TV1 News

Wairarapa Toddler Murder – OCR Unchanged – Nelson Wharf Dispute – Human Cloning – Internet Twins – Black Stilts

- WAIRARAPA TODDLER MURDER: A 23-year-old man is charged with the murder of 2-year-old Wairarapa toddler, Thomas Shuman. The man has been remanded in custod for a full psychiatric report and is due back in court in early February. No weapon is thought to have been used in the murder. The accused, a relative of the toddler, was staying at the family home for a week. He has been given interim name suppression.

- OCR UNCHANGED: The Reserve Bank today announced it would not change it’s official cash rate of 6.5 percent, despite evidence the economy is roaring back to life. Confidence is on the up, as the economy warms up. But with the slowdown in the US economy, questions remain about how long the economic recovery can last.

- NELSON WHARF DISPUTE: The Labour Department has just announced that unions and port bosses are prepared to talk, in the latest development in the Port of Nelson dispute over labour on the wharf. Mainland Stevedores claims its workers have been intimidated and harassed off the wharf, and police have confirmed they are investigating some incidents. The Nelson Waterfront Union says it does not condone intimidation. More protests are planned for 7pm tonight, as another shift turns over.

- HUMAN CLONING: The controversy over human cloning has been stirred up, as Britain has made the cloning of human embryos, for specific medical research, legal. Almost every religious group opposed the law. The new law allows embryos to be cloned, but they must be destroyed at 14 days. The British Government insists it has not moved closer to full human cloning.

- INTERNET TWINS: The Internet twins at the centre of a trans-Atlantic custody war, are to stay in emergency foster care. The natural mother, says she is working and can take the babies back, while the English couple who found them over the Internet hold out hope of getting the babies back.

- BLACK STILTS: Nine black stilts that have been raised in captivity have been released into the wild. The Department of Conservation says they cannot be sure of the chances of survival for the birds.

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