Checkpoint for Wednesday 10 July 2013

6:51 PM.A former director of the communications spy agency says the brakes need to be put on the passing of a Bill expanding its powers. Audio

6:47 PM.The Maori Party is staggered at Labour and National's decision to put a stop to a proposed inquiry into how the 2007 Urewera raids affected local communities; Officials of the Tertiary Education… Read more Audio

6:43 PM.A war correspondent who is suing the Defence Force and its chief for defamation has been challenged under cross-examination as to whether he got his sources right. Audio

6:40 PM.Less than half of the nurses who qualified in the last month have been able to find jobs. Audio

6:33 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:28 PM.The Prime Minister, John Key, is considering a new compromise put forward by the ACT party, to get support for the controversial new spy legislation. Audio

6:26 PM.An Education Review Office report shows some schools must improve to meet targets for better treatment of children with special needs. Audio

6:23 PM.The founder of the natural health and beauty products company, Comvita, Claude Stratford, has died aged 102 at his Te Puke home. Audio

6:20 PM.Tongues and other appendages are wagging, after Air New Zealand allowed a celebrity couple to travel with their dogs on an international flight for psychiatric reasons. Audio

6:17 PM.Arsenic contamination that's a threat to human health and the environment has been discovered at an abandoned gold mine on the West Coast. Audio

6:12 PM.Egypt's main coalition, which supported the military ousting of President Morsi, has rejected a decree giving the interim leader extensive powers ahead of a new election. Audio

6:09 PM.The Government has begun investigating another consents department at the Christchurch City Council - this time resource consenting is under scrutiny. Audio

5:50 PM.Opponents of a big motorway project north of Wellington say it will devastate their communities and packed the High Court in the capital today to make their case. Audio

5:47 PM.Officials of the Tertiary Education Commission have been accused of wasting the Maori Affairs Select Committee's time and told them to reappear when they're better prepared; The Maori Party is… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.Less than half of the nurses who qualified in the last month have been able to find jobs. Audio

5:40 PM.Legislation for a new Auckland convention centre will get through its first reading in Parliament tomorrow, despite it now having a conscience vote. Audio

5:36 PM.The resource consents department at the Christchurch City Council is now being investigated on the heels of the crisis in its building consents unit. Audio

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

5:27 PM.A criminal investigation has been launched following the explosion of a runaway train which crashed in the Canadian town of Lac-Megantic. Audio

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

5:21 PM.The way has been cleared for Paula Rebstock to finish her report into who leaked Cabinet papers on the restructuring of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Audio

5:17 PM.A police officer trying to lay road spikes to stop a stolen car in Auckland last night had to leap out of the way of the speeding vehicle which then rammed his patrol car while he was in it. Audio

5:13 PM.The Christchurch City Council is under further government scutiny with officials being sent in to check how it's issuing resource consents. Audio

5:11 PM.The Christchurch City Council is launching an independent investigation into the actions of its chief executive Tony Marryatt and management over the council's building consents crisis. Audio

5:07 PM.The Labour MP Jacinda Ardern is accusing Child Youth and Family of taking days instead of hours to follow up children at risk of serious abuse or even death. Audio

5:00 PM.Child Youth and Family is accused of taking days, instead of hours, to follow up serious abuse cases. Christchurch City Council votes to investigate Tony Marryatt and a police officer leaps away from… Read more Audio