1The United States Federal Reserve says it will pump money in to the financial system as a means to lower the interest rates that banks charge to each other. The New Zealand dollar hit its highest point in a month today after a cut in the United States key interest rate to nearly zero.

2The Minister of Corrections is disputing a briefing paper from her own department says that up to four new prisons could be needed in the next three years. In the briefing to Judith Collins, the Department is forecasting more than two thousand extra prison beds will be needed if the current rate of imprisonment continues.

3The education union, the NZER says the sale of more than 210 early childhood centres will cause a lot of streess for teachers and parents. ABC NZ is selling up in the wake of its parent company in Australian going into receivership last month.

4The global economic crisis and tough mortgage market here are being blamed for the closure of Wizard Home Loans. The decision means 80 staff are out of work from the 25 branches across the country.

5Business News

6As the diplomatic standoff continues, the travel bans at the centre of the row are being criticised as doing nothing to help move Fiji towards democracy.

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8United States sharemarkets have rallied on news the US central bank has cut its main interest rate to virtually zero. Instead of cutting by a fixed rate the Federal Reserved moved it to within a target range of between zero and a quarter of one percent.

9It is likely that taxpayers will have to fork out hundreds of millions of dollars more for accommodation supplements in coming years as rents increase by as much as 6% according a briefing paper given to Minister of Housing Phil Heatley.

10Minister of Housing Hon. Phil Heatley discussing accommodation supplements.

11Waatea News

12The lawyer for Bruce Emery says he may appeal a bail decision that will keep his client in jail until he is sentenced.

13Two Dunedin surgeons are making a dent in the public waiting list, by giving free operations to 36 children. Ear, nose and throat specialists Martin Fields and Dean Rusk will perform operations at Mercy Hospital after many children's operations were cancelled at the outbreak of the norovirus.

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15The Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully has received a letter from Fiji prime minister Frank Bainimarama. Suprisingly the letter makes no mention of New Zealand's High Commissioner, who Fiji has threatened to expel.

16Mandatory biofuel obligations have been repealed after Parliament passed legislation under urgency on Wednesday afternoon. The bill removes requirements introduced in oct that small proportion of fuel be biofuel.

17Business News

18News from China, including; foreign websites banned again after being unbanned for the 2008 Olympic Games; economy in China; China's involvement in piracy;

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20Former Bank of New Zealand Chairman Kerry McDonald, has criticised Kiwibank for what he calls its overly aggressive advertising campaign.

21The parents of five primary school children in Christchurch say they have nowhere to go next year after plans for an intermediate level bilingual class were put on hold. The children were studying Te Reo and Tikanga Maori at Orangi Primary School.