**** CKPT FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 7 *******
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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FIJI COUP: Fiji's new military-appointed prime minister moved quickly today to defend the actions of Commodore Frank Bainimarama and is warning New Zealand and Australia not to interfere in his country. At the same time, 77-year old Jona Senilagakali - who was sworn-in by the military commmander last night - has admitted that toppling the country's elected government was illegal. CUT He says if New Zealand and Australia impose economic sanctions, Fiji will turn to other countries such as Taiwan and Indonesia as it did after sanctions were imposed following the coup in 1987. CUT
He says the military government is in now in place and perhaps in two years Fiji will have another general election.
VIETNAM VETS: After a 34-year battle for recognition, veterans of the Vietnam War will receive a formal apology from the Prime Minister, a welcome home ceremony from the military - and millions of dollars of Government assistance. The Government says a 30-million dollar package of services and benefits for Vietnam vets and their families targets their key problems. Our political reporter, Julian Robins has the details. PKGE
OCR UNCHANGED: The Reserve Bank has issued a clear warning that it's losing patience with the unrelentingly buoyant economy and housing market. There was no change to the official cash rate today for the 12th month in a row. However, some sectors are questioning whether the threat of an interest hike is the best way to cool the market. Rachel Graham reports. PKGE
DRUG RAPES: Worried and frustrated Taranaki police are calling for more information about seven reported drug rapes in the region late last week. Sex abuse counsellors say seven women went for a night out in New Plymouth or Stratford between Thursday and Saturday last week. They say they awoke to discover evidence of often brutal sexual assaults. Detective Senior Sergeant Grant Coward says Hawera detectives are investigating one rape allegation from the weekend, after receiving one complaint but can't yet say if drugs are involved.
But rather than go to the police, the victims approached Hawera's Rape Crisis and the Taranaki Safer Centre in New Plymouth - its spokesperson Lorraine Jans joins us now LIVE
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1720 BUSINESS NEWS WITH PATRICK O'MEARA
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WATERFRONT AUCKLAND: The rugby world cup stadium debate has ignited moves to speed up the redevelopment of Auckland's waterfront with more port land available for shops, parks and public buildings. The Auckland Regional Council has announced changes to the ownership of 18 hectares of land known as the 'tank farm' on Wynyard Wharf. And it also wants to see Ports of Auckland free up nearby Queens Wharf as soon as possible. Kiri Ennis reports. PKGE
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1730 HEADLINES
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SPORTS NEWS WITH STEPHEN HEWSON
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SEVENS FIJI: The government's support party United Future is calling Fiji rugby sevens team to be banned from the Wellington leg of the IRB sevens series in February. The government has severed all bilateral sporting links with Fiji, but has decided not to interfere with the sevens tournament because it's an internationally organised event. The Sports Minister Trevor Mallard says Peter Dunne's call is too extreme and it's his understanding New Zealand could be stripped of the tournament if it blocked Fiji from coming. CUT
Mr Mallard has declined to be interviewed on checkpoint - with us now is the leader of United Future's Peter Dunne LIVE
POLICY PACIFIC: The National Party has criticised the Government's Pacific policy in the wake of the coup in Fiji and recent violence in Tonga. Its associate foreign affairs spokesman John Hayes - a former diplomat with years of experience in the region - says new ideas are needed to deal with Pacific Island nations. Here's our political editor Brent Edwards PKGE
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WAATEA NEWS WITH ERU REREKURA
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GALLERY THEFT: The owner of an art gallery in Auckland says the theft of a sculpture worth ten thousand dollars was a brazen act. The piece by local artist Ray Haydon was taken from Sanderson Contemporary Art in Parnell on Tuesday while staff were holding their Christmas drinks on Waiheke island. Kylie Sanderson says she got back to find the stainless steel sculpture missing from near the front counter. PRE-REC IV
AUSTRALIA STEMCELL: Thousands of Australians living with debilitating diseases have been given new hope of a cure, with federal parliament overturning the ban on cloning embyros for stem cell research. Liberal senator Kay Patterson's private member's bill will allow researchers to extract stem cells from cloned embryos, using donor eggs and cells without sperm. The Prime Minister John Howard and the new Labor leader Kevin Rudd both spoke against the bill before it was passed by the House of Representatives last night. Professor Richard Boyd from Monash University's Stem Cell Unit is delighted the legislation has passed and says now Australian scientists will be able to keep up with the rest of the world ... however he acknowledges the ethical difficulties the technology raises PRE-REC IV
HANSON COMEBACK: Australia's former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson is making a comeback, planning to run in next year's federal election. Her platform remains the same -- when it comes to immigration, she doesn't like it. This time though, instead of Asians, Africans are coming in for the Hanson treatment. The ABC's Donna Field reports. PKGE
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