Checkpoint for Thursday 22 May 2014

6:48 PM.A trustee of the Patuharakeke hapu in Whangarei says its descendants will be devastated if Might River Power sells what's left of its tribal lands; The Mayor of Auckland, Len Brown, says council… Read more Audio

6:45 PM.Scientists have been left scratching their heads after a new pest in the country seemingly vanished into thin air. Audio

6:37 PM.Auckland's mayor Len Brown says the council may not be able to meet all the hopes of the city's maori, after a report criticised the council for underspending maori budgets. Audio

6:34 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:28 PM.In California, a 25 year old woman held captive for ten years, has walked into a police station in Santa Ana after asking her sister for help on Facebook. Audio

6:23 PM.Russia and China have reached an agreement on a landmark gas contract worth an estimated 400-billion US dollars. Audio

6:20 PM.The Office of the Auditor General has criticised schools for wasteful spending on overseas trips and gifts for staff, and warned that 19 others are in poor financial health. Audio

6:15 PM.We're drinking more alcohol than most of the world and the amount is continuing to rise. Audio

6:12 PM.In Melbourne a speeding truck driver, thought to have a bomb strapped to his head, stripped naked and gave himself up this morning. Audio

6:08 PM.The police watchdog says officers undermined public trust by giving wrong information about girls who complained of being sexually assaulted by a group of young men in Auckland. Audio

5:57 PM.A river raft and a jet boat had to be called in this morning to help rescue a truck driver trapped in his cab in the Buller River. Audio

5:54 PM.The Office of the Auditor General has named and shamed schools for spending thousands of dollars on overseas trips, koha for funerals, and gifts. Audio

5:51 PM.A trustee of the Patuharakeke hapu in Whangarei says its descendants will be devastated if Might River Power sells what's left of its tribal lands; The Mayor of Auckland, Len Brown, says council… Read more Audio

5:48 PM.A blast in a China has killed dozens of people and injured at least 90 others in what the state is calling a terrorist attack. Audio

5:42 PM.Flood weary homeowners in Christchurch have been granted a rates reprieve. Audio

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

5:26 PM.John Banks says he was told Kim Dotcom could fund his entire campaign for the Auckland mayoralty. Audio

5:23 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:19 PM.The New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum says he stands by his match-fixing testimony to the International Cricket Council and has no regrets about it. Audio

5:12 PM.The Police Minister Anne Tolley asked the IPCA to do the investigation. Audio

5:07 PM.The police watchdog says officers undermined public trust by giving wrong information about girls who complained of being sexually assaulted by a group of young men in Auckland. Audio

5:00 PM.Police apologise for basic mistakes over complaints about girls being sexually assaulted. Brendon McCullum stands by his match-fixing testimony and John Banks police interviewed is shown in court. Audio