Checkpoint for Wednesday 30 October 2013

6:54 PM.Despite being made illegal four years ago, texting while driving remains the number one distraction for New Zealand motorists. Audio

6:50 PM.The part Maori-owned mobile phone company, 2degrees, has successfully bid for a portion of the radio spectrum that will deliver faster broadband to handsets; Ngai Tahu says its bid to invest in a… Read more Audio

6:49 PM.Video games are being played by two out of every three New Zealanders and across three generations, according to the latest survey. Audio

6:38 PM.More now on the man who clubbed to death a group of seals being sentenced to eight months' home detention. Audio

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

6:28 PM.Michael Hill International, is undergoing its first global rebranding and will launch a new look in its 270 jewllery stores across four countries from next year. Audio

6:21 PM.An orthopaedic surgeon is warning some patients are living in agony or having to mortgage their homes in order to get hip or knee replacement surgery they need but can't get in the public health… Read more Audio

6:14 PM.A former FBI agent says America's mass spying on individuals both in the United States and abroad makes fighting terrorism harder not easier. Audio

6:08 PM.The Conservation Department has come out backing the Fiordland monorail arguing its impact on conservation land will be minor. Audio

5:53 PM.The South Island iwi Ngai Tahu is aiming to invest 100 million dollars in a public-private partnership to rebuild Dunedin hospital. Audio

5:50 PM.The Crown's star witness in the Rae Portman murder trial has described watching the killing take place. Audio

5:47 PM.The part Maori-owned mobile phone company, 2degrees, has successfully bid for a portion of the radio spectrum that will deliver faster broadband to handsets; The New Plymouth District Council has… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.People needing fingerprints for job and visa applications will now have to pay fifty-dollars for the service with New Zealand Post taking over from the police. Audio

5:39 PM.The size of the Ross Sea Marine Reserve, and extent to which fishing would be allowed are believed to be the key sticking points in creating the world's largest marine protected area. Audio

5:36 PM.A district court judge has described the actions of a man who clubbed to death a group of seals as abhorrent and a crime against the community. Audio

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

5:27 PM.A Northland polytech tutor is now facing 24 charges of sexual offending against young girls, including two of sexual violation. Audio

5:25 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:20 PM.The head of US intelligence has told lawmakers that finding out the intentions of foreign leaders is a key goal of the nation's spying operations. Audio

5:18 PM.Charges have been laid against two organisations following an investigation into asbestos exposure at Christchurch Hospital this year. Audio

5:14 PM.An orthopaedic surgeon is warning some patients are living in agony or having to mortgage their homes in order to get hip or knee replacement surgery they need but can't get in the public health… Read more Audio

5:07 PM.DOC is backing a monorail that cuts into Fiordland National Park, arguing its impacts on conservation land will be minor. Audio

5:00 PM.DOC backs the Fiordland monorail. Reports of patients living in agony or having to mortgage their homes to get hip or knee replacements and more child sex abuse charges against a northland tutor. Audio