Checkpoint FOR THURSDAY 4 MARCH 2010
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The 22 year old man who shot and killed a South Auckland liquor store owner has been found guilty of murder. 30-year-old Navtej Singh died from a single gunshot wound to his stomach the day after his Manurewa liquor store was robbed at gunpoint in June 2008. Anitilea Chan-Kee was one of seven men charged over the death of Mr Singh. Our reporter Sam Morrah was at the High Court in Auckland for the verdicts this afternoon and he joins us now.
LIVE
Daljit Singh is a spokesperson for the Navtej Singh's wife and family. He says they accept the jury's decision but are still very disappointed that the other accused were NOT held responsible for the killing. PREREC
On call emergency staff at the Hutt Valley District Health Board are being transferred from Telecom's failing XT mobile network with the hospital saying its lack of reliability is a threat to patient safety.
The network has failed four times since December. Forty nine doctors and nurses and some senior managment staff have XT phones and the hospital is now thinking about dumping its Telecom contract which is worth more than a million dollars. The DHB's acting chief executive is Michael Hundleby. PREREC
They track the country's earthquakes and its criminals, have given the world golden kiwifruit and stab-proof wool vests, but a new report suggests competition may be killing New Zealand's Crown Research Institutes. The report recommends the Government change the way it funds CRI's so scientists can spend more time on science, and less time fighting for funding. The ideas have won wide support, including from the president of the New Zealand Association of Scientists, Dr James Renwick. CLIP The Minister of Science, Research and Technology, Wayne Mapp, says the government will follow most of the report's recommendations.
CLIP On the line now is the head of the CRI taskforce that wrote the report, Neville Jordan. LIVE
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH
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Child, Youth and Family has revealed that the parents of a baby girl who died from head injuries already had two children taken into care . 22-month old Hail-Sage McClutchie died in Waikato Hospital from serious head injuries she received at a house in Morrinsville in Waikato, the night before. The Chief Executive of Child, Youth and Family, Ray Smith says social workers didn't know the family had gone on to have another child. The police are still investigating the case, which is being treated at this stage as a homicide.
He won't say why the previous children were removed or when.
PREREC
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17.30 HEADLINES
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The beleagured Canterbury Regional Council has made its survival pitch to the government saying it's prepared to accept a commissioner to help allocate and manage the region's hotly contested water resource. A report released two weeks ago recommends abolishing the Council saying the gap between what needs to be done and the local body's ability to act is enormous and unprecedented. The Government has not made a final decision. Councillor Bronwen Murray says locals should not be stripped of their right to elected representation and a better plan would be for a commissioner who would work alongside an advisory goup of elected officials. She says the Council would carry out its other functions as normal. PREREC
Fiji's High Court is continuing to hear submissions about eight men convicted of plotting to kill Fiji's interim Prime Minister, Frank Bainimarama. The men were found guilty yesterday and a sentencing hearing is expected to fill up all of today and some of tomorrow. Our reporter Eric Frykberg has been monitoring the case and he joins us now. LIVE
An Auckland community board has facetiously recommended that a roadway, being built for the Rugby World Cup, be named after either an anti-apartheid activist or a South African President - or be given the Māori word meaning crazy. The three-million dollar link lane is part of a package of 18 million dollars worth of upgrades around Eden Park.. Leilani Momoisea reports PKG
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17.45 TRAILS
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WAATEA
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The Labour Party says a government-commissioned report into science should have come up with ways to turn public research into commercial ideas. Its science spokesperson, David Shearer, says the report of the Crown Research Institute Taskforce is good, but it does not go far enough. Here's our political editor Brent Edwards. PKG
It's called a "friendly" match, but New Zealand's national football team is feeling the heat as it faces Mexico in a world cup warm-up match in California. The stadium holds about 75-thousand fans, and all but about a thousand of those are there to cheer for Mexico.
The game is just going in to half-time (note: half time should be at 5:50), and we are joined now by the All White's spokesperson, Jamie Scott, who is in the stands at the Rosebowl stadium in Pasadena. LIVE
The police officer, who headed the homicide investigation into the death of a teenager mistakenly killed in a high speed police chase, says the constable who fired the deadly shot did not see the teenager. Detective Inspector Peter Devoy was giving evidence at the inquest into the death of 17-year-old Halatau Naitoko, who was caught in a crossfire as the police tried to catch Stephen McDonald in January last year. Georgina Ball has been at the inquest today. PKG
Plans for a one point seven million dollar a year scheme to improve marine safety in the Marlborough Sounds are being vigorously opposed by commercial operators. Submitters have told a hearing the plan won't stop boating accidents and the cost could force smaller operators out of business. Geoff Moffett reports PKG
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