Checkpoint for Wednesday 11 December 2013

6:57 PM.A coroner investigating the death of a keeper mauled by a tiger at Zion Wildlife Park in Whangarei says the park was fraught with danger and the potential for a fatality was always imminent. Audio

6:50 PM.Nearly 3 thousand Holden workers are set to lose their jobs over the next four years as the iconic car maker winds down its Australian operations. Audio

6:46 PM.The Government has announced the New Zealand Maori Council will continue as it is - despite fears by the national body that it could be shut down; Legislation to restore the mana of a tribal chief… Read more Audio

6:44 PM.Legislation ensuring princes no longer take precedence over princesses in royal succession has been passed in Parliament today. Audio

6:38 PM.Uruguay in South America is to become the first country in the world first to allow its citizens to grow, buy and smoke marijuana. Audio

6:36 PM.The Police Commissioner has faced tough questions from Labour MPs about the investigation into a teenage sex ring uncovered in Auckland. Audio

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

6:23 PM.Mighty River Power is promising to hold power charges steady until at least April 2015, citing competitive pressures. Audio

6:20 PM.The High Court in Christchurch has been told that Helen Milner was left better off by hundreds of thousands of dollars following her husband's death, than she would have been had they divorced. Audio

6:15 PM.In the US, a long-awaited budget deal has been struck in Congress which staves off another government shut-down. Audio

6:11 PM.Chorus is rejecting any suggestion it may downgrade its copper lines network despite also saying it is over-delivering. Audio

6:09 PM.Prisoners will get less fruit as a result of the Spring Hill riot in June, which the Corrections Department is blaming on prisoners fighting after getting drunk on homebrew made from fruit and hand… Read more Audio

5:55 PM.The Wellington City Council has voted nine votes to 5 to pay its staff the minimum of the living wage, the first council in the country to do so. Audio

5:50 PM.An accountant who sparked an investigation into a Dunedin swimming pool manager's vending machine contracts says he should have to pay back all the money he has made. Audio

5:47 PM.The Government has announced the New Zealand Maori Council will continue as it is - despite fears by the national body that it could be shut down; Legislation to restore the mana of a tribal chief… Read more Audio

5:44 PM.Fonterra's share price has slumped by more than 7 percent after it cut its forecast payout, surprising farmers and financial markets. Audio

5:41 PM.Mighty River Power has frozen its electricity and gas prices until April 2015 in a move it puts down to intense competition in a crowded energy market. Audio

5:34 PM.A court martial has been told an SAS soldier had the plastic explosive Semtex wrapped up in a blanket in his storage garage. Audio

5:31 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:27 PM.A 32 year-old woman who had a baby with a 13-year old was high on methamphetamine when she slept with the boy. Audio

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

5:21 PM.The parents of a man missing in Hamilton since the weekend say they are desperate to know where their son is and just want tell him how much they love him. Audio

5:17 PM.A coroner investigating the death of a keeper mauled by a tiger at Zion Wildlife Park in Whangarei says the park was fraught with danger and the potential for a fatality was always imminent. Audio

5:11 PM.The Minister of Internal Affairs, Chris Tremain, has refused to be interviewed on Checkpoint. The Department of Internal Affairs' head of information and knowledge services Sue Powell is with us. Audio

5:07 PM.The freeze has been put on another state sector IT project, with the Government admitting today that millions of dollars for a digital archive system has not been well spent. Audio

5:00 PM.Another government IT project is frozen short of its goal. The coroner's findings on a fatal tiger attack and a woman who has a baby with a teenager is sent to jail. Audio