**** CKPT FOR MONDAY OCT 16 *******
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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SALVATION ARMY ABUSE: A former Salvation army captain has gone on trial in the High Court in Timaru today, accused of sex offences dating back to the 1970s. 69-year old John Francis Gainsford is facing a total of twenty-seven charges ranging from indecent assault to rape. The indecencies relate to the time he spent at the Bramwell Booth children's home in Temuka near Timaru, between January 1973 and January 1975. At the start of his trial, Mr Gainsford pleaded guilty to four charges and he pleaded not guilty to the remaining 23 charges. Our reporter Nadine Chalmers-Ross is at the High Court. LIVE
FIRE DEATH: Police investigating a suspicious house fire which killed a Chinese student have revealed some kind of accelerant was used but are unsure whether anyone else was responsible for the fatal blaze. The house was well alight when the fire service arrived at the Blockhouse Bay Road home about two thirty this morning. Firefighters discovered the dead man crouched in a wardrobe in a bedroom. The police are still to establish whether or not there was a flatmate.
Here's Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Benefield. PREREC
HAWAII QUAKE: Hawaii's in disaster mode after an earthquake brought down hundred-year-old homes, sent huge rocks and landslides into roadways, and knocked out power. Chaos struck the normally serene and lush Big Island of the US state, when the quake hit - measuring 6 point 6 on the Richter scale.
In a tourist area...visitors began lining up outside darkened convenience stores to buy water and other supplies - with managers letting in visitors one at a time.
Caught up in all this was the leading New Zealand Ironman, Cameron Brown.
He's on Big Island for the ironman triathlon world championships. He's on the line now.... LIVE
SMOKING: The government wants to clamp down on retailers selling cigarettes who're flouting display regulations - such as not putting up a 'Smoking Kills' sign.
A new study shows more than 60 percent of supermarkets, petrol stations, dairies and convenience stores are breaching a smoke-free law. The associate Minister of Health, describes the figures as alarming, and wants to ensure higher compliance. But as Kate Williamson reports, anti-smoking lobby groups are calling for a complete ban of the display of cigarettes. PKG
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1720 BUSINESS NEWS WITH
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HOSPITALS CHRISTCHURCH: Christchurch Health authorities are working hard to contain the spread of a flesh eating superbug that has killed three elderly patients at Princess Margaret hospital. All three tested positive for the same strain of the Streptoccal infection. Ward 3A was closed after the third death on Friday was linked to the bug. Today the hosiptal carried out tests on all patients and staff on the ward infected and found no new cases. But several others have tested positive for possible streptoccal A which is what you'd expect in the general population. Infectious diseases physician Alan Pithie joins us now. LIVE
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1730 HEADLINES
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SPORTS NEWS WITH
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NETBALL: Staying with sport ... the New Zealand Australia netball series is heading for a thrilling climax in Christchurch tonight after the Silver Ferns came back from their first loss to make it one-all in Auckland on Saturday. The world champion Silver Ferns came back with a sizzling physicality to take the second test 43-37, and puts the Commonwealth gold medallists odds on to repeat that tonight. But as ABC commentator Steve Robilliard well knows you can't take anything for granted when these two teams meet. He's been commentating trans Tasman netball clashes for 15 years and says tonight's test will be down to the wire as usual. PREREC
ISRAEL ASIA: Israel's ambassador to New Zealand and Australia, Nafatil Tamir, has been called back to Israel to explain comments he reportedly made calling Asians "the yellow race." Mr Tamir was reported in an Israeli newspaper saying Israel and Australia are alike in Asia because they "don't have yellow skin and slanted eyes." Helen Clark says even though the remarks were not made in any context relevant to New Zealand, they are still inappropriate. CUT
The Charges D'Affaires at Israel's embassy in Canberra, Irit (Ee-reet) Lillian (Lilli AHN) says the Ambassador will give an explanation to the Israeli Foreign Ministry within a few days. But she says a rival Israeli newspaper is carrying a report that the Ambassador was misquoted. CUT
Joining us now is the Sydney Morning Herald's Foreign Affairs reporter, Cynthia Banham. LIVE
ISRAEL PRESIDENT: Police in Israel have recomended that the country's President Moshe Katsav be charged with rape, sexual harrassment and other offences. They're believed to be the most serious charges ever to face a serving Israeli official. Mr Katsav who denies any wrong doing has been interviewed several times by detectives about allegations he sexually harrassed several employees. A formal decision on whether to prosecute the President will be made by the attorney general. Richard Myron reports from Jerusalem. PKGE
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WAATEA NEWS WITH
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FRAUD: Fraud is continuing to strike more than half of the country's businesses, with offenders motivated by greed and the desire to finance a more lavish lifestyle. K-P-M-G's latest fraud survey of New Zealand and Australia shows fraudsters are getting away with millions of dollars in stolen cash and goods.
Computer experts say businesses are demonstrating their naivety and need to tighten up their systems. Jean Edwards reports. PKGE
US NZ MEDALS: New Zealand troops have been recognised by the United States at a ceremony in Wellington. 17 members of the New Zealand Defence Force were awarded medals in recognition of 'exemplary service' in Afghanistan. Our defence reporter Megan Whelan was at the American embassy, to see the Bronze Star and US Army Commendation Medals being handed out. PKGE
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