**** CKPT FOR TUE 20 NOV 2007
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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Witnesses to the death of a young Auckland man say a road-rage street race may have preceded the crash, and fighting continued as the victim lay dying in the street.21-year-old Aaron Chan was pronounced dead at the scene in West Coast Road, Glen Eden, at about 6.30 last night.He was unloading his truck when he was hit by one of two cars seen driving away from traffic lights.Gill Bonnett filed this report. PACKAGE
The two major parties have clashed in Parliament over the controversial Electoral Finance Bill, with National MP Nick Smith accusing Labour MPs of being cheats. But as our political editor Brent Edwards reports, the exchange in Parliament did little to shed light on the Bill. PACKAGE
The booming Australian economy is being given as the reason for a growing number of New Zealanders heading there to live.The Australian economy is soaring on the back of strong prices for its mineral resources, with wages on average 30 percent higher than in New Zealand. Here's Our Economics Correspondent Corin Dann.
The Foreign Minister Winston Peters says the relationship between the United States and New Zealand has reached a new level. The Minister has just completed a round of meetings in Washington that included talks with the Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Up for discussion was Mr Peters' recent trip to North Korea and the committments the regime gave him over dismantling its nuclear arms programme. PRE REC
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BUSINESS NEWS
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The performance of the board of Auckland International Airport has been roundly criticised, in the face of foreign interests vying for a stake in the company. More than a thousand shareholders turned up to its annual general meeting in Auckland today, where the board defended its decision not to endorse a takeover bid from the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. Jean Edwards was at the meeting and filed this report. PACKAGE
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17.30 HEADLINES
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Celebrities whose medical files were rifled through without permission by some Auckland District Health Board staff may be able to take legal action.Up to 20 health workers are now being disciplined and one has been sacked in the wake of the scandal. Laura Davis reports. PACKAGE
The Ministry for the Environment has apologised to its new Minister Trevor Mallard for giving him the wrong information and causing him embarrassment on the details of a Ministry contract. Mr Mallard has been questioned in the House by National about the Ministry's hiring of the Labour party activist Claire Curran for a communications contract in 2006.Today, the Minister gave a personal explanation in the House to correct an earlier answer he gave to Parliament. Here's our parliamentary chief reporter Clare Pasley. PACKAGE.
The Government wants schools to teach what it's calling "financial literacy", as well as reading and writing. All schools are to receive booklets which have been published as part of the Ministry of Education's numeracy strategy.The programme was launched at Raroa Normal Intermediate School in Wellington today, and our education correspondent, Gael Woods, was there. PACKAGE.
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WAATEA NEWS
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New research suggests children who sleep on a used mattress in their first year of life are more likely to develop breathing disorders. The study was carried out by the University of Auckland and followed 871 children from birth to the age of seven. I spoke to Professor Ed Mitchell from the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University about the new findings. PREREC
A Fiji netball official has hit back at claims she is staying away from that country to avoid corruption charges. Alisi Tabete, (Tam-betty) who is President of Netball Fiji did not return to Fiji with her team after last week's world netball championships in Auckland. Her lawyer is Frances Joychild. PRE REC
Myanmar has managed to block the UN envoy Ibrahim Gambari from briefing a meeting of East Asian leaders on the country's crisis, following the recent military crackdown which left at least 15 people dead.The diplomatic victory for Myanmar is an embarassment for the Association of East Asian Nations, and has overshadowed the grouping's new charter - which purports to promote democracy and human rights. Our political reporter, Julian Robins is in Singapore for ASEAN and the East Asia Summit which follows it. PRE REC
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