Checkpoint FOR MONDAY 2 APRIL
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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A woman whose lung cancer went undiagnosed for two years has told health authorities her GP called her a "drug dependent piece of rubbish". The patient was a 52-year-old Māori woman who smoked, had a family history of lung cancer and was dependent on valium. She visited the doctor 7 times between June 2008 and February 2010 complaining of chest pain and coughing up blood. She was eventually diagnosed in hospital and died a short time later. She told the country's health watch-dog that she was never physically examined by her GP and he refused her repeated requests for an x-ray. But the doctor says he can't recall the woman asking for an x-ray or referring to her as rubbish. I asked the Health and Disability Commissioner Anthony Hill, who he believes. PREREC
Reported crime is at a 15 year low and police say for the first time in ten years domestic violence has levelled off. Latest figures show there were 20 thousand fewer offences last year compared to 2010 and Auckland City and Waikato were the only regions where crime went up. Nationally the number of assaults is down five percent but sexual assaults rose by almost 15 percent. Figures on family violence will be released later this year but Deputy Police Commissioner Mike Bush says they're good news. PREREC
The ACC Minister, Judith Collins, has confirmed she is going ahead with her defamation case against two Labour MPs, but says she is not asking taxpayers to fund the action. Ms Collins is suing Trevor Mallard and Andrew Little, as well as Radio New Zealand, over comments made about who leaked details about an ACC claimant, Bronwyn Pullar, to the media. At his post Cabinet news conference the Prime Minister, John Key, said he suggested to Ms Collins she could get support for her action but she told him this morning she would fund it herself. Mr Key says despite the potential political consequences, with ministers likely to be called as witnesses, he supports Ms Collins taking legal action. CUT Our political editor, Brent Edwards, has been following the latest developments. Q&A
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Naomi Mitchell
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Official papers reveal the police made a number of operational mistakes during Easter weekend two years ago, when 12 people died. That horror weekend, which was the worst Easter road toll since 1992, ultimately led to the police introducing a lower, four kilometre per hour speed tolerance for holiday periods. Here's our transport reporter, Clint Owens. PKG
A Hamilton woman who killed her neighbour with a hammer after escaping from a mental health unit has been sentenced to ten years' in prison. However, her victim's partner says the police and mental health services are also to blame for her death.
Ruth Hill reports. PKG
The MP for Tauranga, Simon Bridges, has been promoted to a ministerial role after the Prime Minister announced a minor Cabinet reshuffle, forced by the resignation of Nick Smith. Dr Smith stepped down after failing to declare a conflict of interest in Bronwyn Pullar's ACC case. Here's our political reporter, Chris Bramwell. PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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The Megaupload founder, Kim Dotcom, has had a number of his bail conditions relaxed, meaning he can now use the internet, go swimming and record music. Mr Dotcom and his three co-accused, who face charges of internet piracy and copyright infringements, asked for the changes for the sake of their mental and physical well-being. Kim Dotcom spoke outside court after the ruling. CUT He said he's now able to finish an album he started. CUT And Kim Dotcom reiterated he wasn't a flight risk. CUT Our reporter Olivia Wix has been in court, and joins us now. Q&A
Some evacuees arriving in New Zealand from flood stricken Fiji say getting flights out was chaotic, as authorities struggle to deal with thousands of people trying to flee. Four people have died, another three are missing, and thousands have been forced into evacuation centres following heavy rain which started on Thursday night. And now Fiji is bracing for more flooding and landslides, with tropical cyclone Daphne expected to hit 500 kilometres south west of the islands this evening. Today, Air New Zealand and Air Pacific flew empty planes to Nadi to evacuate stranded people. Georgina Ball was at Auckland International Airport when this afternoon's flight landed. PKG
Syria's president Bashar al-Assad has been warned he's got limited time to deliver on the ceasefire promise he made to the UN and Arab League's peace envoy Kofi Annan. The pressures mounting on the regime after more than eighty nations, known as the Friends of Syria, met in Istanbul along with members of the Syria's opposition. But the gathering was boycotted by Syria's main allies China, Russia and Iran. The ABC's Europe correspondent Rachael Brown reports. PKG
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17.45 MANU KORIHI
Tēnā koutou katoa, good evening,
Whangārei's Child Poverty Action Group says the number of hungry children in the community is a scandal.
