Checkpoint for Monday 5 July 2010

6:57 PM.The Cuban boy at the centre of a bitter international custody battle ten years ago, has made a rare public appearance, joining President Castro at a commemorative service in Havana. Audio

6:55 PM.In Thailand a national phone-in's been collecting ideas about reform and reconciliation. Audio

6:52 PM.Dozens of protesters have confronted film goers in Tokyo enraged that a handful of cinemas are screening The Cove - an Oscar winning documentary which chronicles the slaughter of dolphins in western… Read more Audio

6:49 PM.Police in Melbourne say an operation targeting violence against Indian students is having some success. Audio

6:47 PM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

6:45 PM.A giant ship able to suck in and clean huge amounts of contaminated sea water is being tested as a new way of fighting the Gulf of Mexico oil spill. Audio

6:41 PM.There have been claims of censorship in Papua New Guinea relating to the country's burgeoning blogging community. Audio

6:36 PM.It's been the bloodiest election campaign for 15 years and now voting has begun in nearly half of Mexico's states to choose governors and mayors. Audio

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

6:26 PM.The worst mouse plague since 1993 is devastating crops across three states in Australia. Audio

6:24 PM.An emergency summit to address the continuing political instability in Somalia is due to start in a few hours time. Audio

6:20 PM.A new consumer survey shows more people are feeling upbeat about the economy and their bank balances. Audio

6:17 PM.A number of home owners are cashing in on the demand for luxury accommodation during the Rugby World Cup, renting houses for up to 20 thousand dollars a week. Audio

6:12 PM.There are predictions falling house prices and sales in Auckland are another sign of a sluggish economy that could mean the Reserve Bank has another think about whether to hike interest rates. Audio

6:09 PM.As millions of Americans celebrated Independence Day, new questions are being asked about direction of the war effort in Afghanistan. Audio

6:06 PM.More than two-thirds of people charged with crimes received criminal convictions last year, higher than in any other year during the decade. Audio

5:57 PM.With 95 per cent of the votes counted in Poland's presidential election it's now almost certain that the candidate of the governing party, Bronislaw Komorowski, has won. Audio

5:54 PM.The Green Party is accusing the Government of being a slum-landlord, with big shortfalls in the budget to bring state houses up to an acceptable standard. Audio

5:52 PM.A hearing has begun in the High Court in Whangarei, on a dispute over beachfront land at Matapouri Bay. Audio

5:50 PM.It's just over three months from the super city election day and Auckland has one of the worst rates in the country of people enroling to vote. Audio

5:47 PM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

5:43 PM.The main group behind a proposed US Congress bill to ban the use and export of the poison 1080 says it believes it is likely to succeed. Audio

5:39 PM.The Government is tightening rules in a bid to reduce knife-crime. Audio

5:37 PM.Police are investigating the sudden death of a of a 23-year-old man at a cinema in central Wellington. Audio

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

5:27 PM.It's Semi-finals time for the Football World Cup - with just Spain, Uruguay, Germany and the Netherlands left with a chance. Audio

5:23 PM.The Government has launched a bid to try to rescue New Zealand's failing biodiesel industry. Audio

5:21 PM.The police in Auckland have launched a homicide investigation after a man was found shot in the suburb of Botany Downs. Audio

5:19 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:15 PM.There are predictions falling house prices and sales in Auckland are another sign of a sluggish economy that could mean the Reserve Bank has another think about whether to hike interest rates. Audio

5:12 PM.Competition to buy the Crafar farms in receivership is heating up - with the state owned farming enterprise Landcorp confirming it is going to bid for the 16 properties. Audio

5:07 PM.The punishment for carrying a knife as an offensive weapon is going up from two to three years in prison and it's going to be harder for teenagers to buy them. Audio

5:00 PM.Tougher penalties for carrying a knife and a clampdown on young people buying them. Landcorp bids for the Crafar family farms and falling house prices and sales in Auckland. Audio