**** CKPT FOR WED 24 DEC 2008
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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KERIKERI-TODDLER: The police investigating the violent death of 16 month old Kerikeri boy say they now have a much clearer picture of what happened and are making good progress.
Riley Justin Osborne died last night in Starship Children's Hospital in Auckland after he was admitted on Friday. Here's Detective Senior Sergeant Marty Ruth. PRE REC
WEATHER-TRAFFIC: The weather has contributed to scores of accidents on roads around the Wellington region prompting police to advise people to delay non essential travel. Steady rain has left roads greasy as thousands of people try to leave the cities to head for holiday destinations. Reporter Clint Owens is at State Highway One in central Wellington. LIVE
And motorists in Auckland are being warned to expect delays on some motorways as holidaymakers head out of the city. Belinda McCammon is at the Hobson St approach to the motorway, she joins us now: LIVE
NATHANS-FRAUD: The Serious Fraud Office is investigating the failed finance company Nathans Finance which went into receivership last year owing 7,000 small investors nearly 170 million dollars. Yesterday the Securities Commission said it had laid criminal and civil charges against four of the company's directors accusing them of issuing a misleading prospectus and investment statements. The SFO's investigation follows a complaint made by the receivers PriceWaterhouseCoopers, who said most of the money had gone into Nathans parent company VTL which was declared insolvent. SFO Director Grant Liddell. PRE REC
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BUSINESS NEWS WITH AMANDA STRONG
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FIJI-EXPEL: The Government says the expulsion from Fiji of New Zealand's acting High Commissioner will not distract it from attempting to restore democracy there. New Zealand retaliated against the expulsion of Caroline McDonald by ordering Fiji's interim High Commissioner in Wellington, Cama Tuiloma to leave the country. Here's our political reporter Danya Levy. PKG
CHRISTMAS-SHOPS: The predicted Christmas Eve shopping madness has come to pass with sales ahead of last year. Reporter Teresa Cowie went to Queensgate shopping centre in Lower Hutt to speak to those who have joined the final rush to the cash register. VOXPOPS
The eftpos company Paymark's head of sales is Paul Whiston. He's with us now. LIVE
US-SHOPS: In the United States shoppers have been spooked by signs of a deepening recession and are cutting back on their spending. It means American retailers are experiencing one of their worst christmas seasons in decades. Here's the ABC's Kim Landers: PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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NZ-POLITICS: Time now to look back on the political year - a year in which there were an election and a change of government here although it wasn't always our election which captured people's attention. Liz Banas reports. PKG 20'45"
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WAATEA NEWS
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SHOPPING-MEN: In a little town in Germany it's a woman's World and if men don't like it there's a place you can park them while the Christmas shopping is being done. Fred Plytkin and Diana Magnay report : PKG
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