1Four New Zealanders have now been confirmed dead in the Samoan tsunami and there are grave fears for two others; more bodies have been recovered today. 125 people are now dead across American Samoa, Samoa and Tonga.

2An aid worker in Samoa says the situation is dire with over-flowing hospitals, people still stuck in the mountains, and a severe shortage of food and water.

3Acting Prime Minister Bill English has met with the Samoan Consul General in Auckland this afternoon to work on arrangements to get emergency supplies into Samoa. HMNZS Canterbury is on standby waiting for instructions regarding its cargo.

4Four New Zealanders have now been confirmed dead in the Samoan tsunami and there are grave fears for two others; more bodies have been recovered today. Radio New Zealand reporter Leilani Momoisea is in Samoa - she spoke to Checkpoint moments before coming to air.

5In Indonesia, rescue teams are digging through the rubble of buildings shattered by Wednesday's massive earthquake, in which some 1100-people have died.

6Business News

7In what is being billed as the Fight of the Century, the two heavyweight boxers David "The Tuamantor" Tua and Shane "Mountain Warrior" Cameron will battle it out in Hamilton tomorrow night.

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9New Zealand Defence Forces have been on the ground in Samoa since yesterday assisting with the major disaster relief effort. Medics, engineers and environmental health officers are among those who've been sent to the islands.

10Papers released today show the high-powered group reviewing the tax system has again come out in favour of a capital gains tax. A prominent member of the Victoria University Tax Working Group is downplaying statements by some government ministers that appear to be talking down the tax.

11Fears are growing for the safety of a Malaysian tourist who's been missing in Aoraki Mount Cook National Park for 48-hours.

12Waatea News

13United States President Barack Obama has described international talks on Iran's nuclear programme as constructive. Top American and Iranian officials met in Geneva overnight for discussions around Iran's nuclear programme and recent activities.

14By tomorrow the world will know which city is to host the 2016 Olympic Games.

15An aftershock measuring magnitude 6.3 was recorded southeast of Tonga today. The United States Geological Survey says this is an aftershock following the 8.3 magnitude quake that hit the South Pacific on Wednesday and that aftershocks like this may continue for months.

16Our oldest known human ancestor may just have got a little older - by about one million years. Researchers have found a partial skeleton of a female in Ethiopia that is believed to be more than 400-million years old.

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18As aidworkers rush to bring relief to Samoa, holiday makers are cancelling their tickets. For an economy reliant on tourism, that's a blow for the tsunami effected nation.

19Four New Zealanders have now been confirmed dead in the Samoan tsunami and there are grave fears for two others; more bodies have been recovered today. Radio New Zealand reporter Leilani Momoisea is in Samoa - she joins Checkpoint.

20Four New Zealanders have now been confirmed dead in the Samoan tsunami and there are grave fears for two others; more bodies have been recovered today. Non-Governmental Organisations in New Zealand have begun organising their own response to the massive relief effort in Samoa.

21The first group of health professionals who've volunteered to help in Samoa expects to leave tonight. All nine medics are from Waikato Hospital.

22Business News

23In the Indonesian city of Padang, desperate efforts continue to try and rescue those still trapped under the rubble following Wednesday's earthquake. The president himself has visited some of the effected areas saying that as long as people could be alive then the search must continue.

24The people of Ireland go to the polls again in a few hours to vote for the second time on the Lisbon Treaty, which aims for reform of the European Union. 18-months ago when Ireland's economy was booming a high-profile 'NO' campaign convinced the people to vote the same way in a referendum.

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26Focus on Politics: After two months of controversy the Minister of Finance Bill English finally bowed to public pressure this week and announced he will no longer accept any taxpayer-funded housing assistance. As well, he has paid back all the housing allowances he's received since the election - around $32-thousand.

27Waatea News

28An academic who specialises in disaster management communications says New Zealand's response to disaster warnings could be much better.