A report titled: Empty Food Baskets - commissioned by the group - has found hundreds of Whangārei school-children need help with food from schools and charity each week.
It also found at least nineteen separate charities or church groups giving food parcels to families who go without meals to pay the bills.
The report recommends that the government provide a free, quality breakfast to all children in all decile 1 and 2 schools, and continue support for the Fruit in Schools programme.
The manager of Whangārei's Manaia Health public health organisation, Chris Farrelly, says the need for relief is urgent.
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Chris Farrelly says Fonterra's Milk in Schools scheme, which started in Northland last month - is a huge step forward - but children need more than milk, to be healthy.
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An iwi based at the foot of Mount Ruapehu has called in the police, saying its office in Ōhākune was targeted in retaliation to its protest against a car rally.
Ngāti Rangi says the office has been spray painted and a rotting deer head was left on its doorstep on Saturday morning.
The Pou Ārahi or manager of the Ngāti Rangi Trust, Che Wilson, says he received death threats.
Mr Wilson says a weekend protest picnic held by the tribe to celebrate the maunga was disrupted by several car-loads of people in support of the rally.
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Che Wilson.
Last week the tribe successfully fought against the Ōhākune Giant 1000.
The car rally was cancelled after intervention from the mayor of Ruapehu District Council, Sue Morris.
Ngāti Rangi argued the maunga is the spiritual alter and burial ground of the tāngata whenua, and criticised the council for initially allowing Ōhākune Mountain Road to be turned into a race track.
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Hundreds of mourners have passed through Hinepare Marae in Rangitukia near Tikitiki on the East Coast north of Gisborne today, to pay their final respects to Dr Hone Kaa.
The 70-year old Archdeacon of Tāmaki Makaurau died in hospital in Auckland on Thursday night.
A close colleague of the late Dr Hone Kaa - The Bishop of Tai Tokerau, Te Kito Pikaahu, says he describes Dr Kaa as a mentor, a respected elder, and a close friend who guided him in his ministry.
The funeral service takes place tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock at the local church, and then he will be buried just before midday across the road at Ōkaroro urupā.
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A new chair of the Waikato-Tainui executive has been appointed.
The position was formerly held by Tukoroirangi Morgan, but last week he announced he's moving on and considering new job prospects.
At the weekend, Tom Roa, was appointed to the role of chair of the executive after being re-elected to the board in February.
That's Te Manu Korihi news, I'll have a final bulletin in an hour.
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The time is approaching when you won't need your wallet to go shopping, only your phone. Vodafone, Telecom and 2degrees are joining forces with eftpos operator Paymark to bring in phones you can pay with by scanning them over an eftpos terminal. It's a whole new spin on the "pay phone", and one the Editor of Computerworld Sarah Putt has been looking into. She joins us now. LIVE
There were tears and heart felt pleas as those for and against a planned monorail linking Queenstown with Milford Sound put their case to the Department of Conservation. Riverstone Holdings Limited wants to build the 150 million dollar ride through the Snowdon Conservation Area, next door to Fiordland National Park and run it for at least 40 years. Daphne Taylor from Te Anau fought back tears as described the conservation area as the most peaceful pristine forest in the world. CUT But not everyone is against the idea. Ross Cockburn has farmed in the area for decades - He told DOC Te Anau would still be a backwater, if it wasn't for the foresight of previous generations who built the Milford Road. He says the monorail is the next step. CUT Our reporter Steve Wilde has been at today's hearing in Te Anau. Q&A