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 THURSDAY 5 MARCH 2015
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The Prime Minister has come out fighting against further claims of illegal mass surveillance by New Zealand spy agencies. The investigative journalist Nicky Hager is accusing the Government of spying on New Zealand's Pacific neighbours on an unprecedented scale, and passing that information on to the United States. He says the Government Communications Security Bureau - the GCSB - intercepts communications from countries such as Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and Samoa, and even nations as small as Tuvalu, Nauru and Kiribati. Opposition politicians assert the GCSB is breaking the law by spying on New Zealand citizens in the Pacific. Here's our parliamentary chief reporter, Jane Patterson. PKG
Our Political Editor Brent Edwards was at the Prime Minister's new conference in Auckland - he's with us now. i/v
Property investors are being targeted with new lending rules by the Reserve Bank which might push up interest rates for landlords, or even increase the supply of homes. In July it will introduce one of four options for making banks treat mortgages to investors differently than for owner-occupiers, because loans to investors are slightly riskier. The Reserve Bank declined to be interviewed. Auckland professional property investor David Whitburn knew this was coming so he fixed more than a million dollars of debt just last week. He's with us now. i/v
A French tourist convicted for dangerous driving has been ordered to pay just over 18-thousand dollars in reparation to two women seriously injured when the car he was driving on the wrong side of the road hit their vehicle. The crash happened on State Highway Three near Awakino in January. Stephane Mazerat (maz-a-ra) who is 29 appeared in the Hamilton District Court today in a wheelchair. His wife who was with him in the car was also seriously injured and is in a wheelchair. Our Waikato Reporter, Andrew McRae was in court. PKG
Prompted by the fear surrounding tourist drivers on popular roads, the Government today moved to fast-track more rumble strips and road signs. 50 kilometres of centre-line rumble strips will be installed earlier than planned on Otago and Southland roads, along with 140 kilometres of no-passing markings and 2-hundred kilometres of 'Keep left' arrows on highways. It'll also be extended to include the West Coast. The work will be done by July the first this year. The Associate Transport Minister is Craig Foss. i/v
The trial of the man accused of bombing the Boston Marathon two years ago has begun, with the unlikely words from his lawyer - "it was him" But Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's [zhock-har sar-nigh-ev's] lawyer then went on to say his actions had been influenced by his older brother. Three people died and more than 260 people were injured in the bombing. It was the deadliest terror attack on US soil since 9/11. The BBC's Jon Sopel was at court. PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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17.35 MARKET UPDATE
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The Prime Ministers of Tonga and Samoa say they don't know what to make of New Zealand's mass surveilance of them, but they have more urgent things to worry about. investigative journalist Nicky Hager is accusing the Government of spying on Pacific neighbours, including Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu, and passing on the intercepted communications to the US. The Samoa prime minister Tuilaepa Sa'ilele <Tui-lapa Sa--ley-ley> says he has more important fish to fry CUT The Tonga Prime Minister says if the allegations are true, it's a breach of trust but Tonga has nothing to hide. Akilisi Poviha says he hopes to meet with the New Zealand High Commissioner as early as tomorrow to get to the bottom of it. i/v
The mother of the Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni and her partner have been convicted of illegally receiving benefits worth about 100-thousand dollars. Beverley Anne Sepuloni and Michael Charles Rangi this morning faced 23 charges of applying for benefits and subsidies they were not entitled to, and of not declaring they were living together. reporter Robin Martin was in the New Plymouth District Court. i/v
The US investigation into the Ferguson police force has found a racist system that created a toxic atmosphere which finally blew after teenager Micheal Brown was shot. But the Justice Department won't prosecute the white officer, Darren Wilson, who killed the 18 year old saying he didn't act with criminal intent. The US Attorney General Eric Holder says the riots that followed the shooting was because of the wide spread abuse and racism. CUT The report outlines case after case where officers treat black residents of the St Louis suburb aggressively and out of all proportion to what was going on. In one example a black man sitting in his car in a public park is accused of being a paedaphile and when he objects to being searched is arrested at gunpoint. One of the charges against him of making a false declaration, was because he said his name was Mike instead of Micheal. Danny Wicentowski is with River Front Times in St Louis. i/v
The United States ambassador to South Korea has been left bleeding from his face and hand after being attacked by a man weilding a razor blade in Seoul. It happened while Mark Lippert was entering a lecture hall about to attend a breakfast meeting in the capital. Our correspondent in Seoul is Jason Strother i/v
The Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment says the way New Zealand measures air pollution is outdated and out of line with the developed world. Jan Wright today put out a report calling for a change. Here's our Science and Environment Reporter, Olivia Allison. PKG
A jury has heard low levels of livestock DNA were found on murder-accused Mark Lundy's polo shirt, as well as evidence of human DNA. 56-year-old Mr Lundy is on trial in the High Court at Wellington charged with murdering his wife, Christine, and seven-year-old daughter, Amber, in Palmerston North in August 2000. reporter Paloma Migone has been at court today. i/v
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In an effort to curb obesity and type-2 diabetes, food vendors at Te Matatini have been made to serve up healthy kai.
The Waitaha Cultural Committee, which is hosting the event, has vetted all food stalls to make sure festival-goers get a healthy meal.
This from Te Manu Korihi reporter Eru Rerekura in Christchurch.
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Guy Sebastian has been named as Australia's entrant for this year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. Australia was offered a wildcard entry to compete in Eurovision and Australians will be able to vote in it for the first time. Guy Sebastian was the winner of Australian Idol in 2003 here's the ABC's Will Ockenden has more... PKG
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Presenter: Mary Wilson, Jim Mora
Editor: Maree Corbett
Deputy editor: Phil Pennington
Producers: Jo Leavesley, Mei Heron, Mary Jane Aggott