New Zealand Herald

Driver Licenses - Body In Harbour - Todd Allegations - Maori Affairs Minister - Private Lives - Maori Women On Men - Business Confidence - Wanted Man- Auckland Flood - Super-12 Fantasy - - Pedophile In Creche

DRIVER LICENSES: The controversial new driver licensing scheme will be reviewed, although 2.4 million drivers have already switched to the photo licences. Prime Minister Helen Clark and Transport Minister Mark Gosche will today announce an independent review of how the system is run. It will focus on the treatment of novice, elderly and commercial drivers.

BODY IN HARBOUR: A bitter wind cut across the harbour as the two policeman pulled Kamaljoit Singh's tiny body from the water. The pair had been desperately searching for about an hour, helped by the police Eagle helicopter, when they found the baby boy about 150m from land just before 11.30am yesterday.

TODD ALLEGATIONS: New Zealand's Olympic chief-in-waiting, John Davies, wants Mark Todd to declare his innocence or guilt over allegations that he sniffed cocaine. Double Olympic champion Todd has been included in a six-strong New Zealand equestrian team for the Olympics in Sydney in September despite the drug allegations in Britain's Sunday Mirror.

MAORI AFFAIRS MINISTER: Political novice Parekura Horomia is set to become the new Minister of Maori Affairs when the Prime Minister judges it is time to hold a caucus ballot. And Labour's Maori caucus chairman, Waiariki MP Mita Ririnui, appears to be the front-runner as the new associate minister outside the cabinet to replace Mr Horomia.

PRIVATE LIVES: Common decency - or just self-preservation? Whatever the reason, politicians from the left and right linked arms yesterday in a plea not to let utu thrust politicians' private lives into the spotlight in the wake of Dover Samuels' sacking. Some Labour MPs, led by Titirangi member David Cunliffe, have pledged revenge against Act leader Richard Prebble, whom they blame for raising the allegations against Mr Samuels that led to his sacking from the cabinet on Wednesday.

MAORI WOMEN ON MEN: Maori women are calling on their men to crack down on physical and sexual abuse and violence within Maori families after the sacking of Maori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels. The Te Tai Tokerau MP was dumped on Wednesday after a series of allegations about his personal life.

BUSINESS CONFIDENCE: WELLINGTON - Business confidence has plunged further, to the lowest levels since the aftermath of the 1987 sharemarket crash. In the National Bank's monthly survey of mainly small and medium-sized firms, 63 per cent expect general business conditions to be worse in 12 months while only 8 per cent expect them to be better.

WANTED MAN: Police will today resume searching the Waitakere Ranges for a New Lynn man wanted for questioning in connection with the shooting death of his partner. Keith London, aged 41, has been missing since the body of his partner, Alison Aris, 32, was found at their Arahoe Rd home on Tuesday. She had been shot several times in the head and body.

AUCKLAND FLOOD: Eleanor Fala phoned the police when she heard glass breaking in a nearby room. But the intruder was a 3m torrent of water, which had forced open the metal garage door of her Grey Lynn home, smashing car windows and shelves.

SUPER-12 FANTASY: Rugby fans who took part in a Super 12 "fantasy team" competition will have a wait for their winnings - the company is in liquidation. Ultimate Rugby's Hong Kong owners took the action this week, still owing nearly $200,000 to winners. It also owes big money to the New Zealand Rugby Union, which let the company use official Super 12 logos in its promotions.

PEDOPHILE IN CRECHE: No one checked whether Brian Raymond Harris was a sex attacker when he applied for a job at an Auckland creche. Work and Income New Zealand says it did not have to - even though it subsidised his wages - and Harris' bosses have said nothing at all.

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