HEADLINES & NEWS
There have been calls for harsher penalties for people trading in internet child pornography. In a case yesterday the court imposed a sentence of 200 hours community work - last week, another offender was fined five thousand dollars.
The lobby group, ECPAT, an organisation seeking to end child pornography, says the law does not reflect the gravity of the offences. Our social issues correspondent Shona Geary reports the group is calling for judges to impose more prison terms in such cases. PKGE
The man targetted in a kidnap plot thwarted by police in Wellington has gone to the High Court to keep his identity secret. A law firm acting on behalf of the middle-aged man asked for the suppression - the court has ordered suppression [illegible] further notice of the target's name, address or occupation, or any details leading to his identity or that of his family. Three men are facing charges of attempted kidnapping and conspiracy to kidnap. Police allege that the victim was to have been held in a specially built bunker in Rimutaka Forest Park near Upper Hutt - our reporter Patric Lane examined the bunker today - I asked him what it was like. PREREC
Provincial rugby bodies are calling for more top administrators' heads to roll as the fallout continues from the Eichelbaum Report into the World Cup hosting debacle.
Antony Byers reports. PKGE
BUSINESS NEWS WITH JOHN DRAPER
Many foodbanks around the country say they are critically short of food as high winter bills leave people short of money. The foodbanks say consistently high demand and fewer donations are leaving many short of the food basics they seperately need. Jill Galloway reports. PKGE
[illegible] deadly disease anthrax has been discovered at Scott's Hut in the Antarctic. Preliminary tests on samples taken from the area earlier this year by Waikato University scientists, have identified a positive sample. The Antarctic Heritage Trust says there has long been speculation about the presence of anthrax dating from Scott's expedition in the early 1900's. I asked the Trust's executive director Nigel Watson how the disease could have reached Antarctica. PREREC
B/ANNOUNCE: That was Nigel Watson from the Antarctic Heritage Trust. The Ministry of Health says anthrax spores can last for many years in the soil and don't pose a threat to people unless they are inhaled in large quantities or come into contact with open wounds.
The tussle continues between Labour and the Alliance over who holds the upper hand in the fight for the Waitakere seat.
The Alliance Leader Laila Harre needs to win the seat to ensure her party remains in parliament. But a new poll shows Labour's Lynne Pillay is on almost 28 percent, ahead of Ms Harre with just over 21, and National's Marie Hasler, who's close run third on 20. Our political reporter, Mark Torley has been gauging the reaction of the candidates. PKGE
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with ANDREW GREENWOOD
The White House has denounced as heavy handed an Israeli attack, in which fifteen people, including a Hamas leader and nine children were killed. Israel says the attack was carried out in self defense and killing Hamas leader Shalah Shehada will prevent future suicide attacks. Our Washington correspondent Vicky Ford reports. PKGE
B/ANNOUNCE: The attack is also being condemned by New Zealand. The Foreign Affairs minister Phil Goff says such attacks only further entrench the cycle of violence in the Middle East. And he says the killing of innocent Palestinian civilians in a military strike is no different from suicide bombings against Israeli civilians.
Hundreds of New Zealand and Australian holidaymakers have had their travel plans disrupted by ongoing industrial action by employees of the Fiji-based [illegible], Air Pacific.
Engineering staff have walked off the job and cabin crew staff are taking sick leave after talks between their union and the airline stalled last week. The dispute has forced international flights to be delayed or cancelled - the latest impact today has seen delays to two flights from Fiji to Melbourne and Sydney. I asked Air Pacific's general manager of sales and marketing Craig McCarthy about the disruptions. PREREC
To the High Court in Auckland - where seven teenagers are facing charges of aggravated assault and murder for the killing of a pizza delivery man. 40 year old Michael Choy was killed while delivering a pizza in the Auckland suburb of Papakura last September. Our reporter Sally Wenley has been in court - she told me that the defence lawyers say some of the accused should be facing manslaughter, not murder charges. PREREC
Asian immigrants have found themselves being used as election fodder in recent campaigns but the community itself is politically hard to define. There are now around 230 thousand Asian residents in New Zealand - predominantly Chinese and Indian. Our reporter Barbara Dreaver takes a look at what they are thinking in [illegible] up to the election. PKGE
Wellington Regional Council staff say they're disgusted that dead animal parts have been dumped in two Wellington rivers. Staff say the dumping is a potential health risk to recreational users of the Mangaroa and Hutt rivers and warns it will prosecute if it finds the people responsible. I asked the council's resource investigations manager John Sherriff about the remains. PREREC
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