CKPT FOR THURS 2 AUG 2007
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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A High Court jury in New Plymouth has found Michael Wallace guilty of murdering Brigit Brauer in Taranaki two years ago. The jury retired to consider its verdict earlier today. Our Taranaki regional reporter Craig Ashworth joins us now. LIVE
The Crown Prosecutor Tim Brewer joins me now. LIVE
Seven people are confirmed dead and dozens injured after a highway bridge collapsed into the Mississippi River in the American state of Minnesota. The bridge broke apart in the evening rush hour, sending cars plunging into the river. A huge rescue operation has been underway at the scene between Minneapolis and St Paul. Witnesses say dozens of cars were on the bridge when the centre began to crumble and collapse. CUT
Janet Stately was driving towards the bridge when the bridge started to collapse. CUT
I spoke to our US correspondent Priscilla Huff about the collapse. PREREC
The State Services Commissioner has revealed he forgot until recently that he WAS told the now sacked Minister David Benson Pope had expressed his discomfort about the Madeleine Setchel appointment. Just last week Hugh Logan's job as Environment Ministry head appeared in doubt over his failure to pass on the MInister's comments to the deputy State Services Commissioner Ian Rennie who had written a report on the controversy. The Minister lost his job after he admitted saying to Mr Logan that he was likely to be "less free and frank" with Madeliene Setchell as the Ministry's communications manager. He'd earlier insisted he'd expressed no opinion on the matter. Mr Rennie's boss is Mark Prebble who has been out of the country for the last couple of weeks. He now has this to say about what information Mr Logan did pass on.PREREC
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH
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Hamilton residents are being warned that a serial rapist is at large in the city. Women were raped in April, May and early July and the police say all three attacks have been linked, although they are refusing to say how. Andrew McRae compiled this report. PKG
Residents of the flood prone Northland town of Kaeo are about to begin a second public meeting on ways to save their town. Staff from local councils are working on a flood protection plan for Kaeo, which has been under water three times this year, following severe storms. Our Northland reporter Lois Williams is in Kaeo and joins us now. LIVE
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17.30 HEADLINES
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To Fiji, where about seven thousand government employees walked off the job today with another three thousand expected to join the strike tomorrow. The workers from the Fiji Islands Council of Trade Unions which includes unions representing some teachers and other public sector workers want the 5 percent of their wages restored, which was cut after last year's coup. The strike comes a day after a union organiser Taniela Tabu tambu said he was detained by the Army and threatened with death. Fiji's Labour Minister Bernadette Rounds Ganilau has moved to reassure union leaders and striking workers they are safe from army retribution. She also says that so far the government's contingency plans for the strike are working PREREC
A rare Janet Frame manuscript has sold at auction to an anonymous buyer, raising fears that it has been lost to the literary world. The typed A4 version of the novel "A State of Siege" has Frame's own handwritten notes and changes, believed to have been made just before the book was published. Our reporter Natalie Mankelow was at the auction. PKG
The trial of a former police recruit, who is accused of raping and strangling a Christchurch prostitute, has heard evidence about the fingerprints found at the scene of the crime. The Crown says the 33 year old man, who has name suppression, left his fingerprints at the house where he attacked the prostitute. But the defence case is that it was another man who attacked the woman. Christchurch reporter Monique Devereux. LIVE
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WAATEA NEWS
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Toyota is being accused of scaremongering with its warning that a new biofuel product could cause fires in some cars. The environmentally-friendly product is being sold through some Gull service stations in Auckland. But Kate Williamson reports that the motor industry is debating the safety of the 10 percent blend of bioethanol and 98-octane petrol PKG
A multi-million dollar budget blowout of renovations to the Auckland Art Gallery is described as a farce. The Auckland City Council says a lengthy appeal process is forcing up construction costs but an appellant says it has only itself to blame. Lisa Thompson reports PKG
The extra UN troops being sent to Darfur in Sudan are seen as a major step in dealing with what is described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis. But there are doubts that the deployment of the 26 thousand extra soldiers will be large enough to control the violence. The ABC's Andrew Gaygan has more: PKG
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