Checkpoint for Wednesday 23 December 2009

6:58 PM.An American Airlines flight from Miami to Kingston has crashed and broken in two after landing in heavy rain. Audio

6:57 PM.Evidence has emerged to support the theory that English playwright William Shakespeare may have spent time in Italy during the so-called missing years of his life. Audio

6:54 PM.If you're looking for something different to give loved ones this Christmas, and you're not strapped for cash, the luxury end of the market is alive and well, even in these recessionary times. Audio

6:51 PM.Government officials in Yemen are worried that al Qaeda has infiltrated their country. Audio

6:49 PM.The United States has taken steps to safeguard its cyber-borders by appointing a computer security advisor to the President. Audio

6:48 PM.Serbia has formally applied for membership of the European Union. Audio

6:44 PM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

6:43 PM.Opponents of Christchurch's proposed conservatorium of music have welcomed a ruling to fast track a High Court hearing on the project. Audio

6:40 PM.Severe winter weather continues its stranglehold on Europe as travellers battle heavy snow. Audio

6:36 PM.A Colombian governor has been kidnapped and killed by FARC guerillas, despite recent government efforts to crackdown on the leftist rebels. Audio

6:32 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:26 PM.If this year's office Christmas party consisted of a few stale mince pies down at the local pub, that might might be yet another thing to blame on these tough economic times. Audio

6:22 PM.An ancient whale fossil is offering up new clues about the evolution of such mammals. Audio

6:19 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

6:15 PM.The shipwreck hunter who's just found the Australian hospital ship torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in World War Two says the success is down to the skill of the sunken vessal's war-time navigator. Audio

6:12 PM.Journalists have come under direct attack in Pakistan after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the Press Club in the volatile city of Peshawar. Audio

6:09 PM.The Government plans to get tougher on long-term beneficiaries next year, as it tries to weed out of the system those it suspects are abusing benefits. Audio

6:06 PM.The father of a police officer shot in the line of duty says his son is in pain - but happy to be alive. Audio

5:56 PM.A prestigious choir from Cambridge has effectively been banned from performing on Christmas Eve at one of the world's most famous churches. Audio

5:53 PM.40,000 people are set to spend Christmas in evacuation centres as one of the country's most active volcanoes threatens a major eruption. Audio

5:50 PM.A dangerous high-seas squabble has broken out between environmental activists and a japanese whaling crew in the Southern Ocean. Audio

5:47 PM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

5:41 PM.The Government's latest offer to those with leaky homes is being criticised as a non-announcement, which doesn't put homeowners in any better a position. Audio

5:37 PM.In South Australia, several towns around Adelaide have been effectively branded death zones as authorities face the worst bushfire risk since the"Black Saturday"fires in Victoria early this year. Audio

5:34 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:27 PM.People who've been on the unemployment benefit for 12 months will have their payments cancelled if they fail to attend a compulsory meeting with Work and Income. Audio

5:22 PM.Child health experts want the Government to take a zero tolerance stance on drinking by young drivers. Audio

5:21 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:16 PM.The economy continues to inch its way out of recession with latest figures showing it expanded by 0.2 percent for the second quarter in a row. Audio

5:12 PM.Another e-mail has emerged which confirms the Maori Party MP Hone Harawira's penchant for using obscene language. Audio

5:07 PM.The father of the police officer shot three times in South Auckland says his son is still in a lot of pain but very happy to be alive. Audio