Checkpoint. 2004-04-23

1700 to 1707 NEWS
North Korea has reportedly declared a state of emergency after two goods trains apparently collided, killing or injuring thousands of people. The blast was so big it was picked up by South Korea's military monitoring equipment. Reports from the South suggest two cargo trains, carrying petrol and liquedfied gas collided at Ryongchon station just hours after North Korea's reclusive leader Kim Jong-Il passed through on his way to Pyongyang. A journalist with South Korea's Yonhap news agency, based in Beijing, says he's spoken by phone to some people who witnessed the blast. CUT
The area of the crash site is just 50 kilometres inside North Korea's border with China. A doctor in the Chinese border city of Dandong says his hospital had been told by Chinese authorities to prepare for thousands of dead and injured from North Korea. Our correspondent in China, Donna Field joins us now [illegible]
A helicopter which crashed in Southland killing the pilot, may have broken up in mid-air before plummeting into dense gorse bush near Mokoreta, northeast of Invercargill. The police say the Iriquois went down 200 metres near a main road and witnesses saw the helicopter fall from the sky. A specialist police aircraft crash team is examining the wreckage and the name of the pilot is not being released until his partner has been contacted. The chief investigators of Accidents at the Transport Accident Investigation Commission, John Mockett say they are investigating reports about an in-flight break up. PRE-REC
A convicted murderer who held prison guards hostage to highlight his plea of innocence has won a new appeal hearing. Rex Haig was jailed nearly eight-and-a-half years ago for the 1993 killing of Southland fisherman Mark Roderique. Mr Roderique's body was never found and Haig has maintained his innocence since his conviction in November 1995. Two separate reviews of his case have produced conflicting views, and the Justice Minister, Phil Goff, says he believes the appropriate course is to refer it back to the Court of Appeal. CUT
[illegible] us now is Rex Haig's lawyer Nigel Hampton QC LIVE
The Ministry of Health has moved to reassure patients that some health and safety equipment, and personal mobility and access services will still be funded for the most urgent cases. This follows the release to Radio New Zealand of an email to providers which advises that spending on such support services is to cease immediately because the budget had been blown. Here's our Health Correspondent, Rae Lamb. PKG
A nationwide product recall is underway as the Christchurch police investigate the contamination of a nasal spray by toxic chemicals. After reports of injury or irritation by Christchurch users, tests showed that bottles of Narium nasal spray had been adulterated with chloroform or phenol. A recall has begun for a second product, Summers Eve Feminine Wash Intimate Cleansing Mist, which may also have been affected. The Canterbury Medical Officer of Health, Dr Alistair Humphrey, is urging people to stop using both products and to return them to the store they bought them from. He says while the cases reported have been minor, the chemicals involved have the potential for more serious harm. CUT Detective Inspector Peter Read from the Christchurch police is heading the investigation and he joins use now. LIVE
1720 BUSINESS NEWS WITH LOUISE GARRETT
1730 HEADLINES
SPORTS NEWS WITH STEPHEN HEWSON
The four men charged with de-frauding two Auckland air ambulance services appeared in the Auckland District Court today where their activities were described as a dishonest racket. A depositions hearing is underway for Malcolm Beattie, Stuart Thomas Romley, Peter Pharo and Wayne Porter who all face two counts of fraud. The Crown Prosecutor Nick Davidson QC told the court the four men developed a money-go-round using the proceeds from pokie machines at pubs owned by Pharo and Porter. He says the money was initially given in grants to the Auckland Rescue Helicoptor Trust and Child Flight Trust through another trust called Goldtimes which all four men were involved in. Our reporter Kirsty Jones was court. Q + A
A [illegible] march over the government's foreshore and seabed legislation has ended its second day with organisors claiming the momentumum among maoridom is rapidly increasing. Today in the far north town of Kaitaia more than 500 people held a lunchtime march after two seperate groups joined forces. The march at the moment is being led by veteran activist Hone Harawira. CUT
But Pakeha bystanders say they feel strongly that no one group should have ownership of the foreshore and seabed. CUT
Our Māori issues Gidedon Porter is in the Far North and joins us now.
A dilapidated eyesore at the centre of Auckland city is about to get a 350-million dollar extreme makeover. Plans have been revealed for the land above the Britomart Transport Centre, in what is being described as the largest heritage rejuvenation project the country has seen. The deal's between Auckland City Council and developer Bluewater Consortium. Anna Von Tunzelmann has more PKG
The joy of finding a car park on the street with credit remaining in the parking meter could soon be a thing of the past. At least three council's around the country have been trialing sensors, which cause parking meters to automatically expire when a car pulls out of the park. In Wellington, the council now plans to install the sensors into 1-hundred inner city parking meters in October, and motorists are not happy. CUT
Trials of the meter sensors have also been run in Invercargill and Lower Hutt. The Invercargill City Council found over a week each meter with a sensor made about five dollars more than a standard meter. Lower Hutt has also been trialing the sensors and Kirk MacGibbon (Ma-gibbon) from the Hutt City Council joins us know. LIVE
The Waikato Regional Council is defending its use of a picture of a young girl's bloodied face smashed against a car windscreen in its new anti-speeding campaign. A poster carrying the image will be placed on hundreds of cars parked in urban areas when the project starts on Monday. The council's Marketing and Promotions Manager for road safety, Barnaby Bates, says the picture needs to be shocking to get drivers attention and hopes the families of crash victims will understand what the campaign is trying to achieve. However the Chief Executive of Victim Support Steve Caldwell says the image is too gory and people will miss the point. I spoke to both him and Mr Bates, who does agree that the image is shocking. PRE-REC
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