Checkpoint for Thursday 29 March 2012

6:57 PM.Some land owners are hoping an official investigation into the controversial practice of Fracking will provide much needed clarity about exactly what damage it could inflict. Audio

6:51 PM.The Labour Party has grilled New Zealand on Air about the involvement of board member, Stephen McElrea, on documentary funding decisions, given his political affiliations. Audio

6:47 PM.A Maori Council member, Maanu Paul, believes more tribes will join freshwater claims, which the Waitangi Tribunal has agreed to hear urgently; The Ministry of Economic Development says only one iwi's… Read more Audio

6:43 PM.The United Nations's special rapporteur on violence against women has made a blistering assessment of the way women are treated in Papua New Guinea, where two-thirds of females in relationships have… Read more Audio

6:39 PM.Countries are being warned to prepare for an onslaught of severe storms, droughts, heatwaves and floods in a new United Nations climate change report Audio

6:36 PM.The ACC Minister, Judith Collins, has sent letters threatening defamation action against Radio New Zealand and two Labour MPs. Audio

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

6:26 PM.Fonterra has reported an 18 percent jump in half year profits, and outlined plans to push into fast growing markets like Latin America and China to increase exports in the future. Audio

6:23 PM.From today New Zealanders have access to a new online entertainment service called Quickflix. Audio

6:19 PM.The Auckland waterfront dispute made an appearance at today's council meeting. Audio

6:16 PM.The Auckland Council has signed off a thirty year development plan aimed at boosting the economy and increasing the proportion of high density housing. Audio

6:13 PM.The Government is defending its handling of the housing crisis in Christchurch. Audio

6:08 PM.More now on the sentencing of the Lombard directors who are not going to jail. Audio

5:52 PM.Fonterra has reported an 18 percent jump in half year profits, and outlined plans to push into fast growing markets like China and Latin America. Audio

5:48 PM.A Maori Council member, Maanu Paul, says he's overjoyed the Waitangi Tribunal has agreed to a speedy hearing on grievances involving freshwater - and the partial sale of state-owned power companies… Read more Audio

5:45 PM.Christchurch's retailers are down but not out, according to the first official look at how its shops are doing. Audio

5:36 PM.Sir Douglas Graham and Lawrence Bryant have both been given 300 hours of community work and are to pay 100-thousand dollars reparation. Audio

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

5:27 PM.The Transport Accident Investigation Commission says poor operating procedures and misunderstandings between air traffic control staff and pilots has increased the level of risk at Queenstown Airport.

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

5:21 PM.The Parole Board is criticising the Corrections Department, for consistently under-estimating the risk posed by the killer of an elderly Auckland man in a road rage attack. Audio

5:17 PM.Almost four years after she was beaten and stabbed to death police have today arrested a man over the killing of Christchurch woman Mellory Manning. Audio

5:13 PM.The ACC Minister, Judith Collins, has sent letters threatening defamation action against Radio New Zealand and the Labour MPs Trevor Mallard and Andrew Little. Audio

5:10 PM.Lombard investor Paul Wah lost a significant amount of money in the company's collapse, much of his life savings, he was in court today and joins us. Audio

5:07 PM.First to High Court In Wellingtion where the four Lombard directors have just been sentenced and will not go to jail. Audio

5:00 PM.The Lombard Finance directors escape a jail sentence. The ACC Minister threatens defamation action and a man is charged with kidnapping and murdering Mellory Manning. Audio