Checkpoint for Thursday 19 July 2012

6:56 PM.The Solomon Islands is being accused of illegally exporting tens of thousands of endangered birds as part of the global wildlife trade. Audio

6:48 PM.The Waitangi Tribunal examining water rights has rejected a call by the Maori Council's barrister to step in over a legal aid payments; The Government has attacked the Green Party during the… Read more Audio

6:43 PM.The former National Government cabinet minister, Aussie Malcolm has told politicans a law change aimed at deterring people smuggling won't work. Audio

6:38 PM.The Medical Association has slammed Wanganui Hospital's decision to provide a new natural therapy service for patients. Audio

6:34 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:25 PM.Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a day after a bomber killed and wounded his security chiefs. Audio

6:21 PM.The Wellington based gumboot maker, Bata New Zealand, is looking to double production with the installation of a million dollars worth of new machinery. Audio

6:18 PM.Government food safety officials say there's no more listeria in food at Hawke's Bay Hospital but they're yet to pinpoint the source of an outbreak which has caused the death of one patient and… Read more Audio

6:15 PM.A bag-snatching thief who killed a woman in a South Auckland carpark will serve out the rest of his life sentence after being found guilty for a second time of her murder. Audio

6:12 PM.The first part of the Government's major overhaul of the welfare system has been passed into law. Audio

6:06 PM.Three businessmen who fooled investors with complex and convoluted transactions have been found guilty of one of the country's worst finance company frauds. Audio

5:56 PM.The Foreign Affairs Minister, Murray McCully, has fobbed off questions about why he refused to release documents after the Budget. Audio

5:53 PM.The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority wants private insurers to provide homeowners with clear timeframes for when earthquake repairs will be carried out. Audio

5:50 PM.Government lawyers have hit back over a claim the Crown acted in bad faith when the Prime Minister, John Key discussed the outcome of the Waitangi Tribunal hearing into water rights; The Secondary… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.The Maori Council has accused the Ministry of Justice of being racist and trying to sabotage its water rights case being heard by the Waitangi Tribunal. Audio

5:40 PM.The Prime Minister says last night's meeting with the Maori Party has paved the way for the sale of shares in Mighty River Power to go ahead. Audio

5:36 PM.The lawyer for Peter Whittall is seeking a judicial review to force the Pike River Royal Commission to reconvene to hear evidence from three witnesses. Audio

5:33 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:26 PM.The Hawkes Bay District Health board says it didn't test hospital food for listeria despite four patients becoming ill with the bug - and two of them dying. Audio

5:23 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:14 PM.A coroner has ruled the death of Auckland woman, Iraena Asher, could have been prevented if the police had responded properly to her emergency call for help. Audio

5:11 PM.Christopher Shadrock has been found guilty for the second time of murdering a woman in front of her young son in a South Auckland supermarket carpark. Audio

5:07 PM.It's being called one of the worst cases of finance company fraud with seven thousand investors losing everything - now the two formers directors and the head of Capital and Merchant Finance have been… Read more Audio

5:00 PM.Verdicts in one of the worst finance company frauds. The bag snatcher who killed a woman in a supermarket carpark is found guilty of murder for the second time and DHB says it didn't test hospital… Read more Audio