1Helicopters with heat seeking equipment and armed offenders squads are on the hunt for a gunman who's been on the run in Hawkes Bay since yesterday afternoon. A 3000-hectare area has been fenced off and residents told to stay in their homes. The man is believed to be 42-year-old David Bourke.

2The New Zealand Transport Agency says a 'freak weather occurrence' - not poor planning - caused hundreds of people to be left stranded in their cars in freezing conditions overnight. Civil Defence was forced to declare a state of emercency after a meter of snow fell on state highway five between Napier and Taupo.

3Business News

4Relief aid work in both the Samoas stopped today as national church services took place to remember the victims of the tsunami. 135-people died in Samoa and eight are missing.

55:30pm News

6The country's biggest privately-owned dairy farming enterprise has been put into receivership, following reports that the operation owes about $200-million. The owners, the Crafar famiky had already put all of their farms on the market. Their operations are also under investigation from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry following complains of animal neglect from neighbours.

7The government's celebrating a slow down in unemployment - but the past month still saw 15-hundred new unemployment beneficiaries though the number of people on the benefit has tripled since the same month last year. The Minister of Social Development and Employment Paula Bennett is still celebrating saying the rise has eased significantly in the last few months.

8Waatea News

9Helicopters with heat seeking equipment and armed offenders squads are on the hunt for a gunman who's been on the run in Hawkes Bay since yesterday afternoon. It appears Hawke's Bay farmers are now being allowed back inside a police cordon on a case by case basis.

10The New Zealand government has pledged further financial assistance to help rebuild the areas devastated by the Pacific tsunami. Prime Minister John Key held a press conference this afternoon to announce further aid.

11Dairy prices have helped New Zealand's commodity exports post their largest monthly rise on world markets in 22-years.

126:00pm News

13Hundreds of stranded motorists are preparing to spend another night in emergency centres after being snowed in on the Napier to Taupo Road. Civil Defence estimates up to 900-people were caught in the blizzard yesterday and had to abandon their cars.