New Zealand Herald

Mates Car - Missing Mates- Manukau Tragedy - Todd Allegations - Crime Graduate - Cancer Screening - Health Screening - Samuels Contemplates - Launches Lost- Spotted Kiwi - Children’s TV

MATES CAR: Invercargill police say they have found the car that was used by three 18-year-old boys who went missing on Saturday. The vehicle is upside down, and mostly submerged, in a creek near Invercargill. There is still no sign of the missing boys: Marc Hill, Richard Kelly and Carl Wilson.

MISSING MATES: The trail of three missing young mates from Invercargill has grown as cold as a midwinter's night in Southland. The only possible clue last night was a set of tyre tracks leading into a creek near Invercargill but police were playing it down.

MANUKAU TRAGEDY: Kuljinder Kaur will never forget the moment she lost her beloved sister into the darkness of the storm-tossed Manukau Harbour last Wednesday night. In the pelting rain and strong wind, Kuljinder tried to throw herself in after her sister who had just said, "I'm sick of this life" before plunging 20m from Mangere bridge to her death holding her 11-month-old son.

TODD ALLEGATIONS: Mark Todd has refused to tell Olympic officials whether he snorted cocaine at an Oxford hotel. Agents for the two-time Olympic champion responded to the New Zealand Olympic Committee's "please explain" request yesterday after contacting Todd overnight in England.

CRIME GRADUATE: Charles Paki was 12 when he stole chocolate from a shop. Six years later, he has graduated to armed robbery, police bashing and escape from custody. Paki and accomplice Tasi Fepale were still on the run last night after beating Senior Constable Jim Davey during a daring escape from Tokoroa police station on Monday night.

CANCER SCREENING: More women risk developing invasive cervical cancer if the national screening programme is not overhauled, says a health authority report that surfaced at the Gisborne inquiry. The damning document revealed there had been no national quality standards developed and little monitoring or evaluation of the programme since its inception in 1991.

HEALTH SCREENING: More money needs to be spent on health-screening programmes, the Medical Association says. An investigation has been launched into Healthcare Otago's breast-screening programme after a clerical error resulted in some patients not getting follow-up treatment.

SAMUELS CONTEMPLATES: Dumped cabinet minister Dover Samuels says he would lash out again if confronted by the circumstances which led to one of two assault convictions against him. But he fails to understand why his history of violence was brought to light in the past two weeks.

LAUNCHES LOST: Fishing vessels and container ships have been asked to keep an eye out for two luxury launches swept overboard in a fierce storm. The launches, built in Tauranga and worth $1.2 million, were lost overboard from the container ship Fanal Trader on Friday during a hurricane-force gale between Auckland and Sydney.

SPOTTED KIWI: Little spotted kiwi have been released at the Karori Wildlife Sanctuary, in Wellington, their first appearance on the mainland in 125 years. Department of Conservation staff spent Monday and yesterday morning on Kapiti Island capturing 20 kiwi for transfer to Karori, sanctuary spokesman Steve Thompson said.

CHILDREN’S TV: TVNZ is turning its attention to an area of New Zealand television highlighted as being in "serious trouble" - children's programmes. The state broadcaster has announced a major review of how it will approach children's programming on TV2 over the next three years.

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