**** CKPT FOR WED 7 NOV 2007
******************************
1700 to 1707 NEWS
****************************
The new Health Minister, David Cunliffe, is threatening Wellington's District Health Board with tough sanctions following a highly critical wide-ranging audit of services. He's told Parliament the board must re-open its child cancer ward or jobs are on the line. Here's our political reporter, Kate Williamson. PKG
Among many shortcomings highlighted in the report, it says bosses are stretched and crisis management is the normal operating environment. Our health correspondent, Karen Brown, has been looking at the report and joins us now. LIVE
Capital and Coast DHB's chairperson Doctor Judith Aitken joins us now..LIVE
Cabinet minister, Trevor Mallard, has been summonsed to appear in Court to face an assault charge arising from a fight in a parliamentary lobby. Information issued in the Wellington District Court accuses Mr Mallard of assaulting the National Party MP, Tau Henare last month. The action is being taken by a Wellington accountant, Graham McCready who says there are some important issues at stake. CUTS
Our Court reporter Ann Marie May has been following this case and joins us now. LIVE
***********************
BUSINESS NEWS
************************
A hostile offer has been launched for the country's main tourism gateway. Only a week after being rejected by the board of Auckland International Airport, Canada's state pension fund has come back, deciding to bypass the board and put an offer straight to shareholders. The airport's board rejected a proposal put to it by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board saying it posed too many risks. Here's our business reporter Baden Campbell LIVE
Arrangements have been put in place for diplomatic staff to have continued access to the two New Zealanders in custody in Fiji. New Zealand High Commission staff are visiting the businessman Ballu Khan in hospital this afternoon. Sivaniolo Naulago also remains in police detention - he's also a New Zealand citizen, and an executive in Mr Khan's company Pacific Connex. Our parliamentary chief reporter Clare Pasley has the details. PKG
***********************
17.30 HEADLINES
***********************
The lawyer for a Tauranga man, implicated in an alleged multi-billion dollar plot to defraud the Bank of England, has been given two days to come up with more compelling reasons for his client to be released on bail. Bryan Archer was today remanded in custody at the Tauranga District Court. Our Bay of Plenty reporter, Matthew Farrell, was in court. LIVE
An illegal Iranian immigrant who's spent a record four years on remand in Mt Eden prison has been released - after the High Court decided Amir Mohebbi's "continuing detention has become unreasonable and arbitrary". Mr Mohebbi is the last of a goup of Iranian asylum seekers who've spent long periods behind bars because they refuse to sign passports that would allow them to be deported back home. Iran insists they must sign the documents before it will take them - the New Zealand government has been trying to negotiate a compromise. But in a judgement released today, the High Court says Mr Mohebbi's 3 years and nine months continued detention, preceded by a previous five months detention lead to "exceptional circumstances" which "justify his conditional release". He's now out of prison - I spoke to him earlier and asked how he heard he was going to be released. PREREC
The National Poison Centre says the chemical found in a toy import can lead to the breakdown of the central nervous system and has been implicated in date rape cases. Bindeez beads have been recalled after two children were rushed to Starship Hospital in Auckland. Gill Bonnett reports. PKG
***************
17.45 TRAILS
****************
WAATEA
****************
A two year old Indian girl born with four arms, four legs and a second torso is currently undergoing surgery to remove what Doctors call her "parasitic" twin. Surgeons say Luksh-mee Tadma is responding well in this marathon operation. CNN's Angeli Rau has more on the young patient and the team of doctors trying to give her a normal life : PKG
A new tourism approach aims to counter the carbon footprint created by travelling to New Zealand, by promoting the country as a sustainable holiday location. New Zealand Tourism Strategy 2015 has been developed in conjunction with the tourism sector and was launched at Parliament today.
Our political reporter Danya Levy was there. PKG
Astronomers in the United States say they've discovered a new planet in orbit around a star, forty-one light years from Earth. The discovery brings to five the number of planets orbiting this particular star -- the most planets found to date in a single solar system outside our own. Here's the BBC's Science Reporter Neil Bowdler: PKG
******************