Checkpoint for Wednesday 7 May 2014

6:58 PM.Nearly two thirds of children's face paints on shop shelves have failed to meet safety standards in new tests. Audio

6:51 PM.The chancellor of Massey University, Chris Kelly, wants the government to be responsible for appointing a Maori representative on to university and wananga councils; The Crown's Maori media funder… Read more Audio

6:48 PM.It's being described as offensive, anti-democratic and similar to the plot of a Harry Potter book. Audio

6:44 PM.The first hand-raised kakariki have been set free on the New Zealand mainland - into the Abel Tasman national park. Audio

6:40 PM.Hundreds of Dunedin ratepayers are pushing the city council to call a halt to investing in oil companies and ban investing in tobacco and arms. Audio

6:37 PM.An independent review of the state of the Christchurch City Council's books says it's facing a funding hole of half a billion dollars - and it could be significantly worse than that. Audio

6:35 PM.In Thailand the Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, is about to find out if the country's highest court has found her guilty of abusing her powers. Audio

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

6:20 PM.Suspected Boko Haram gunmen have kidnapped eight more girls in north-eastern Nigeria. Audio

6:18 PM.Employment growth has hit its fastest pace in a decade. But it hasn't been enough to make a dent in unemployment, due to more people working or searching for a job. Audio

6:15 PM.Grant Hall is a spokesperson for the legal highs industry lobby group the Star Trust. He's with us. Audio

6:12 PM.A fast-track for higher density housing is coming to some Auckland suburban centres, with the release of the latest batch of so-called Special Housing areas in the city. Audio

6:08 PM.The legal high ban that applies from midnight tonight has sparked fears the fallout for users and their families will be worse than predicted. Audio

5:56 PM.In a rare public appearance, the head of the Government Security and Communications Bureau has emphatically denied his organisation carries out mass surveillance. Audio

5:53 PM.Some MPs were moved to tears today as a police officer told them of his struggle to help his wife deal with the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. Audio

5:50 PM.The chancellor of Massey University, Chris Kelly, wants the government to be responsible for appointing a Maori representative on to university and wananga councils; The Crown's Maori media funder… Read more Audio

5:45 PM.The Prime Minister has rejected suggestions he should sack the Justice Minister, Judith Collins, saying she has his full confidence. Audio

5:42 PM.The White House has announced it is sending a team to Nigeria to help in the hunt for nearly three hundred schoolgirls who were abducted three weeks ago. Audio

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

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

5:23 PM.With just hours till a crackdown on synthetic drugs kicks in, users and some community workers are warning of a backlash, with gangs stepping in to fill the void and a flood of demand for mental… Read more Audio

5:18 PM.In March 2012 Sir Douglas Graham, Bill Jeffries, Lawrence Bryant and Michael Reeves were found guilty of making false statements in a Lombard Finance prospectus and misleading investors about the the… Read more Audio

5:15 PM.The Immigration Minister, Michael Woodhouse, is defending going to a Chinese Cabinet Club meeting in Dunedin last year, where he says immigration policy was discussed. Audio

5:10 PM.Andrew Hemara's lawyer Belinda Sellars says half of Wellsford was in court today to support the couple. Audio

5:07 PM.People applauded in court today as jurors cleared a Wellsford couple of kicking, punching and throwing things at foster boys in their care for years. Audio