Checkpoint for Tuesday 12 July 2011

6:56 PM.The Christchurch man who killed his tetraplegic flatmate in 2005 has appealed his conviction on the grounds of provocation and wants his sentence reduced. Audio

6:54 PM.Consumer New Zealand says electricity prices won't come down overall despite a record number of people switching power companies last month. Audio

6:51 PM.The Maori Women's Welfare League could be forced to restart its national election process, if Court action by the Destiny Church co-founder, Hannah Tamaki is successful. Audio

6:48 PM.The Labour MP, Shane Jones, says the Government needs to be concerned with Maori leaving for Australia, rather than claims by the ACT party that radical Maori groups want to take over this country's… Read more Audio

6:45 PM.Fiji's interim government has announced plans to have an electronic voter registration system in place for elections in 2014. Audio

6:39 PM.Scores of seabirds are being found washed up, dead from exhaustion in the big seas sweeping the North Island's west coast. Audio

6:36 PM.The Retirement Commissioner Diana Crossan says politicians have their heads in the sand when it comes to raising the age of eligibility for superannuation. Audio

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

6:27 PM.One of the country's longest-serving prisoners has died in custody, in a rare case of a life sentence meaning life. Audio

6:25 PM.A large silver fern ball that hangs suspended above Wellington's Civic Square is being taken down tonight because it's dangerous. Audio

6:23 PM.More than 100 government, business and community leaders have been meeting in Tokyo today, looking to forge closer business ties between New Zealand and Japan. Audio

6:14 PM.Opposition parties have attacked the Prime Minister's stance on 85 Sri Lankan asylum seekers, even though the government says evidence now suggests they were not heading for New Zealand. Audio

6:11 PM.A lobby group is warning New Zealand could become a toxic dumping ground for old televisions and computers if the Government does not take action. Audio

6:08 PM.Queenstown is bearing the brunt of two major snowstorms in as many days, and more wintry weather is on the way. Audio

5:56 PM.Many businesses on Auckland's Dominion Road have been thrown a lifeline by the city council scaling back plans to overhaul public transport in the area. Audio

5:54 PM.A record number of people switched power companies last month following the launch of the government's What's My Number campaign. Audio

5:48 PM.The Labour MP Shane Jones says the ACT Party's fear of Maori radicals is out of step with the times; A Wellington researcher has begun a survey of the voting habits of Maori living in Australia; One… Read more Audio

5:45 PM.The Labour Party is questioning whether public debt is being managed as well as it could be, with the Government facing its biggest ever repayment this November. Audio

5:42 PM.The Defence Minister says the Government needs to do more to help war veterans wanting to take part in 70th anniversary commemorations overseas. Audio

5:38 PM.The Government has rejected a recommendation to raise the age of pension eligibility, but the Retirement Commissioner says politicians have their heads in the sand. Audio

5:31 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:27 PM.The stormy weather's stirring up huge waves along the North Island's west coast. Audio

5:23 PM.The heaviest snow fall for decades has caused major disruption in the alpine region of the South Island. Audio

5:20 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:17 PM.After reigniting debate about New Zealand's vulnerability to illegal immigrants, the Government now says it appears this country was not the intended destination of 80 Sri Lankan asylum seekers. Audio

5:14 PM.The former Bridgecorp director Rod Petricevic appears set to continue his fight to get a taxpayer funded defence, despite the High Court ruling against him today. Audio

5:10 PM.Christchurch police have made their first arrest for false claims over earthquake damage, charging a local woman with obtaining by deception. Audio

5:07 PM.There's been four hours of heated cross examination today at the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Pike River tragedy. Audio

5:00 PM.Heated cross-examination at the Pike River Royal Commission of Inquiry. The high court rules against Bridgecorps Rod Petricevic and the heaviest snow fall for decades has causes major disruption in… Read more Audio