*** Checkpoint FOR WED 7 OCT 2009
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The aunt of missing 2 year old Asiling (ASH-ling) Symes has pleaded for her safe return, as the police say that foul play is looking increasingly likely. The toddler vanished from a West Auckland property in Longburn Road on Monday evening. An extensive search of the area has since failed to find any trace of the little girl. Her aunt Aithne Potts addressed media a short time ago - directing a message to the person who may have abducted her niece. Our reporter Laura Davis was at the news conference and joins us now
LIVE
Police have revealed some details of the bizarre circumstances leading up to the death of Timothy Bourke - and a two day armed police hunt in Southern Hawkes Bay for his brother David.
The body of 49-year-old Mr Bourke was found under a blanket on the back seat of David Bourke's green Honda Rafaga. He died from gunshot wounds. Detective Inspector Sue Schwalger is the head of the homicide investigation. PREREC
Meanwhile 46-year-old Wanganui man David John Bourke appeared in the Palmerston North District Court this afternoon. Heugh Chappell was there. LIVE
The Kiwi's rampant form against the US dollar was pushed to one side today after it hit a 25-year high against the British pound.
A short time ago the New Zealand dollar was buying 46 British pence after hitting 46.3 pence overnight - its highest point since the dollar was floated in 1984. Our economics correspondent, Nigel Stirling, reports. PKG
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1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH Naomi Mitchell
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The Māori Affairs Minister, Pita Sharples is to apologise to the Prime Minister and the deputy Prime Minister for not discussing the Māori Television Rugby World Cup bid with them in more detail. Dr Sharples says as a new Minister he was naive to not formally discuss Te Puni Kokiri's commitment of 3 million dollars towards the bid for free to air broadcast rights. To discuss this we've joined by our political reporter, Chris Bramwell. LIVE
Parents are being warned that cough and cold medicines can cause seizures, as well as breathing, neurological and heart problems in young children. Medsafe, part of the Ministry of Health, now says there are more risks than benefits of giving such medicines to children under the age of six. Dr Stewart Jessamine is the group manager of Medsafe. PREREC
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17.30 HEADLINES
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One of New Zealand's largest energy companies says its looking to retire half of its current electricity generation. A new report from Genesis Energy says new cheaper sources of electricity from competitors will undercut most its production from its Huntly power station within 5 years. The coal and gas fired plant produces about 20 percent of the country's electricity. Genesis declined to be interviewed on Checkpoint our reporter David Reid joins us now.
LIVE
Housing New Zealand tenants in a West Auckland apartment complex, riddled with building defects, are describing the situation as a comedy of errors. All 40 residents in the complex are being moved out of their flats because of structural safety concerns.
Our reporter, Lisa Thompson, visited Pepperwood Mews to talk to residents and survey the damage and compiled this report. PKG
Motorists using the country's largest toll road north of Auckland owe more than 2-hundred-thousand dollars in unpaid tolls. The New Zealand Transport Agency's just released a report on the first six months of the 365 million dollar Northern Gateway - an extension of State Highway 1 from Orewa to Puhoi. There've been almost two million trips - eight percent more than expected but also a number of teething problems. Nearly 28 thousand people have not paid to use the road and the cost of processing payments in some cases is higher than the two dollar toll. Joining us now is Wayne McDonald - the agency's director for Auckland and Northland. LIVE
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17.45 TRAILS
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WAATEA
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Insulin injections for people with type1 diabetes may become a thing of the past thanks to a revolutionary treatment using pig cells.
After an earlier clinical trial was halted 13 years ago the first New Zealand patient has now received an implant of the cells at Auckland's Middlemore Hospital. The 47-year-old man was the first of eight patients to be treated in the clinical trial, which follows a similar, successful trial in Moscow. Dr Paul Tan - the CEO of Living Cell Technologies the producer of the specially-coated pig cells, joins us now LIVE
The top Red Cross official in American Samoa says many tsunami victims have not been getting the aid they need now. Our reporter Clint Owens is there. PREREC
The clean up has begun on one of the country's most polluted waterways, the Waiwhetu Stream, near the mouth of Wellington's Hutt River. The 14-million dollar project includes removing toxic sludge, which in places is up to one and a half-metres deep. Environment reporter, Ian Telfer has this report from the work site. PKG
The British government has decided to cut funding for camps in Sri Lanka housing people displaced during the war against the Tamil Tiger rebels. Charles Haviland accompanied Mr Foster and sent this report from the camp: PKG