Checkpoint for Wednesday 29 February 2012

6:49 PM.The biggest Maori business network says a new law to boost environmental controls over oil and gas exploration companies at sea must ensure Maori are explicitly recognised as a Treaty partner - and… Read more Audio

6:42 PM.Parents at a primary school where a convicted sex offender worked undetected for two years are shocked and angry at the Government. Audio

6:37 PM.To Russia now, where Vladimir Putin has shrugged off an alleged assassination plot and promised to instil fear in Russia's foes ahead of this weekend's presidential ballot. Audio

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

6:28 PM.The Sensible Sentencing Trust is vowing to take Government Departments to court if they fail to properly handle repeat offenders. Audio

6:25 PM.The people of Niue will find out this week if the government will go ahead with plans to bury asbestos on the island. Audio

6:22 PM.The Australian-owned ANZ New Zealand bank has boosted its underlying profit, despite customers remaining cautious about borrowing. Audio

6:18 PM.The Anglican Church has been asked why it failed to carry out a detailed inspection of a building which partially collapsed, killing a Canadian tourist in Christchurch during the February earthquake. Audio

6:16 PM.Thousands of meat workers have been meeting today after 500 workers were locked-out of AFFCO processing plants when talks over more flexible work arrangements failed. Audio

6:12 PM.A maritime lawyer says today's guilty pleas over the Rena striking rocks will complicate financial claims against the ship's owners. Audio

6:08 PM.A Turangi teenager is tonight beginning a 10 year long jail term for raping a five year old girl while he was high on drugs and alcohol. Audio

5:51 PM.The Government is playing down suggestions it might not be able to stop power plants from being sold by energy companies despite it holding on to a majority 51 per cent shareholding. Audio

5:48 PM.An organisation representing many total immersion schools is making checks to ensure a convicted sex offender hasn't worked in its kura; Results of the 2011 referendum on the future voting system for… Read more Audio

5:42 PM.Police are considering charging a couple whose five children were found locked inside a vehicle in the carpark of Auckland's Sky city casino. Audio

5:38 PM.The Labour Party today attacked proposals for millions-of-dollars worth of upgrades for the High Commissions in London and Niue, as well as 900-thousand dollars on a pool at the Tokyo Embassy. Audio

5:36 PM.The High court has turned down the U.S. Government's bid to have the New Zealand based businessman accused of global internet piracy, returned to jail. Audio

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

5:28 PM.To the US now, where the Republican race for two key primaries has just finished. Audio

5:25 PM.Sixteen hot air balloons have been grounded, as the Civil Aviation Authority zeroes in on an inspector in the wake of last month's fatal balloon crash. Audio

5:22 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:17 PM.Parents at a primary school where a convicted sex offender worked undetected for two years are shocked and angry at the Government. Audio

5:14 PM.The captain of cargo ship Rena that struck Astrolabe reef off the Bay of Plenty last October has admitted falsifying the ship's documents. Audio

5:08 PM.A Turangi teenager is tonight beginning a 10 year long jail term for raping a five year old girl while he was high on drugs and alcohol. Audio

5:00 PM.10 years jail for the teenager who raped a five-year-old girl in a caravan. The Captain of the Rena pleads guilty and Mitt Romney scrapes through to win the crucial Michigan primary race. Audio