Checkpoint for Friday 5 May 2017

6:29 PM.Forty thousand hunters are expected to head out to estuaries and lakes around New Zealand during duck season, which kicks off tomorrow. Audio

6:26 PM.New Zealand imports around 400,000 tonnes of phosphate every year for fertiliser, but that's under threat due to political problems in north-west Africa. Audio

6:20 PM.The Duke of Edinburgh is retiring from public service at 95-years-old. Audio

6:16 PM.Two companies that have won Wellington's bus contracts have been labelled 'anti-union' and accused of paying workers poorly. Audio

6:13 PM.Sprinkler systems used to deter homeless people from sleeping in doorways of businesses in Auckland's CBD have been described as "inhumane". Audio

5:57 PM.Body cameras have recorded 18 incidents of abuse or violence against parking wardens since they were introduced a month ago. Audio

5:55 PM.People in the island's north are being told to stay inside ahead of the category three cyclone, which could bring with it winds over 200km/h. Audio

5:47 PM.Three recent resignations mean there's only one neurosurgeon left at Dunedin Hospital, meaning others now have to travel in from Canterbury, Wellington and Hamilton. Audio

5:41 PM.Auckland's mayor Phil Goff today unveiled a fine-tuned version of his controversial tax, now proposing three rating zones radiating out from the city centre. Audio

5:35 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio