Checkpoint for Tuesday 7 October 2014

6:55 PM.An Australian doctor who treated ebola victims in Sierra Leone says the crisis needs urgent attention in West Africa before it gets out of control. Audio

6:50 PM.A pilot study at Whangarei hospital has found Maori living in crowded conditions in state houses are suffering worse health issues than those in crowded private housing; Doctors' practices working in… Read more Audio

6:47 PM.The US military is flying Apache helicopters against Islamic State rebels in Iraq for the first time, exposing its troops to greater risk from ground fire. Audio

6:39 PM.Kiwifruit growers are being warned they should get independent legal advice before joining a class action to sue the Government over the PSA outbreak in 2010. Audio

6:37 PM.The police say a Whangarei man killed by a savage beating at the weekend had no known enemies. Audio

6:34 PM.The New Zealand dollar is up about a third of a US cent, from this time yesterday, but continued volatility in the big dollar is likely to see the kiwi bounce around current levels. Audio

6:25 PM.Businesses say the future is not looking as rosy it was a year ago. Audio

6:20 PM.A top doctor at Dunedin Hospital has spoken out about a toxic atmosphere of blame and stress with staff constantly worried about how to save money. Audio

6:17 PM.An alpine rescue expert says the hardest thing about aborting an attempt to save two stranded climbers on Mt Taranaki was knowing they were only 150 metres away. Audio

6:12 PM.A pro-democracy leader in Hong Kong says the fight for free elections in 2017 is not over. Audio

6:07 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport Audio

5:55 PM.A creeping lava flow from Hawaii's Kilauea Volcano is now less than two kilometres from where people are living. Audio

5:52 PM.A study at Whangarei hospital has found Maori living in crowded conditions in state houses are suffering worse health issues than those in crowded private housing. The findings of the pilot study… Read more Audio

5:42 PM.More accusations have emerged today about a leading churchman in New Zealand sexually assaulting multiple boys. The Royal Commission of inquiry into instutitionalised abuse in Australia has heard how… Read more Audio

5:39 PM.Most Aucklanders now have their power back on after the weekend's sub-station fire. Audio

5:37 PM.The police in Temuka are investigating after a toddler was accidentally shot in the back of the head with an air rifle. Audio

5:35 PM.The New Zealand dollar is up about a third of a US cent, from this time yesterday, but continued volatility in the big dollar is likely to see the kiwi bounce around current levels. Audio

5:27 PM.Contaminated fresh vegetables have been linked to a rare stomach bug that has struck down more than 100 people. Audio

5:21 PM.A boating club on Waiheke Island says a fire in which a person died last night was on a launch moored illegally. Audio

5:18 PM.Rescue teams are looking for a helicopter that's disappeared over Kahurangi National Park at the top of the South Island. Audio

5:14 PM.The Finance Minister Bill English has signalled that returning the books to surplus by June 2015 is under threat. Audio

5:11 PM.New Zealanders will know next month whether or not the country will join the US-led fight against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Audio

5:08 PM.An Auckland man escaped jail at his sentencing today for the dog attack in which his two Rottweilers mauled a woman to death at his house. Audio

5:00 PM.An Auckland man escapes jail over his dogs killing a woman. The search for a missing helicopter and the Government's return to surplus next year is under threat. Audio