour has decided to block vote as a party in support of the Green MP Sue Bradford's bill - but National claims there are at least 8 Labour MPs who disagree with the legislation. National says if those MPs were allowed to exercise their conscience and cast individual votes, the bill would fail. But the Prime Minister Helen Clark has shrugged off that criticism, saying she doesn't regard this as a conscience issue. CUT And if Labour MPs had any objections, they were keeping them to themselves. CUT
Our political reporter Jane Patterson joins us now..LIVE
Taking a tough line with parents who fail to send their children to school appears to be making a difference.Secondary schools have taken 21 families to court for persistent truancy in the past two years - and now nearly half of the waggers are now spending more time in class.The new approach to an age old problem, is part of a pilot project which makes it easier for schools to prosecute serial truants.Conan Young has more. PKG
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1720 BUSINESS NEWS with Patrick O'Meara.
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Despite severe Met Service warnings the country seems to have escaped serious damage from the first storm of the year.A cold front has dumped snow, hail and rain across the country but emergency services say so far there's been little disruption. However the worst may yet be to come for Auckland, where commuters should expect a buffeting from powerful wind gusts, squally rain, and possible thunderstorms.Our reporter Craig Ashworth has been keeping an eye on the barometer and he joins us now. LIVE
MetService weather forecaster Bob McDavitt joins us now from the MET service LIVE
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1730 HEADLINES
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SPORTS NEWS WITH David Reid
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More than a third of students doing the highest level of the NCEA pull out of doing parts of a subject, mainly because they think the standard is too hard.A new survey of how students view the NCEA shows they'll also drop a standard if they don't have time to learn it or if they don't think they'll do well.The survey's been released along with the latest statistics on how students did in lst year's NCEA. Our education correspondent, Gael Woods, has been looking at the results. LIVE
Are Australians more tolerant of violence in movies than New Zealanders?The chief film censor here suspects the answer is yes, and wants to find out whether our reliance on Australia's rating system should change.Films and computer games which are given a G, PG, or M rating in Australia are automatically given the same rating in this country, and not re-examined by New Zealand authorities. Chief censor Bill Hastings thinks some of the movies rated M should really be R16. PREREC
Witnesses in the Manukau District Court today have described seeing a victim of gang violence being beaten around the head with a baseball bat while lying on the ground.24 year old Jeffrey Key is charged with murdering 17 year old Riki Mafi in the Otara Town Centre last September.Jean Edwards has been at the depositions hearing LIVE
Health groups say they'll box on despite data showing the near doubling in sales of fast foods.Fast food sales have risen 88 per cent since in nearly five years, while other food purchases have grown by less than half that amount over the same period.But groups promoting healthy eating say they'll continue to push their messages.Simon Bird reports. PKG
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17.45 TRAILS
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WAATEA
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Despite money worries on Niue, the island's premier, Young Vivian, says he is not in New Zealand to grovel for more money. New Zealand is Niue's main aid donor and the special relationship is reflected in the regular meetings of what's called the joint consultative group.This body has been meeting in Wellington. Don Wiseman reports PKG
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