Checkpoint for Monday 17 March 2014

6:50 PM.The tide appears to be turning in the Ngapuhi mandate dispute; A Lake Waikaremoana tribal group says potential investors in Genesis Energy must be aware of its interest in the lake and its pending… Read more Audio

6:42 PM.East Timor has been warned there will be tough consequences for its decision to launch international arbitration proceedings over its maritime boundary with Australia. Audio

6:36 PM.Owners of earthquake-damaged land in Christchurch may not get an individual payout from the Earthquake Commission if it goes ahead instead with a more widespread approach to fixing the land. Audio

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

6:25 PM.Kiwifruit orchard sale prices have doubled in the last 12 months just two years after the devastating arrival of the PSA virus. Audio

6:23 PM.The services sector eased back last month, with a dip in new orders. Audio

6:14 PM.A record number of cases of dengue fever in Auckland has health officials warning about the dangers of travelling to Pacific islands especially Fiji. Audio

6:09 PM.The last words from the cockpit of missing Malaysia Airlines plane - "all right, good night" - were uttered after someone on board had already begun disabling one of the plane's automatic tracking… Read more Audio

5:56 PM.The Education Minister, Hekia Parata, has startled the unions representing teachers and principals by not ruling out linking school funding with how much students learn each year. Audio

5:54 PM.Falling unemployment and booming dairy and construction industries continue to push up consumer confidence which is now riding at a nine-year high. Audio

5:50 PM.A hapu in the Bay of Islands has decided to support the contentious Ngapuhi Treaty settlement body, Tuhoronuku; A Lake Waikaremoana tribal group says potential investors in Genesis Energy must be… Read more Audio

5:46 PM.A Christchurch resthome under stress after the earthquakes is being blamed for systemic failures that ended in a frail elderly woman dying. Audio

5:38 PM.As pro-Russian voters in the Crimean capital of Simferopol wake-up after a night of heavy celebrations - their Prime Minister will shortly be on his way to Moscow to officially apply to rejoin the… Read more Audio

5:35 PM.The judge in the South Canterbury Finance fraud trial is staying put after rejecting an application by defence lawyers for him to be thrown out. Audio

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

5:27 PM.A lawyer for losing investors in the Feltex carpet company has told a court its claims were misleading and untrue. Audio

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

5:19 PM.New Zealander Sam Savill is a commercial pilot based in Taiwan. Audio

5:13 PM.A ferry captain who sailed across Cook Strait twice with a large gash in his ship's hull says he feels vindicated a judge has thrown out charges against him. Audio

5:08 PM.Crimea's pro-Moscow leader says he will apply to join Russia today, but the United States says it will never accept the overwhelming 'yes' vote in the weekend's referendum. Audio

5:00 PM.The US says it will never accept Crimea's massive pro Russia vote. A ferry captain feels vindicated by a judge throwing out the charges against him and we hear from a pilot who flies the route the… Read more Audio