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 FRIDAY 07 NOVEMBER 2014
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The charge against rock band AC DC's drummer of attempting to procure murder has been dropped, a day after Phil Rudd's appearance in a Tauranga court sparked headlines worldwide. The musician's lawyer, Paul Mabey QC, said today Mr Rudd has suffered unnecessary and extremely damaging publicity, and this raises questions about how much care the police took. The Crown Solicitor Greg Hollister-Jones refused an interview but confirmed that after reviewing the file today he's decided there is insufficient evidence. The police also refused to be interviewed, in a statement saying only that as the other charges, of possessing methamphetamine and cannabis and threatening to kill, are still before the courts, they won't comment. Paul Mabey says the Crown Solicitor called him in for a meeting today to explain about the attempting to procure murder charge. i/v
Sergeant Simon Tate was alone and on patrol in South Auckland at night when he flashed his blue and red lights to pull a car over. The driver got out of his car but Sergeant Tate asked him to wait while he spoke with the passenger. But instead of waiting Walter Tauatevalu upper cutted the officer before raining punches on his head. As the Sergeant slumped to the ground, Tauatevalu stomped him. The 37-year-old was jailed today for six and-a-half years after admitting to causing grievous bodily harm with intent. In sentencing Tauatevalu, Justice Lang said Sergeant Tate was left barely recognisable. He had a broken jaw, broken eye-socket, broken nose, bleeding on the brain and life-threatening injuries. CUT Our reporter Edward Gay was there - he says Sergeant Tate's partner spoke of those devastating impacts as she read her victim impact statement to the court. i/v
Legal experts say the Prime Minister's promise that Crown Law will consider footing the bill for a civil prosecution over the Pike River Mine disaster is giving the families of the dead men false hope. Solid Energy has ruled out re-entering the mine, and has relinquished its mining permit to the Government. Ruth Hill reports. PKG
In the US, controversy has been reignited over who pulled the trigger to kill Osama Bin Laden. Three and a half years after the raid in Pakistan, one of the US Navy Seals, Rob O'Neill, who took part in the operation has given an interview saying he killed the world's most wanted man, but another soldier disputes that. The Washington Post's Joby Warrick is backing O'Neill's version. i/v
The police have wrapped up their examination of the scene of yesterday's road accident near Wanaka, in which three Hong Kong tourists died. It's the fourth crash in the area involving foreign drivers in the past 10 days. Transport Agency figures show that those living in central Otago and the southern lakes region are 25 percent more likely to be killed by a foreign driver, compared with a 2 percent chance of that in the major cities. Here's our tourism reporter, Steve Wilde. PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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17.35 MARKET UPDATE
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A Bay of Plenty teenager lay unconscious for hours, after a scuffle broke out at a college leavers' party early this morning. The police say an object was thrown at her after people gatecrashed an Opotiki College party early this morning. The teenager was taken to Whakatane hospital and then flown to Tauranga . Our reporter Henry Acland has been following the story i/v
Belgian police have used tear gas and a water cannon to try and calm violent anti-austerity protesters in central Brussels. Several vehicles were set ablaze by demonstrators who also hurled cobblestones and smoke flares at police in the capital. They're protesting against plans by Belgium's new government to raise the pension age, freeze wages and make public service cuts to meet EU targets. The BBC's Ben Blann reports. PKG
A Porirua man who lured another man to go with him on a fishing trip and then shot him has been sent to prison for eight years. John Schuster who is 44, says he shot Tulo Tuala because he made threats against his family. Jemma Brackebush was at the High Court in Wellington today. PKG
A luxury yacht builder in Auckland could lose 120 jobs by Christmas. Alloy Yachts says the high New Zealand dollar, and a worldwide drop in contracts, means they'll lose 60 people in the next few weeks. But that number could double by the end of the year, if the company doesn't win another contract. The company's managing director, is Tony Hambrook. i/v
The Waitemata district health board says there was no sign that a man who was found dead in a west Auckland stream would run off from hospital staff. The police have confirmed a body found on Monday is 22-year-old Adam Tan, who went missing nearly two weeks ago. Our reporter Kate Newton has more detail. i/v
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17.45 MANU KORIHI with Eru Rerekura
Kia ora, good evening,
The Minister for Maori Development says passing the Te Reo Maori Bill is a key priority, and he hopes it will become law before the end of next year.
The Bill will create a new body called Te Matawai that will take the lead in promoting the Maori language.
Te Ururoa Flavell says he's setting up an advisory group to help review submissions from the Select Committee in order to advance the bill.
Mr Flavell says he's committed to getting it passed as soon as possible in order to arrest the decline in the number of Te Reo speakers.
BILL-FLAVELL-TP
IN IT DOES PROVIDE US...
OUT ...HAS COME ABOUT.
DUR 19"
Te Ururoa Flavell.
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The deadline for submissions from claimants wishing to be heard by the Waitangi Tribunal at its planned inquiry concerning military veterans, closed today.
Earlier this year the Tribunal announced its new Kaupapa inquiry programme, which is designed to cover significant claim issues that affect Maori.
Andrew McRae reports.
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IN: THE TRIBUNAL SAYS
OUT: ...SOC
DUR: 43"
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A governance expert says he's not worried that only 12-per cent of Waikato-Tainui descendants had their say in the referendum to change way the tribe is run.
Just under 50-thousand eligible voters chose not to vote, but 70 per cent of those that did, voted for a Marae model which would cut the number of representatives at its parliament from 205 to 137 members.
The manager of the Institute of Director's leadership centre, Simon Arcus, says it's common for even large companies to have a low voter turnouts and it's not an indication of poor quality.
He says what's really valuable is that the iwi has gone into a consultative process and it is accountable and transparent.
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Two traditional double-hulled canoes from Hawaii are nearing Aotearoa on their final leg of a world-wide voyage to raise awareness about the importance of looking after the moana and the marine environment.
The Hokule'a and Hikianalia, two Polynesian voyaging canoes, began their Malama Honua Worldwide Voyage in 2013, and are due to reach Waitangi in about a week.
Laura Bootham reports.
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IN A TRADITIONAL HAWAIIAN...
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And that's Te Manu Korihi news.
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According to the UN, Islamic State and other jihadist groups in Syria are forcibly recruiting children, training them and using them in active combat. The militants are finding easy pickings among the one-point-six million Syrians living as refugees in Turkey. The BBC's correspondent, Mark Lowen, travelled to the Turkish province of Hatay, <HAT-AY> where he met youngsters hoping to become child soldiers PKG
Forty-three students are still missing from the Mexican town of Iguala, where they had been taking part in a protest in September. They disappeared after clashing with the police, amid rumours criminal gangs were involved. A search for the students is going on daily - local people, organised into units of self defence forces, are excavating graves they have found in the mountains outside the town -- an area controlled by the drugs-cartels. The BBC's Mexico correspondent Will Grant is in Iguala PKG
Hundreds of people have gathered in the Pakistan city of Lahore to protest the killing of a Christian couple, killed last week for allegedly desecrating the Koran. Police have arrested more than 40 muslims in connection with the deaths. The BBC's Shahzeb Jillani reports from rural Punjab. i/v
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Presenter: Mary Wilson, Jim Mora
Editor: Maree Corbett
Deputy editor: Phil Pennington
Producers: Jo Leavesley, Mei Heron, Sharon Brettkelly, Bridget Mills