1A teenager who helped another boy kill himself has escaped a jail sentence in what his lawyer has described as a tragic case that highlights the insidious sub-culture of youth suicide. Dillon Gargett was sentenced to eight months home detention in the High Court at Christchurch today for assisting in the suicide of 16-year-old Ben Dowdell.

2The Cook Islands emergency relief team says the damage on the island of Aitutaki is much worse than first thought.

3The police have launched a homicide investigation following the discovery of a woman's body in a South Auckland park. She was found just before 7:00am this morning by members of the public.

4A framework agreement between the Crown and Maori in Auckland has paved the way for the Government to achieve its goal of settling historic treaty claims by 2014. It's the first step toward a deal that will give a collective of 12-iwi 11 of Auckland's volcanic cones, including One Tree Hill.

5Business News

6In the David and Goliath battle of the mobile phone networks, newcomer 2Degrees is making headway against the big players.

7Former President of the United States Bill Clinton, has undergone heart surgery after complaining of chest pains.

85:30pm News

9European leaders have agreed to take coordinated action to rescue the failing Greek economy and restore confidence in the tumbling Euro. There are fears that without a bail-out Greece might be forced to return to its old currency.

10Latest figures show people are still nervous about spending too much, with an unprecedented slump in supermarket, grocery and department store sales in December.

11The credibility of the Australian military justice system is in again in question after a finding that a defence investigation was biased.

12Waatea News

13The police have just formally identified the body of a woman found in the Port Hills east of Christchurch last night as Vanessa Pickering.

14An independent cancer advisory group is warning New Zealand will have to start making tough choices about who qualifies for cancer treatment. It says the means to test and pay for treatments is decreasing just as the population is getting older and sicker.

15One of Britain's leading fashion designers, Alexander McQueen, has died at his home in London. The police say his death is not suspicious.

166:00pm News

17The Minister of Health has revealed the details of a new Commission he's setting up to reduce mistakes and improve safety for patients wherever they are being treated.

18Fonterra is describing its Edendale Dairy Factory in Southland as the biggest in the world after the Prime Minister opened a new milk drying machine there today.

19Wellington's Fringe Festival kicks off today. Some of the country's top acts like Flight of the Conchords, Rhys Darby, Raybon Kan and Strike Percussion have had their initiation at the festival, which is celebrating its twentieth birthday this year.

20Until now, anyone with a hammer has been allowed to call himself a builder but under a scheme launched by the Government today, every builder, brickie, roofer and plasterer now has two years to get licensed.

21Business News

22In Tonga, the former Attorney General and Minister of Justice has delivered stinging criticism of the Prime Minister and his government over the sinking of ferry MV Princess Ashika last year and the loss of 74-lives.

236:30pm News

24Focus on Politics: In his statement to Parliament this week, the Prime Minister signalled the Government would raise the tax on goods and services but cut personal tax rates. The proposal has prompted strong political debate, with the Government's ally the Maori Party saying it has serious reservations about the intention to raise GST to 15-percent.

25Waatea News

26The military-led regime in Fiji says it will stick to holding elections in 2014 despite pressue from a United Nations committee to hold a vote earlier.