Checkpoint. 2002-01-28

Australia's detention centre crisis continues, with hundreds of refugees in the centres staging hunger strikes, while outside supporters protest at the government's treatment of the asylum seekers. The hunger strikes are being staged at four of Australia's five detention centres - detainees at Melbourne's Maribyrnong detention centre abandoned their protest a short time ago. Meanwhile, 15 children at the Woomera detention centre are reported to have made a suicide pact. Demonstrators wanting the Government to free the asylum seekers have been protesting outside Woomera.
CUT But Australia's Immigration Minister Philip Ruddock is adamant the Government's policy will not change. CUT
The official number of detainees on a hunger strike at the centre is 259, but [illegible] representing the detainees say the number is closer to 370. I asked Mr McDonald, the lawyer representing detainees, about the detainees protests. PREREC
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Government's looking at increasing the number of refugees this country takes each year - but only in the longer term, and if there's enough funding. New Zealand has an annual quota of 750 refugees, filled by referrals from the United Nations High Commission for Refugees. However last year in a one-off, around 130 asylum seekers rescued by the Norwegian ship the Tampa off the Australian coast were also processed. Green MP Keith Locke has called on the Government to express concern about the way the Australian Government is dealing with the asylum seekers in detention centres - I asked Prime Minister Helen Clark if she would be doing this. PREREC
The private murder prosecution of Constable Keith Abbott has today heard that police refused to allow first aid to be given to Waitara man Stephen Wallace after he was shot by Abbott. Stephen Wallace was shot as he rampaged down Waitara's main street - the private murder prosecution has been brought by Mr Wallace's family after police investigations concluded there was no wrongdoing [illegible] Constable Abbott. Our reporter Kirsty Jones is covering the case at the New Plymouth District Court - she joins me now. LIVE
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In Israel, an attacker police suspect was a Palestinian woman detonated explosives in Jerusalem's main shopping street, killing herself and an elderly Israeli and wounding more than 100. The Jaffa Road attack was the third on an Israeli city centre in under a week, raising the spectre of Israeli retaliation. Israeli police say the circumstances of the attack are still not clear and the bomb may have exploded prematurely. The BBC's Jerusalem correspondent James Reynolds was on the scene shortly after the blast. PKGE
An Auckland restaurant says it is paying the price for a Hepatitis A scare even though health authorities have cleared it of blame. Health authorities are trying to trackdown 350 people who dined at the Bluefins restaurant in Mission Bay after a part-time waitress was diagnosed with the disease. She worked at the restaurant in the evening from January 7th to the 10th and again on the 15th and 16th and may have passed on the disease while serving customers. Stephanie Baird reports. PKGE
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Afghanistan's interim leader Hamid Karzai is in Washington becoming the first Afghan leader to visit since 1963. His arrival coincided with a visit to Camp X-Ray in Guantanamo Bay by US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Mr Rumsfeld has backed statements by President George Bush that the detainees are being treated humanely and will not be given prisoner of war status that would allow them certain rights under the Geneva Convention. Our Washington correspondent Vicky Ford reports. PKGE
New Zealand is giving Vanuatu a hundred thousand dollars in disaster aid following the severe earthquake which jolted the Pacific nation earlier this month. The quake measured seven point three on the Richter scale - it buckled bridges, damaged buildings and blocked roads. Some aftershocks have measured six. The Associate Foreign Affairs Minister, Matt Robson, announced the one [illegible] thousand dollar cash grant this afternoon - I asked New Zealand's High Commissioner in Port Vila Brian Smythe how the money will be spent. PREREC
Otago woman shortly before she was found dead early on Sunday morning. 29-year-old Jodie Louise Kiri Brown's body was discovered by workmates - police are now appealling for information about a man seen at Ms Brown's Milton home a short time before. A post-mortem has been carried out today but Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Wood told me that more tests are needed to establish how she was killed. B/ANNOUNCE: Police are appealing for anyone with information about the case to call free on 0800 676 45866 that is 0800 OP-MILTON PREREC
There's strong opposition to proposals to close the Rangiora District Court and move its services to Christchurch. The proposal's come from the Department of Courts, which says closing Rangiora's courthouse would save it around 34 thousand dollars a year. But locals say the move will take away people's rights to be tried in their own community, and while it will save the department money, it will cost them. Andrew Greenwood reports. PKGE
A warning to motorists south of Auckland - there are lengthy delays on State [illegible] one after a fatal accident closed the road near Meremere. One person died in the head-on collision between a car and truck - police say thaty have closed State Highway while emergency services clean-up.
Diversions have been put in place for both north and southbound traffic, but police warn patience is required.
The police say many people are returning to Auckland after the region's long anniversary weekend and this will be making the traffic jams worse.
The cream of New Zealand's young thoroughbred horses is on sale at Karaka in South Auckland over the next eight days. More than 17-hundred horses are on offer at the national Yearling Sales with the best 480 entered in the premier session. The first auction begins in less than an hour. Mark Player, the chief executive of New Zealand Thoroughbred Marketing, says the line-up this year is much stronger than it's been in the past. PREREC
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