Checkpoint for Wednesday 27 February 2013

6:54 PM.Supporters of same sex marriage hope a plan to protect the rights of religious celebrants will allay fears and the law change will go ahead. Audio

6:50 PM.Maori claimants to water rights have lost a legal challenge to stop the Government going ahead with the partial privatisation of some state-owned assets - including hydro power generators; The Tuhoe… Read more Audio

6:47 PM.Drought has now been officially declared in Northland. Audio

6:43 PM.A prominent Maori educator, Pem Bird, says large numbers of Maori and Pasifika groups want to set up charter or partnership schools because they are desperate to improve their children's education. Audio

6:41 PM.Cyber criminals have once again hacked into the email accounts of Yahoo Xtra customers as part of an online attack now reaching almost 90-thousand people. Audio

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

6:28 PM.The Supreme Court has dismissed the Maori Council's bid to stop the state asset sales. Audio

6:22 PM.News from the business sector. Audio

6:15 PM.A United States Court of Appeal has ruled the anti-whaling protest group Sea Shepherd are pirates and that Japanese whalers have the right to hunt in the Southern Ocean. Audio

6:12 PM.Dr Tom Trnski is the head of natural sciences at the Auckland museum. Audio

6:08 PM.A swimmer has been killed in a shark attack in front of eyewitnesses at Muriwai Beach and all West Auckland beaches have been closed. Audio

5:51 PM.New evidence has revealed that security in Afghanistan's Bamiyan province was deteriorating significantly prior to the two attacks in August last year that killed five New Zealand soldiers. Audio

5:48 PM.Maori claimants to water rights have lost a legal challenge to stop the Government going ahead with the partial privatisation of some state-owned assets - including hydro power generators; The Tuhoe… Read more Audio

5:44 PM.The Labour MP behind a bill to allow for same sex marriage is quietly confident it will be passed into law. Audio

5:41 PM.The Green Party co-leader, Russel Norman, has accused the former Economic Development Minister, Gerry Brownlee, of misleading Parliament during a feisty series of questions about the Hobbit dispute. Audio

5:38 PM.Western Australia is hunkering down as Cyclone Rusty hits the coast. Audio

5:35 PM.The Finance Minister expects to sign an agreement with the Reserve Bank by the middle of the year allowing the bank to take more direct steps to control house prices. Audio

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

5:26 PM.Tuhoe activist Tame Iti has had his first day of freedom after spending nine months of a two-and-a-half year sentence in prison. Audio

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

5:19 PM.The Government has declared a drought in Northland with other regions probably to follow. Audio

5:15 PM.The Supreme Court has dismissed the Maori Council's bid to stop the state asset sales. Audio

5:08 PM.A man has been killed in a shark attack at Muriwai Beach in West Auckland - the beach is now closed and the police are at the scene. Audio

5:00 PM.West Auckland beaches are closed after a man was killed by a shark. The Maori Council loses its bid to stop asset sales and it's official - there's a drought in Northland. Audio