Top Stories for Friday 21 April 2017
The Chief of the Air Force says despite the effective grounding of all its NH 90 helicopters the aircraft are not duds. The airforce has stopped all flights to areas where emergency landings are not possible, such as cities, mountains or water after one of the helicopters was forced to make an emergency landing on Sunday. Air Vice-Marshal Tony Davies says he expects engine problems with helicopters to be sorted within weeks. Former Prime Minister Jim Bolger, who oversaw the dramatic undermining of unions, now says they've become too small. Massive preparations are under way to move the 177-year-old Treaty of Waitangi along with the Declaration of Indendence of the United Tribes of New Zealand, and the Women's Suffrage Petition 200 metres from the National Archives to the National Library. The mayor of New Zealand's driest region says the overhaul of water permits granted in the Otago gold rush could threaten its economic future, as our Otago-Southland reporter, Ian Telfer, explains. A former senator once voted America's sexiest man has been chosen by Donald Trump as the next United States ambassador to New Zealand. Our Washington Correspondent Simon Marks fleshes out the background of Scott Brown. A police officer has been killed and another wounded in a shooting on the Champs Elysee in Paris. Christian Malard from i24 news in Paris says helicopters are flying over the area. The shooting comes as the first round of the 2017 French presidential elections is about to get underway.
