Checkpoint for Wednesday 21 November 2012

6:52 PM.A 26-year-old man has appeared in the Timaru District court today on assault charges relating to the suspected abduction of a boy last week. Audio

6:49 PM.The guardians of the area around Mount Tongariro say today's eruption shows the mountain's warrior status, and makes the people of Ngati Tuwharetoa happy see the maunga come alive; Meanwhile, a tribe… Read more Audio

6:47 PM.The Church of England has narrowly voted not to allow women to become bishops, following a 12-year legal battle. Audio

6:44 PM.Kim Dotcom and his wife, Mona Dotcom, have been back in court seeking money to pay for their nannies, butlers and cooks. Audio

6:40 PM.The United States Federal government is considering its response to votes to legalize the recreational use of marijuana in two states. Audio

6:38 PM.Israel has bombarded Gaza again, and the Palestinians launched their own multiple rocket strikes back, despite truce talks. Audio

6:35 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:28 PM.The head of DB Brian Blake is stepping down after nearly 20 years. He says he leaves DB in an extremely strong financial position. Audio

6:24 PM.The volume is being turned down on television advertisements. Audio

6:21 PM.The former principal of Christchurch Girls High, Prue Taylor, has gone to the Employment Relations Authority asking for her job back. Audio

6:16 PM.Doctors are worried about an increasing number of public hospital patients who don't get their cancer diagnosed early enough because tests are forgotten about or not followed up. Audio

6:15 PM.Our reporter Andrew McRae is at Ketetahi track. Audio

6:12 PM.Our head of news Don Rood is at Lake Rotoaira on the northern side of Tongariro. Audio

6:10 PM.David Insull is a member of a film crew shooting a tourism video at the top of the mountain just as it blew. Audio

6:08 PM.More on today's eruption which sent ash spewing four kilometres above Mt Tongariro and more than a hundred schoolchildren scampering off its slopes. Audio

5:57 PM.Political Editor Brent Edwards is with us. Audio

5:55 PM.David Shearer is in moving-on mode, following his confirmation as leader of the labour party. Audio

5:49 PM.The guardians of the area around Mount Tongariro say today's eruption shows the mountain's warrior status, and makes the people of Ngati Tuwharetoa happy to see the maunga come alive; Meanwhile, a… Read more Audio

5:40 PM.The Australian company behind the new school payroll system has broken its silence on problems that have left thousands of school staff under paid, over paid or not paid at all. Audio

5:36 PM.The ill-fated Pike River coal mine's former safety manager, who lost his son in the explosions, has hit back at three company directors who appear to be blaming him for the tragedy. Audio

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

5:29 PM.Meanwhile a Radio New Zealand journalist has had her accreditation to cover next week's Hobbit premiere revoked by the film-makers, who say she was writing too many negative stories. Audio

5:26 PM.JRR Tolkien's descendents are accusing the Hobbit's movie producers of causing irreparable harm to the writers legacy and reputation and they're suing Warner Brothers, New Line Cinema and Saul Zaentz… Read more Audio

5:24 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:21 PM.A five-fold increase in suspected suicides by public hospital in-patients is being put down to a bad year, and not part of a trend. Audio

5:19 PM.The principal of Gulf Harbour School John Petrie is with the children who'd been up Tongariro. Audio

5:17 PM.Tony Hurst is a GNS volcanologist based at Avalon. Audio

5:14 PM.The Department of Conservation's Ruapehu area manager Jonathan Maxwell is with us. Audio

5:09 PM.Stewart Barclay is the director of Adrift Outdoors which does guided walks over the mountain. He headed straight up there as soon as heard there'd been an eruption. Audio

5:08 PM.John Funnell from Helicopter Services Bay of Plenty was flying over the Mount Ruapehu when Tongariro erupted. Audio

5:07 PM.Mt Tongariro has erupted again, sending more than a hundred school children on the alpine crossing fleeing and spewing an ash cloud three thousand metres above the national park. Audio

5:00 PM.Mt Tongariro erupts again. 360 serious mistakes harmed hopsital patients in the past year and Hobbit movie producers accused of harming Tolkien legacy. Audio