Checkpoint is a drive-time news and current affairs programme on Radio New Zealand National. It broadcasts nationwide every weekday evening for two hours and covers the day’s major national and international stories, as well as business, sport and Māori news. This recording covers the first hour. The following rundown is supplied from the broadcaster’s news system:
Checkpoint FOR WEDNESDAY 08 OCTOBER 2014
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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Scientists have discovered an active fault line in Wellington harbour capable of generating a magnitude 7 point 1 earthquake but don't yet know how far it runs through the city. The Prime Minister says Wellington will remain New Zealand's capital despite the discovery. Scientists called a news conference today to give details of the Aotea Fault which runs offshore from near Freyberg Pool to just off Westpac Stadium. They say the fault does not significantly increase Wellington's earthquake risk and any shaking it could produce is already taken account of the city's seismic hazard calculations. John Key told reporters it's business as usual for the shaky city CUT The Insurance Council says the fault's discovery is unlikely to have any impact on premiums for homeowners and businesses THE Interislander'S ferry terminal is near the fault line, but a spokesperson says its robust emergency plan already takes into account the various fault lines in the region Wellington's Civil Defence and Building Resilence manager Neville Brown says he still thinks teh city's in better shape than Auckland in a power cut CUT Marine geologists with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research discoverd the new fault a couple of months ago. One of them, Dr Philip Barnes, is with us now. i/v
One of the country's biggest helicopter companies has gone into receivership with 70 jobs on the line and millions of dollars in debt. Helipro has eight bases throughout New Zealand as well as operations in Fiji and Australia. The receiver John Fisk from PwC says the company has been struggling for a few years and cash flow problems and mounting debt have brought things to a head in the last couple of months. He says a lot of Helipro's work depends on the weather. i/v
The United Nations' special envoy for Syria has called on the international community to act, saying it cannot allow the Syrian town of Kobane to fall to Islamic State fighters. Staffan de Mistura (pron as it looks) made the plea as the US-led coalition launched its most sustained air attacks so far on IS positions around the town near the border with Turkey. CUT A Kurdish commander in Kobane, Meysa Abdo, says the air strikes have been working but greater co-ordination is needed with Kurdish fighters on the ground. CUT In Turkey , at least twelve people have been killed during demonstrations by Kurdish protesters demanding the Government move in to defend Kobane. Riot police used tear gas and water cannons in several towns and cities as the protests spread, with the deadliest violence in Turkey's south-east. Our correspondent in Turkey is Natalie Carney. i/v
And the Australian Defence Force has revealed it vetoed an attack in Iraq using a red-card system which allows it to pull out if there's a high chance of civilians dying. In a briefing today, the Commander of joint operations vice admiral David Johnston said the planes were assigned to a mission to attack Islamic State militants two nights ago. CUT The Australian planes have been in the air for three nights but so far haven't fired their weapons. The chief of the Australian defence force Mark Binskin says the US-led coalition is disrupting the militants including forcing them to shelter in urban areas. CUT
The International Monetary Fund is warning the pace of world economic growth may never return to the levels experienced before the global financial crisis. The Washington-based organisation has cut its forecasts once again, saying the recovery is weak and uneven. And while New Zealand's fortunes appear relatively bright, analysts are advising against complacency. Our economics correspondent, Patrick O'Meara reports. PKG
The mayors of the country's two biggest cities are hitting back at government accusations that they're to blame for poverty and inequality due to poor planning over housing. And the Prime Minister has been reluctant today to criticise his Finance Minister for the accusations, while saying reform of the Resource Management Act will improve housing affordability. Anusha Bradley reports. PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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17.35 MARKET UPDATE
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The World Health Organisation is warning Europe will almost certainly see more people infected with ebola after a nurse in Spain became the first person known to have caught the virus outside Africa. And the US is poised to unveil new screening procedures for ebola at the country's airports so that travellers are checked on landing, not just on take off from abroad. Health experts are still saying the chances of a full-blown outbreak outside Africa are slim, but add that air travel makes it inevitable Europe will have more cases. And the W-H-O's Professor Peter Piot (pee-ott) has stressed the need for draconian discipline in control measures. CUT In the US, ebola patient Thomas Eric Duncan is fighting for his life in a Dallas hospital, as President Barack Obama vows to boost screening on airlines. Lauren Gambino is the Guardian's New York-based journalist i/v
Auckland Council is signalling it may take a tougher line against owners of boats moored illegally on public land at Waiheke Island. Members of a boat club near where a fire on a launch claimed a man's life this week say they've been trying to have the rundown boats removed for many years, but nothing has happened. Alan Moore is Auckland Council's team leader of coastal consents and compliance i/v
For the third time, John Key has been officially sworn in as Prime Minister in a ceremony at Government House. He also oversaw the swearing in of his Ministers by the Governor-General, Lieutenant-General Sir Jerry Mateparae this morning. Here's our political reporter, Craig McCulloch. PKG
The cousin of a homeless man murdered behind shops on one of Auckland's busiest roads says the family is pleased they will not now have to go through a murder trial. Justin Vance Turner pleaded guilty today at the High Court in Auckland to murdering 49 year-old Maqbool Hussain behind shops on Auckland's Dominion Road in March. Mr Hussain's cousin, Aurang Zeb [Or-raang Zeb], was in court this morning. He says Mr Hussain's daughter lives in Australia and had planned on coming to New Zealand for the trial. CUT He said he had been living in New Zealand since 1990 and despite being on the street had the love and support of his family. Mr Zeb said Mr Hussain's body was found by his brother when he went to drop lunch off. Our reporter Edward Gay was in court this morning. i/v
Returning to the International Monetary Fund's latest forecasts, and Australia is looking less than lucky. The jobless rate over the Tasman is expected to be the second worst in the Asia Pacific region over the next two years, behind only the Philippines. With us now is the Chief Economist of Bank of America Merrill Lynch Australia, Saul Eslake. i/v
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Researchers say climate change needs to be addressed as a health issue, if Maori are to be saved from the worst effects of it.
A paper delivered at the Population Health Congress in Auckland details how Maori health is the most at-risk in Aotearoa from climate change.
From Te Manu Korihi, Christopher Gilbert reports.
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Two ancient and rare books have been donated to Kapiti book fair but their owners remain a mystery. One book, Poole'S Annotations Upon the Holy Bible, volume 2, is 326 years old. The other, smaller one is a collection of poems, written in Latin by THE POET Juvenal and is A 264 year old REPRINT. They were discovered when the Lions Monster Bookfair spokesman Joe Franklin was sorting through the thousands of .donated books. i/v
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Presenter: Mary Wilson, Jim Mora
Editor: Phil Pennington
Deputy editor: Jo Leavesley
Producers: Mei Yeoh, Sharon Brettkelly, Kim Savage