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HEADLINES & NEWS
Three teenage girls have been freed from jail after the Court of Appeal labelled their conviction for aggrevated robbery as unsafe. The Court today quashed Lucy Akatere, McCushla Fuataha and Tania Vini's convictions for aggravated robbery. Justice Gault said the case raises serious questions about police conduct and their investigation. The trio were 14 and 15 when they were charged with slashing a young woman with a pair of scissors and robbing her of ten dollars in 1998. They spent seven months in Mt Eden Women's Prison - an experience they describe as horrifying. VOX POPS The three teenagers say they still angry at the police. VOX POPS
The girls lawyer says they were the victims of a terrible injustice, and he [illegible] a ministerial inquiry to enure it doesn't happen again. Gary Gotlieb says the police prosecution of the girls was a succession of failures. PREREC
Meanwhile, the police in Auckland say they are already conducting two inquiries into the original investigation. Detective Senior Sergeant Stuart Alsopp-Smith is heading one of those inquiries, which is into how the origianl investigation was conducted.
He told me that the police originally took the case to trial based on the evidence of a young witness which later proved to be unreliable. Stuart Alsopp-Smith says charges may follow, depending on the outcome of his investigations. PREREC
Overseas - reports are emerging from Afghanistan that helicopters are now being used in the American-lead attacks on the Taliban regime. In the heaviest raids yet, the United States once again bombed targets in and around major Afghan cities. Our Washington correspondent Vicky Ford reports. PKGE
BUSINESS NEWS WITH PATRICK O'MEARA
[illegible] body which can punish psychiatrists for unacceptable practices says it's unable to do anything about the man at the centre of the scandal over the treatment of children at Lake Alice Hospital. The government has apologised and paid six and a half million dollars in compensation to patients for what happened to them at the hospital during the 1970s.
Lake Alice's former supervising psychiatrist Dr Selwyn Leeks is now practising in Melbourne. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Pyschiatrists wants to see the damning report by retired High Court Judge Sir Rodney Gallen which lead to the compensation. Craig Patterson from the College says the stories of electric shocks and drugs used to punish the children warrent further action. PREREC
The police, Liquor Licensing Inspectors and Crown Public Health are disappointed with the results of an undercover police study into liquor sales to underage drinkers. The study in Christchurch showed supermarkets fared worst of all liquor retailers when it came to detecting 15 and 16 year olds wanting to buy alcohol illegally. Here's our police reporter, Antony Byers. PKGE
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with STEPHEN HEWSON
The largest gathering of world leaders since the September 11 attacks on the United States is getting underway in Shangai - the city hosting APEC - a forum for promoting free trade in the Asia Pacific region. City officials are taking no half measures with security, and terrorism not economics is set to dominate.. Our economics correspondent Brent Edwards is in Shangai and he joins us now. LIVE
Auckland police are concerned about the appearance of a new, more powerful, form of the illegal drug speed, or methamphetamine. The drug is known as Ice and as Sally Wenley reports, as well as being more potent than speed it's also more dangerous. PKGE
In Australia, unions are urging Ansett workers to reject the government's redundancy offer. Under a deal brokered with Ansett's administrators the Australian Government will pay up to 195 million dollars to Ansett staff made redundant. The money will be used to pay the staff all their outstanding annual [illegible] and long service leave, but will only meet redundancy entitlements of up to eight weeks pay. The Australian Council of Trade Unions president Sharon Burrow says the deal is not acceptable. PREREC
Two more cases of anthrax infection have been confirmed in the United States in what authorities fear could be a bio-terrorism followup to last month's devastating suicide attacks on Washington and New York. Four people have now been diagnosed with the disease in America - another nine have been exposed to it. Early today, a powdery substance found in a letter to the Senate Democratic leader tested positive for anthrax. The apparent use of mail to spread the disease has sparked worldwide alerts, from Canada to Eltham in Taranaki. There, emergency services cordonned off the centre of the town after a suspicious powder was found in a mail bag. Joining us now from Eltham is senior sergeant Frank Grant. LIVE
The Prime Minister's assistant minister on Auckland issues, Judith Tizard has defended herself in parliament this afternoon for taking sides in the city's mayoral race. Ms Tizard publicly backed former National MP Christine Fletcher, who was defeated by the former National cabinet minister John Banks. Ms Tizard [illegible] the government's performance on Auckland issues came under the scrutiny of opposition MP's during parliamentary questiontime.
Our political reporter, Mark Torley compiled this report. PKGE
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