Checkpoint FOR THURSDAY 30 SEPTEMBER 2010
****************************
1700 to 1707 NEWS
****************************
There are delays tonight for commuters in the Wellington region as slips and flooding cause road and rail closures.Two trains have collided near Plimmerton north of the capital and five people have been taken to hospital.A passenger train carrying 40 people on its way to Paraparaumu hit a landslip and derailed this afternoon. A southbound train, then collided with the cab of the derailed train.Jim Quinn is the chief executive of KiwiRail - he's on the line now. LIVE
Our reporter Nick Butcher is out at one of the road blocks - LIVE
A District Health Board which employed a convicted drug smuggler from Nigeria to work as a doctor says he lied on his application to work here and that type of deception is can be very difficult to detect. Chidozie Onovo arrived in New Zealand in January last year, and got work as a registrar in psychiatry at the Canterbury DHB. He failed to mention that he'd been jailed in 1999 for smuggling four and a half kilograms of cannabis into the United Kingdom.Onovo was only caught by Immigration officials after he applied for residency at the start of this year.He's been sentenced to 16-months in prison after admitting three charges of fraud relating to work permits and a residency application.Immigration New Zealand's national manager for border and compliance operations, Peter Elms, says the level of scrutiny applied to visa applications depends on individual circumstances. CLIP Peter Elms says it was a highly unusual case and likely to be the only type of its kind.The Canterbury DHB says it went through all processes and routine checks, with further checks made by the recruitment agency.The DHB's chief medical officer, Dr Nigel Millar, says Onovo had worked in Ireland for five years, and had a Certificate of Good Standing from the Irish Medical Council. And he says Onovo had the correct qualifications to practice in New Zealand.
PREREC Dr Nigel Millar - the chief medical officer at the Canterbury District Health Board.
***********************
1720 TRAILS AND BUSINESS WITH
************************
New figures released today show the core state sector has shrunk by more than two-thousand (2100) staff since National took office in 2008.The Government says it's a result of moving resources from back offices to the front-line.But the Opposition says the cuts are eating into essential public services.Here's our political reporter, Danya Levy. PKG
The tiny West Coast town of Reefton is buzzing with the news that a multi millionaire could be living within its midst.The winning 10-point-6 million dollar Big Wednesday ticket was sold at the town's lotto store, but so far the winner hasn't come forward to claim the prize.
Our reporter Steve Wilde has been talking to local residents. PKG
***********************
17.30 HEADLINES
***********************
More now on the commuter chaos in the capital with bad weather closing roads and rail services.
Our reporter Nick Butcher is now at the site where two tarins have crashed - he's with us now:
LIVE
Samoa is today remembering the tsunami that one year ago killed 186 people and swept away their homes and livelihoods.Villages are unveiling plaques in remembrance of those who died and families are having their own private unveilings later in the day.Some villagers are having a memorial march from Saleapaga village to Lalomanu, and have timed their commemorative church services to coincide with the same time the tsunami struck.Today also marks the official opening of Satitoa primary school, which was demolished by the waves, and has been rebuilt on higher ground.
Our reporter Leilani Momoisea was at the school site in Satitoa village and spoke with those involved in the re-build. PKG
Australia's new parliament has had it's first full sitting day and it took only a couple of hours for Julia Gillard's new government to lose a floor vote, something that hasn't happened since the Second World War.To tell us more, Canberra political columnist and author Nick Stuart is on the line. LIVE
The life expectancy of New Zealanders is continuing to increase, but its rising at a far slower rate than most developed countries. In the past two years, this country's OECD ranking has dropped from 11th to 14th.Overall people here can expect to live to 80 years, but the life expectancy for Māori men is only marginally higher than the global average of 69.Sir Peter Gluckman is the Prime Minister's chief science advisor and he's been looking at the latest figures . PREREC
***************
17.45 TRAILS
****************
WAATEA
****************
British counter-terrorism officials are frustrated details were leaked about an Al-Qaeda plot to conduct commando style raids in Britain, France and Germany. They say surveillance of the suspects will now be even harder. The terror threat was reported in the Wall Street journal from quotes by past and serving senior American military personnel as the ABC's Barney Porter reports :PKG
The United States has announced more sanctions against Iran this time targeting individuals accused of human rights abuses.The American secretary of state Hillary Clinton says the men share responsibility for sustained severe violations of human rights relating to last year's disputed presidential election.The ABC's Lisa Miller reports from Washington : PKG