Checkpoint for Wednesday 31 October 2012

6:47 PM.Some members of Rangitane in Palmerston North say they will do everything they can to protect the rangatiratanga of their tribe; The Maori Land Court has issued an injunction against a man accused of… Read more Audio

6:37 PM.About two hundred protestors in Christchurch this afternoon chanting in protest at the pressure on local schools over the Government's closure and merger plans. Audio

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

6:28 PM.Two commercial buildings in Wellington are virtually worthless according to latest valuations because they need so much earthquake strengthening work. Audio

6:25 PM.A drop in bad debts and higher income has boosted the BNZ's full year profit by a fifth. Audio

6:21 PM.A study by a dietitian has revealed a disturbingly poor diet by women undergoing IVF treatment for infertility in Auckland. Audio

6:13 PM.Our correspondent in New York is Sara Miller. Audio

5:54 PM.Homeschoolers say penalising parents on benefits who fail to send their young children to pre-school, kindergarten or playcentre is a step towards making early childhood education compulsory for all. Audio

5:51 PM.The pathologist who did the post mortem on Auckland toddler JJ Lawrence has likened the force that split the boy's liver and pancreas to a hammer striking an anvil. Audio

5:48 PM.Some members of Rangitane in Palmerston North say they will do everything they can to protect the rangatiratanga of their tribe; The Maori Land Court has issued an injunction against a man accused of… Read more Audio

5:44 PM.The Education Minister, Hekia Parata, says the decision was made so that services and support can be provided to more children in their local community. Audio

5:41 PM.Two of New Zealand's four residential special needs schools will close, despite warnings from educational experts. Audio

5:38 PM.The cost of a passport is to drop by up to 28 dollars because millions of dollars in excess fees have built up. Audio

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

5:29 PM.Forecasters are predicting a hot, dry summer for parts of the country with above average temperatures expected in the north and east of the North Island. Audio

5:26 PM.The former President of Hells Angels Auckland is considering seeking tens of thousands of dollars worth of court costs from the Crown. Audio

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

5:20 PM.And one town in northern New Jersey thought it had escaped the worst of the storm, only to have a wall of water over a metre high sweep through, forcing the evacuation of hundreds of people. Audio

5:12 PM.The rescue operation at the collapse of the CTV building has been described as haphazard, with nobody in charge overall as police and firefighters tried desperately to rescue those who were still… Read more Audio

5:07 PM.Customs officials say there's no way a large haul of drugs Algerian police have found in shipment of Fonterra milk powder was put there in New Zealand. Audio

5:00 PM.How did a large haul of drugs get inside a shipment of Fonterra milk powder? Cleaning up after one of the deadliest storms ever to hit the US and a hot dry summer is on the way for many parts of the… Read more Audio