Checkpoint for Wednesday 28 November 2012

6:56 PM.And back to Wellington's Embassy Theatre where the Hobbit Premiere is about to begin. Audio

6:55 PM.At the Hobbit premiere once more, and actor Elijah Wood who played Frodo in the Lord of the Rings trilogy Audio

6:53 PM.The owner of a cruiseship hit by at least three outbreaks of norovirus this year is defending the company's health and safety standards. Audio

6:50 PM.A teenager who shone a laser at the police Eagle helicopter is getting off without a conviction. Audio

6:46 PM.Politicians have questioned the Ministry of Maori Development about the monitoring of the social welfare policy, Whanau Ora; The people of Ngati Hikairo in Waikato have warmly welcomed home two… Read more Audio

6:34 PM.Our reporter Cushla Norman is with the media scrum outside the Embassy Theatre. Audio

6:30 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:25 PM.Back now to the Hobbit party outside the Embassy Threatre in Wellington. Audio

6:21 PM.The 1.2 billion dollar wine export industry is facing a shortage of supply, which is expected to spur greater investment in the sector. Audio

6:15 PM.Despite identifying the body found on a wrecked yacht carrying more than 200 kilograms of cocaine, the police don't know how he died. Audio

6:12 PM.The Ministry of Education says today's school pay day is the best yet delivered by the new Novopay payroll system. Audio

6:09 PM.Twenty thousand Hobbit fans are lining the red carpet outside the Embassy Theatre in Wellington to catch a glimpse of the stars. Audio

5:59 PM.Back now to the Hobbit party outside the Embassy Threatre in Wellington. Audio

5:57 PM.A man with a passion for vintage motorcycles has come forward to claim the 20-point -5 million Lotto powerball prize from last weekend. Audio

5:55 PM.Whangarei police are on the hunt for the person who could have killed someone with a pipe bomb they put in skip in a car park behind some shops. Audio

5:51 PM.The owner of a cruiseship hit by at least three outbreaks of norovirus this year is defending the company's health and safety standards. Audio

5:48 PM.Politicians have questioned the Ministry of Maori Development about the monitoring of the social welfare policy, Whanau Ora; Meanwhile, the outgoing chief executive of the Ministry of Maori… Read more Audio

5:40 PM.One person has died and another 10 have been hospitalised in Canterbury this month after catching legionnaires' disease, almost certainly from using compost or potting mix. Audio

5:37 PM.The Prime Minister has accused the Labour Party of doing nothing to improve the quality of housing when it last led the Government. Audio

5:35 PM.Thousands of people have packed out central Wellington as the stars of the first Hobbit movie make their way up the red carpet for its world premiere. Audio

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

5:27 PM.A large mystery donation has been given to help rebuild Lyttelton's earthquake-damaged Timeball Station. Audio

5:26 PM.Back now to the Hobbit party on Courtney Place in Wellington. Audio

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

5:19 PM.America's ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice has conceded that an early account she gave about the terrorist attack on the US consulate in Benghazi was inaccurate. Audio

5:15 PM.The Labour Party is trying to pin the blame for a Defence Force helicopter crash two years ago which killed three airmen on the Government's cost-cutting. Audio

5:12 PM.The double-murderer, Mark Lundy, has applied to the Privy Council for permission to appeal against his conviction. Audio

5:10 PM.Our reporter Cushla Norman is with the media scrum outside the Embassy Theatre. Audio

5:07 PM.Thousands of Hobbit fans are lining the red carpet outside the Embassy Theatre in Wellington to catch a glimpse of the stars. Audio

5:00 PM.Thousands of Hobbit fans line the red carpet for a glimpse of the stars. The double-murderer, Mark Lundy, goes to the Privacy Council and a mystery donor comes forward to save Lyttelton's Timeball… Read more Audio