Checkpoint for Monday 1 August 2011

6:56 PM.The Crown prosecutor in a trial of five men accused of murdering a teenager in the Bay of Plenty town of Murupara two years ago, says it may never be known who struck the fatal blows. Audio

6:53 PM.How to save Pacific Languages has been debated in a live forum in Auckland. Audio

6:49 PM.A Rotorua iwi trustee is calling for stricter rules when firms dispose of waste into water that runs into a famous penny-diving swimming hole at Whakarewarewa Village; Ngai Tahu has confirmed it's in… Read more Audio

6:47 PM.Customers and consumer groups are anxiously awaiting a decision by the Commerce Commission which they hope will ultimately make the price of milk more affordable. Audio

6:44 PM.The Corrections Department says it doubts if protective gear would have helped two guards bashed at the weekend, by prisoners wielding metal bars. Audio

6:38 PM.For the latest news from the UK, we're joined now by our correspondent in London Barney Burnham. Audio

6:35 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:27 PM.The Climate Change Minister, Nick Smith, has sent back the review of the Emissions Trading Scheme to be reconsidered following Australia's announcement of a carbon tax. Audio

6:21 PM.A shortage of homes for sale is tipping the market to favour sellers. Audio

6:17 PM.Students forced to leave Christchurch's Linwood College by February's earthquake returned to their school for the first time today. Audio

6:14 PM.Queensland commissioners have handed down a whole raft of changes to the way they want the state to deal with natural disasters. Audio

6:12 PM.John Key spoke about the US deal at his post cabinet news conference this afternoon. Audio

6:08 PM.President Obama is urging the country's lawmakers to do the right thing and approve a last minute deal to raise the country's borrowing limit reached by Republican and Democratic leaders today. Audio

5:57 PM.The worst of the winter weather is over and the outlook for the next three months including the rugby world cup is milder than usual. Audio

5:54 PM.The man who stabbed Auckland woman Marie Jamieson to death wants his sentence reduced arguing he was wrongly sentenced for cutting her throat. Audio

5:51 PM.Ngai Tahu has confirmed it's in talks with the owners of a Rotorua Tourism attraction; A Rotorua man's calling for firms to face stricter rules when they dispose of waste into water that runs into a… Read more Audio

5:48 PM.Health authorities are warning parents that measles is likely to continue spreading throughout the country. Audio

5:46 PM.A 17-year-old has been charged with the murder of a teenager stabbed to death outside a party in Auckland. Audio

5:39 PM.The consumer watchdog is going after gyms for confusing customers about just how much they'll pay to join up or quit. Audio

5:32 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:26 PM.The Government is banning all synthethic cannabis products and ordering them off shop shelves within days. Audio

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

5:21 PM.All synthethic cannabis products are being banned temporarily and are expected to be pulled from shop shelves within days. Audio

5:17 PM.A currency analyst is predicting there is a better than 50 per cent chance of the Reserve Bank intervening in the currency markets in the next couple of weeks to try and bring down the New Zealand… Read more Audio

5:14 PM.Stock markets have risen in response to the US deal though investors remain wary since Congress has yet to approve it and the deal may not be enough to stave off an expensive downgrade in America's… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.An 11th hour deal to raise America's borrowing limit has been struck but it still faces a final hurdle in the House of Representatives overnight to avert the looming debt crisis. Audio

5:00 PM.An 11th hour deal to pull the US back from the edge of debt disaster. A ban on all synthetic cannabis and is your gym membership illegal ?? Audio