Police make an arrest into the homicide inquiry into two Blenheim friends who went missing over five months ago. Ben Smart and Olivia Hope dispappeared after attending a New Years party at a lodge in the Marlborough Sounds. The head of Operation Tam, Rob Pope made the announcement. 26 year old Scott Watson is charged with two counts of murder and appears in the Christchurch District Court this afternoon. Reporter Lauren Mckenzie is I/V'd LIVE. as is reporter Helen Shea in Blenheim LIVE.
It's a big day for investors on the share market today with the long awaited AMP share float .. Business editor Gyles Beckford interviews Lucinda Chan of MacQuarie Equities on Sydney LIVE and Don Leuthwaite from Credit Suisse First Boston LIVE.
[illegible] 18-year old man is charged with the murder of a Wellington taxi [illegible] today after a brutul weekend attack which resulted the taxi drivers death. Matthew Luamanu of Naenae is also charged with robbing the 66-year old driver of 30 dollars cash and causing grevious bodily harm. pkge ex Andrea Rush.
In Australia shock waves are reverberating around the country in the wake of the swell of support for Pauline Hanson's far right One Nation party in the Queensland election. Mrs Hanson's One Nation Party is expected to hold the balance of power in the state parliament... Pkge ex Zandra Sharpe.
Pauline Hanson's is well known for her opposition to asian immigration, the removal of tariffs and the continued government funding of aboriginal programmes..But how will the Hanson factor impact on New Zealand and will the rest of Asia lump both countries together in terms of racial attitudes? pkge ex Adam Hollingworth.
1730 HEADLINES
Christchurch's Mayor meets with police to seek a solution to the gang violence currently plaguing the city. In the last week there've been three gang related incidents involving firearms..That includes an incident last Friday in which rival gangs shot at each other, resulting in two men being admitted to Christchurch hospital. - where the latest armed incident occured... pkge ex Jo Palmer.
The owners of Māori reserved land in Taranaki welcome an Appeal Court ruling clarifying legislation passed this year. The Government is compensating owners and farmers for changes being made to the leases. Farmers were concerned that one of the compensation methods had been tied to a date when lease values were low, but the Court of Appeal says that's not the case. The spokesperson for the West Coast Settlement reserve Lessees association, Lyn Willams is I/V'd LIVE.
The lawyer for a group at the centre of the Māori customary fishing rights row says the group didn't fish for financial gain, and believed it acted lawfully. The Confederation of Chiefs of the United Tribes of Aotearoa has taken the Ministry of Fisheries to court claiming nearly two and a half million dollars in damages.. Reporter Lisa Owen is I/V'd LIVE.
A former Secretary of labour in the Clinton administration is in New Zealand giving the Labour party ideas about economic strategy.. Robert Reich has been brought to New Zealand by Labour, and he spent today at a seminar aimed at helping the party develop its economic policy ahead of the next election. Political reporter Sarah Boyd has been at the seminar - she is I/V'd LIVE.
1745 SPORTS
1750 MANA NEWS
In an unusual move the judge presiding over a murder trial in Gisborne discharges the accused before any witnesses are called. 27 year old Brendon Kinita from Wanganui was charged with murdering Joseph Tuhi near Wairoa between May and July in 1994.
Reporter Heugh Chappell is I/V'd LIVE.
[illegible] NEWS BULLETIN