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**** Checkpoint FOR THURS 30 APRIL
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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There are now 16 people with confirmed or probable swine flu and more than a hundred suspected cases as health authorities begin planning to set up special assessment centres to move risky passengers away from airports. The centres are part of the Ministry of Health's pandemic plans and could be set up around the country over the next few weeks if the situation worsens. One is likely to be set up at Middlemore Hospital - plans for that will be finalised shortly.
Thousands of people worldwide are being tested and treated for the swine flu virus. Mexico has just counted another 17 deaths of patients suspected of having the disease bringing the total there to 176.
And a short time ago President Felipe Calderon urged people to stay at home with their families as he announced a partial shut-down of the economy for five days from tomorrow. Earlier today World Health Organisation raised its pandemic alert level to 5 - the second highest level, which indicates an 'imminent risk' of a flu pandemic. Here's the Director-General is Dr Margaret Chan, Health officials here also moved today to establish a "community-based assessment centre", most likely at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital. The director-general of health, Stephen McKernan gave details to journalists at a media conference this morning. As we mentioned here there are now 16 confirmed or probable cases - the number of suspected cases more than a hundred. Here's the Deputy DIrector of Public Health Fran McGrath. PREREC
The mayor of Grey District, Tony Kokshorn, is one who's been quarantined for swine flu after one of his children developed a sore throat. Mr Kokshorn was due to meet the Prime Minister, John Key, in Greymouth tomorrow. He's on the line now. LIVE
The Reserve Bank is telling people there's no need to rush out and fix their mortgage rates as it's going to keep the cost of borrowing low until late next year. The Bank cut the offical cash rate by half a percentage point this morning to 2.5 percent and says it could still move modestly lower. Its financial markets manager David Drage says today's statement will keep pressure of local interest rates. And the message to the retail banks was clear - more of the huge drop in the OCR over the last year should pass through to borrowers in the coming months. The Bank says since March there's been unwarranted increases in both interest and exchange rates. Kris Dando is a young professional with a new baby. His wife's paid parental leave ends in June and he says today's move will make a significant difference. The dollar fell by about about one per cent to 55 point 8 US cents on the news - but has gained steadily throughout the day and is now at 56-point-5 - All of the main trading banks except Westpac have yet to cut mortgage rates. Westpac cut its six-month home loan rate by 0.4 of a per cent to 5.39 per cent. Joining us now is the BNZ Chief Economist Tony Alexander. LIVE
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Nadine Chalmers Ross
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The Commerce Commission has cleared four banks in its investigation into the calculation of break fees for home mortgages.
The fees are charged by banks to recover losses when a customer pays off their loan early or wants to renegotiate the terms of the loan.
Here's our Consumer Affairs reporter Ben Brown . PKG
A drop-off in tourist numbers is among the reasons being given for a round of redundancies at caravan builder, C.I Munro.
The Hamilton-based company, owned by Tourism Holdings Ltd has been struggling for some time. And today, more than two thirds of the company workforce got the news they've been dreading. Andrew McRae reports. PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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One of David Bain's uncles has told a court he took it upon himself to ask his nephew what he termed "the critical question" because no-one else in the family had done so. Michael Bain gave evidence in the High Court in Christchurch today, where David Bain is on trial for the murders of his 5 family members Margaret, Robin, Arawa, Laniet and Stephen. Monqiue Devereux is covering the trial and joins me now......Q&A
Labour is challenging the Minister of Education to explain why changes to the education system are necessary after New Zealand secondary schools achieved a top rank in an international study.
The OECD-report released in Paris yesterday looks at the achievement in science of 15-year-olds in 57 countries, and placed New Zealand second only to Finland. Our education correspondent, Gael Woods, has the story. PKG
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17.45 TRAILS
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WAATEA
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The Labour Party has accused the Government of appointing spies in Government departments. The Government today acknowledged there are new advisers helping ministers to cut spending in the public service. But the Public Service Association says they breach the State Sector Act. Our political reporter Danya Levy filed this story. PKG
The NIWA National Climate Centre says a near-normal winter outlook will bring little respite for the country's drought affected regions.
The centre's three-month outlook from May to July forecasts average or above average temperatures across the whole country. NIWA principal scientist Dr James Renwick says that means it will be a slow recovery for drought affected regions. He's on the line now. LIVE
Scientists at the Institute of Environmental Science and Research in Wellington have begun testing swine flu samples in New Zealand.
Preliminary testing for influenza A is being done by district health board laboratories, and the ESR is focussing on identifying the H1N1 swine flu strain. The general manager at the ESR, Dr Fiona Thompson-Carter, says World Health Organisation protocol meant earlier samples were sent to Melbourne for testing. PREREC
Up to 30 jobs could be axed at the Ministry of Fisheries under a new restructuring plan. The positions likely to be affected are management jobs in Wellington, Auckland, Napier and Nelson. The Ministry's chief executive, Wayne McNee says its not clear yet how many people will lose their jobs. PREREC
During yesterday's Checkpoint, we reported on the inquest into last year's death of Israeli tourist Liat Okin on the Routeburn Track. During the story, we reported comments by an Okin family friend that the family had not been told when the inquest would be held. The Queenstown Coroner David Crerar has clarified that he did inform the family of the inquest dates. READER
Pope Benedict has apologised to native Indian Canadian children who were abused in state funded church schools in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. More than a-hundred-and-fifty-thousand Indian children in Canada were forced to attend the schools in an attempt to assimilate them. Many suffered physical and sexual abuse. From Rome, David Willey reports PKG