Checkpoint for Thursday 28 June 2012

6:53 PM.World War Two veterans who flew Lancaster and Wellington bombers on night raids into Germany gathered in Auckland this afternoon to remember the impact they had on the outcome of the war. Audio

6:50 PM.Maori organisations say their bids for three former Crafar farms in the King Country have been rejected; More than 400 people have gathered at Kauaetangohia Marae at Cape Runaway this morning to pay… Read more Audio

6:50 PM.MPs have been told a bill seeking to introduce mandatory detention for asylum seekers arriving en masse is unnecessary and contravenes international law. Audio

6:44 PM.A joint inquest into five suicides within months of each other in Kawerau has heard there's no evidence they were linked except the young people did all know of each other. Audio

6:41 PM.Australian mining companies are trying to poach New Zealand navy, army and airforce people, making the Defence Force's retention problems worse. Audio

6:39 PM.School unions say the Ministry of Education deliberately held back its latest roll-growth estimates so they could not be used to undermine the Government in the debate over class sizes. Audio

6:38 PM.The defence lawyer Greg King has told a jury that the Crown's murder case against Ewen Macdonald is light on evidence and full of speculation. Audio

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

6:26 PM.A mental health advisor has resigned from the Southern District Health Board, accusing it of continuing to use the horse tranquiliser ketamine unethically on patients with depression. Audio

6:22 PM.Shareholders in the eftpos terminal services company, Smartpay, have approved a 13 million dollar capital raising. Audio

6:14 PM.Scientists are homing in on being able to predict when the Alpine Fault might rupture, following an in-depth study going back 8-thousand years into its last 24 earthquakes. Audio

6:12 PM.The Principal Youth Court Judge says Auckland's courts are out of kilter with others in the country - and they should be focusing on prosecuting in only the most serious cases. Audio

6:09 PM.One of the inspectors who cleared the CTV building following the September 2010 earthquake says in hindsight, the building should never have been given a green card. Audio

5:52 PM.A last-minute letter of remorse has failed to stop a former Waikato bank manager being sent to jail after being convicted on 81 charges of fraud, dishonesty and theft. Audio

5:45 PM.More than 400 people gathered at Kauaetangohia Marae at Cape Runaway this morning for the funeral of the last commanding officer of the Maori Battalion; Maori organisations say their bids for three… Read more Audio

5:44 PM.The formerly secret report - ordered by the Director General of Mental Health in 2010 - includes disturbing details, including how two staff at the Te Whare Ahuru inpatient unit failed to record a… Read more Audio

5:41 PM.The Prime Minister says one of his ministers was wrong to say Christchurch people living in cars should squat in abandoned homes to survive the winter. Audio

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

5:28 PM.The High Court's delivered a blow to the case against internet multimillionaire Kim Dotcom. Audio

5:27 PM.A Hamilton women's refuge helping out a beleaguered sister group in Palmerston North is blaming stress and overwork for misspending on things like staff bonuses. Audio

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

5:18 PM.The defence lawyer Greg King has told a jury that the Crown's murder case against Ewen Macdonald is light on evidence and full of speculation. Audio

5:14 PM.The National-led Government has relaxed its requirement for ACC to cut the number of long-term claimants - in the face of public criticism it's been forcing people off compensation. Audio

5:09 PM.A secret report, scathing of Mental Health services in the Hutt Valley has finally been released today. Audio

5:00 PM.Report on Hutt Valley mental health services made public; New agreement between ACC and Minister tabled; Macdonald trial enters its final phases; Stress and overwork blamed for refuge misspending… Read more Audio