CHECKPOINT RUNDOWN - MONDAY NOVEMBER 6
HEADLINES & NEWS
Six child heart patients have been tested for HIV and Hepatitis infection, SIX MONTHS after a discovery by Hutt Valley Health that it was using the wrong device for blood testing the children. The tests have revealed that NO children had been infected. They follow the discovery by the Hutt Hospital in May that for more than a year it had been testing the childrens blood using a device intended for home use instead of one designed for hospitals. While both devices use small disposable needles known as lancets, the home version reuses a plaform which comes into contact with the patients' skin while the hospital version does not.
Hutt Valley Health's Medical Director, Dr Robert Logan, joins me now... LIVE
[illegible] me now is the Ministry of Health's Chief Clinical Advisor, Dr Colin Feek... LIVE
BUSINESS NEWS with GYLES BECKFORD
In the United States, the two leading presidential candidates are making final visits to key states in what has become the closest election in 40 years. Neither Al Gore, nor George W Bush are taking anything for granted, with most opinion polls showing that the race for the White House is still neck and neck. But as our Washington correspondent Steve Mort reports, both men are predicting victory. PKGE
A search has been launched in central Auckland for a very large snake after a freshly-shed skin was found. A fresh snakeskin was found on the side of a road in the suburb of Freemans Bay - experts from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry say it's from a one-point-eight metre long snake, possibly a carpet or diamond python. The director of Animal Biosecurity at MAF, Derek Belton joins us now. LIVE
The host of a child abuse conference in New Plymouth is supporting the Conservation Minister Sandra Lee's use of the word holocaust in relation to Māori. Ms Lee used the word at a Christchurch health hui to describe the big reduction in the Māori population during the 19th century. Two months ago, the Associate Māori Affairs Minister Tariana Turia was forced to apologise after using "holocaust" in relation to colonisation. The Alliance leader Jim Anderton says he has spoken with Sandra Lee and she now agrees that her use of the word was inappropriate. Peter Love is the chairman of the Ngati Te Whiti hapu, which is the host hapu of the Beyond Violence conference. I asked him if Ms Lee should have been rebuked. PREREC
WORLD WATCH HEADLINES
5.30 NEWS HEADLINES
SPORT with STEPHEN HEWSON
The Prime Minister says she's prepared to support the concept of a People's Bank if it meets certain conditions. The Alliance Leader Jim Anderton's plans for such a Bank with New Zealand Post moved a step closer over the weekend with key Cabinet Ministers meeting to resolve the main sticking points. After the cabinet meeting today, Helen Clark said she'll support the People's Bank if there is a need for it. CUT
Meanwhile, Lois Williams has been looking at Australia's version of community banking, the Bendigo bank, and found its popularity is soaring. PKGE
In Perth, one man is dead and another badly injured after a shark attack. It's the third shark attack fatality in Australia in recent weeks - last month, a New Zealander, Cameron Bayes, and an Australian youth were killed in seperate shark attacks north of Adelaide. Today's attacks occured at Cottesloe Beach near Perth - Kit Gamble owns a cafe there. He knew both victims, and witnessed the attack. PREREC
A quick update of our earlier story - a bush fire is disrupting commuter traffic near Wellington. Nine appliances, Bush fire experts and a helicopter are fighting the fire near Porirua, which has forced the closure of the south bound lanes of State Highway One. Traffic is being detoured away from the area [illegible] say the fire is now being brought under control. WRIT
Police in the Horowhenua town of Levin have set up a special anti-burglary operation to counter the low clearance rate of such crimes in the region. In the last year to June, only 22 burglaries were solved out of the 352 reported in Levin. Police are blaming the situation on cuts to staffing numbers and a series of high profile, serious crimes as Jill Galloway reports. PKGE
In Fiji, the military is continuing to hunt for about 12 army mutineers who waged a deadly gunbattle in Suva last week with loyal troops. The rebels are members of Fiji's special forces unit, which backed George Speight's May coup. I asked the army's spokesperson Major Howard Politini whether any of the rebels have been caught. PREREC
The worst plague of rats and mice in 30 years is taking over parts of the South Island's Buller District. Residents from Murchison to Reefton are being forced to keep windows and doors closed and lay kilograms of bait in an attempt to keep the rodents at bay. Our Nelson regional reporter Helen Shea has the details. PKGE
MANA NEWS
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