Checkpoint for Wednesday 18 June 2014

6:50 PM.A southern Taranaki iwi says it's ecstatic with a decision rejecting the first ever proposed seabed mining project; A lawyer has told the Waitangi Tribunal that in the history of Treaty settlements… Read more Audio

6:44 PM.A former US marine is predicting a lot more bloodshed in Iraq as the Government takes on Sunni fighters. Audio

6:41 PM.An education leader says the Government risks losing Maori language and culture unless it stops treating wananga like Pakeha institutions and gives them more help. Audio

6:38 PM.The bid to mine millions of tonnes of seabed off Taranaki for ironsand has been turned down by the Environment Protection Authority. Audio

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

6:28 PM.Strong demand for New Zealand's commodities has helped narrow the difference between what the country earned and spent internationally last year. Audio

6:24 PM.The numbers of people visiting are only a tiny fraction of what was estimated in the planning stages and its been dogged by complaints over a lack of storage space for its collection Audio

6:17 PM.Kim Dotcom has been given permission to ask for more documents from the police and the GCSB to bolster his claim for compensation. Audio

6:15 PM.The High Court has been told the global financial crisis is more to blame for the collapse of South Canterbury Finance than the three managers facing fraud charges. Audio

6:12 PM.Parliament has voted not to hold a by-election in the Epsom electorate, which was made vacant by John Banks' resignation last week. Audio

6:09 PM.The Labour Party leader David Cunliffe is rejecting suggestions that he lied after it was revealed he wrote to the Immigration Service in 2003 on behalf of businessman Donghua Liu. Audio

5:54 PM.US prosecutors have blamed a sniper's hatred of Iraqis for a mass killing that's gone to trial by jury in Washington today, seven years after it took place. Audio

5:51 PM.The Dunedin City Council wants to ban subdivisions in the most risky areas as part of wide-ranging building controls over land prone to slips or flooding. Audio

5:47 PM.A lawyer's told the Waitangi Tribunal that in the history of Treaty settlements there's never been such conflict over a mandate as there is now among Ngapuhi; Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiarangi wants the… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.The numbers of people who visited the new Napier museum have been found to be only a tiny fraction of what was estimated in the planning stages. Audio

5:37 PM.Scores of asylum seekers are feared drowned after their overloaded wooden boat sank off Malaysia. Audio

5:34 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:28 PM.A court has heard how investors in a get rich quick scheme lost hundreds of thousands of dollars after their money, promised for trading on the Australian Stock Exchange, disappeared. Audio

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

5:22 PM.The Prime Minister John Key is refusing to say whether or not he would give moral support to US air strikes in Iraq. Audio

5:20 PM.The man accused of murdering Blesida Gotingco swore at a High Court judge and had to be man-handled back into the cells by security guards. Audio

5:17 PM.A seabed mining project that promised New Zealand a 250 million dollar a year boost to the economy has been rejected because the environmental risk is unknown. Audio

5:14 PM.Our political editor Brent Edwards is with us. Audio

5:08 PM.The Labour leader David Cunliffe is rejecting any suggestion he lied about having no links to property developer Donghua Liu. Audio

5:00 PM.David Cunliffe embroiled in a new controversary involving the Chinese businessman Donghua Liu. A 250 million dollar seabed mining project for Iron ore is canned and a court has heard how investors in… Read more Audio