Checkpoint FOR FRI 21 MAY 2010
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The Finance Minister Bill English has this afternoon floated the idea of partial asset sales in a second term, using Kiwibank as an example. He's described the Government's multi-billion-dollar asset porfolio as ripe for change and improvement. Mr English was unavailable to talk to Checkpoint but here's Chief Parliamentary reporter Jane Patterson: LIVE
The Government is admitting its tax cuts won't cover the rising cost of living. But the Prime Minister,John Key, is playing down fears that changes announced in yesterday's budget will cause rampant inflation. As part of the economic outlook included in the budget, Treasury is predicting inflation will hit 5-point-9 percent next year. Here's our political reporter, Chris Bramwell. PKG
A police officer whose partner was shot dead during an undercover operation in Auckland has told a High Court jury how he raised his hands in surrender when confronted by two armed men. Officer M is giving evidence at the trial of John Skinner and Iain Clegg who are accused of his attempted murder and the murder of Sergeant Don Wilkinson in Mangere in 2008. The officers had been trying to install a tracking device on Mr Skinner's car when they set off a sensor light and were discovered. Our reporter Laura Davis has been covering the trial and joins us now. LIVE
Fears that Europe will be unable to get on top of the debt crisis has sparked another round of market panic. The New Zealand dollar fell sharply overnight to a ten month low against the greenback, as shares on Wall Street took a dive followed by slides in Asia, Australia and here. The kiwi's now trading at 67 US cents and it's fallen more than 8 percent in the last 2-and-a-half weeks. Is the panic justified? -joining us now is currency analyst Derek Rankin. LIVE
Christchurch Police now say it is likely Emma Campbell's disappearance was staged but they're unsure if anyone else is involved. The 29-year-old was last seen at a service station off Riccarton Road early on May 1st. Her car was later found on the side of Dyers Pass Road and Detective Senior Sergeant John Rae says it doesn't look as if it left the road accidentally. PREREC
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BUSINESS WITH Patrick O'Meara
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The Commerce Commission is warning banks and credit card companies against charging unreasonable late payment fees. It's told them that charges of more than 15 dollars cannot be justified and, if they continue with the practice, they could face legal action. A spokesman for the Commission, Graham Gill, says companies are not allowed to make a profit from the fees or use them to recover bad debt. PREREC
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17.30 HEADLINES
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There are warnings a further sidelining of the New Zealand Superannuation Fund in the Budget means people should prepare to rely less on the Government to provide for them in their old age.
And they say changes in the Budget to boost savings may not be enough to provide a large enough nest egg for retirees to fall back on. Our economics correspondent, Nigel Stirling, has more PKG
The heavy rain that's broken the drought in Northland has caused one unwelcome side-effect, a sewage spill in Whangarei harbour. The spills have become common in wet weather in recent years, drawing protest from iwi and harbour care groups but there have been none over the dry summer. Our Northland reporter Lois Williams joins us now. LIVE
Scientists in the United States have announced they've developed the world's first synthetic living cell. The research team says it's the first time synthetic DNA has been in complete control of a cell. The ABC's North America correspondent Craig McMurtrie filed this report : PKG
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WAATEA NEWS
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Three weeks after the fatal stabbing of a New Zealand nurse in Sydney, a former US marine has been charged with her murder. After being questioned twice by the police last week, 49-year-old Walter Marsh made a public declaration that he had not killed Michelle Beets. Late yesterday police charged him with her murder. The ABC's Lucy McNally has been following the case and joins us now: LIVE
In Fiji proposed strict rules on how women dress and even do their hair are under discussion as the country appears to clamp down even more on individual freedom. Our reporter in Suva, Phillipa Tolley, says two senior police officers have been charged with insubordination for disagreeing with their boss's views on religion. PREREC
The Australian television station that outed a gay New South Wales cabinet minister is today defending its decision. The former transport minister David Campbell has been cleared of any breach of his ministerial responsibilities even though his cabinet career has come to an end. He quit last night just minutes before he was shown on Channel 7 leaving a gay sauna. The ABC's Timothy McDonald reports : PKG
The international oil giant British Petroleum has conceded that it underestimated the amount of oil leaking from its rig in the Gulf of Mexico which exploded and sank a month ago. The admission followed the release by the company of a live video stream of images from the seabed showing oil and gas pouring from the well. From Washington Steve Kingstone reports : PKG
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Source: Radio New Zealand iNEWS