Checkpoint for Tuesday 4 December 2012

6:57 PM.Protests against Trans-Pacific Partnership negotiations took place around the country today as delegates attended the latest round of talks in the 11-country trade deal being held in Auckland. Audio

6:47 PM.The eastern Bay of Plenty tribe, Te Whanau a Apanui, says there was a level of expectancy amongst the iwi, that Petrobras would pull out of exploration off the east coast of the North Island, because… Read more Audio

6:39 PM.The Fire Service has today apologised for not preparing its workers to cope with the aftermath of the February 2011 Christchurch quake. Audio

6:35 PM.The future of Southland's Tiwai Point smelter looks uncertain, with its owner, New Zealand Aluminium Smelters, saying more cutbacks are likely as it continues to lose money. Audio

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

6:22 PM.The Christchurch Police believe the body found in a burnt-out car at the weekend is that of local man Shane Malcolm Bell. Audio

6:19 PM.A 24 year old senior analyst from the accounting firm, PwC, has won a top prize at a financial competition in New York. Audio

6:15 PM.The Brazilian oil company Petrobras is quitting New Zealand after just the first stage of exploring off East Cape in a deep-sea area where the Government had hoped for an oil and gas bonanza. Audio

6:10 PM.The Hobbit movie had its world premiere in Wellington last Wednesday, but not till 6 tonight has a global embargo been lifted on reviewers saying what they thought of it. Audio

6:08 PM.Just a few hours later, the New Zealand First leader, Winston Peters, made this statement to Parliament. Audio

5:55 PM.Security camera footage taken on the morning a Radio New Zealand journalist was attacked has dominated the second day of the trial of two men charged with his murder. Audio

5:50 PM.The White House says fears are mounting that Syria's "increaingly beleagured regime" will resort to unleashing chemical weapons against its own people. Audio

5:47 PM.The eastern Bay of Plenty tribe, Te Whanau a Apanui, says there was a level of expectancy amongst the iwi, that Petrobras would pull out of exploration off the east coast of the North Island, because… Read more Audio

5:42 PM.More than 40-thousand people have crammed into shelters to escape the onslaught of the strongest cyclone to hit the Philippines this year. Audio

5:38 PM.The inquest into the collapse of the CTV building has heard a vital piece of equipment used to locate bodies under rubble, lay idle at the collapsed CTV building, because nobody knew it was there. Audio

5:35 PM.The Social Development Minister, Paula Bennett, is to investigate how many beneficiaries have had their airfares paid to fly to Australia to work. Audio

5:32 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:28 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:22 PM.But the Energy and Resources Minister Phil Heatley says the protest action played no part in the company's decision to quit New Zealand. Audio

5:18 PM.The oil company Petrobras is quitting New Zealand after just the first stage of exploring for oil and gas off East Cape in an area the Government had touted as potentially lucrative for the country. Audio

5:15 PM.With us is our parliamentary chief reporter Jane Patterson. Audio

5:09 PM.Brendan Horan's lawyer Paul Mabey QC joins us. Audio

5:07 PM.The New Zealand First MP Brendan Horan has been unceremoniously dumped from the caucus this afternoon, and been told by party leader Winston Peters to quit Parliament altogether. Audio

5:00 PM.New Zealand First sacks Brendan Horan from its caucus and the oil company Petrobras gives up on New Zealand. Audio