Checkpoint for Thursday 23 September 2010

5:00 PM.The arrival of NZ athletes in Delhi is delayed. David Garrett quits parliament and the spring storm that has hammered the lower South Island has been officially declared an adverse weather event -… Read more Audio

5:07 PM.New Zealand's Olympic Committee has today delayed the arrival of athletes in Delhi, and there's still no final decision on whether they'll compete at all in the Commonwealth Games. Audio

5:13 PM.The former ACT MP David Garrett has officially resigned from Parliament. Audio

5:17 PM.Record dairy exports have led to the second-highest ever payout from Fonterra - warming news for dairy farmers dealing with bitterly cold spring storms. Audio

5:20 PM.The spring storm that has hammered the lower South Island has been officially declared an adverse weather event - meaning government assistance will be provided. Audio

5:24 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:26 PM.Construction teams are working to fix earthquake damaged stopbanks in the Waimakariri and Kaiapoi rivers near Christchurch. Audio

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

5:36 PM.The latest Gross Domestic Product figures show the economy is continuing to be sluggish. Audio

5:43 PM.The Privacy Commissioner has approved changes made to the Search and Surveillance Bill. Audio

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

5:49 PM.In an unusual move, the Director of Public Health is a candidate for his local district health board. Audio

5:52 PM.Scores of people are still attempting to rescue stranded whales in Northland. Audio

6:07 PM.Desperate Southland farmers will be given a helping hand, with the Agriculture Minister David Carter declaring the weekend storm an adverse weather event for the region. Audio

6:10 PM.Listening to that was the Federated Farmers Adverse Events spokesperson - David Rose - who is a sheep and beef farmer in Southland. Audio

6:13 PM.A date has not yet been set for the Mana by-election but campaigning has begun in earnest. Audio

6:17 PM.The Crown says lawyers for the disgraced former MP, Phillip Field made a tactical decision not to challenge the admission of certain statements at his trial and there was nothing wrong with the way… Read more Audio

6:20 PM.Stronger demand from Asia and higher international dairy prices have boosted Fonterra's profits, and its farmers' returns. Audio

6:24 PM.Cracks may be already appearing in a break-through accord on cleaning up and sharing the country's freshwater resources. Audio

6:27 PM.The Ranfurly Shield and the lead in the provincial rugby championship are at stake when round nine starts in Invercargill tonight. Audio

6:33 PM.An update from the RNZ sports team. Audio

6:36 PM.Back to our top story, with New Zealand athletes delaying their arrival at the Commonwealth Games in India. Audio

6:40 PM.As aftershocks from Canterbury's 7-point-one magnitude earthquake continue, scientists are gathering massive amounts of scientific data and personal accounts. Audio

6:46 PM.News from the Waatea team. Audio

6:54 PM.A new police report into organised crime has been released - and it shows world leading rates of methamphetamine use in New Zealand and that more young people are using opiods. Audio