Checkpoint for Wednesday 8 October 2014

6:52 PM.A Blood Moon, a type of eclipse that won't be seen again in New Zealand for another few years, is occurring this evening. Audio

6:48 PM.The Maori Growers Forum chair has signed an open letter opposing class action which aims to sue the government over the Kiwifruit PSA outbreak. Researchers say Maori in Aotearoa are going to suffer… Read more Audio

6:45 PM.A New Zealand lawyer is taking the case of a three-year-old boy briefly locked up with his father in a police cell in Samoa to that country's Government. Audio

6:40 PM.A Christchurch firefighter who helped amputate a man's leg to free him from earthquake wreckage has been given a rare honour for exceptional bravery. Audio

6:37 PM.A rescuer has told a coroner's inquest he could hear a woman calling out as his party got nearer to two climbers stranded on Mt Taranaki. Audio

6:36 PM.The New Zealand dollar is slightly weaker, in line with weakness in international equities markets. Audio

6:27 PM.High winds have grounded the four helicopters that were earlier searching for a lost chopper at the top of the South Island. Audio

6:23 PM.Scientists have discovered an active fault line in Wellington harbour capable of generating a 7 point 1 magnitude quake but don't yet know how far it runs or whether it could generate a tsunami. Audio

6:17 PM.After three weeks of holding out, the Syria-Turkey border town of Kobane appears to be days, perhaps just hours away, from falling to IS militants. Audio

6:12 PM.The increasing use of drones is being fingered as a problem for one of the country's largest helicopter companies which has called in the receivers. Audio

6:07 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:57 PM.Two ancient and rare books have been donated to Kapiti book fair but their owners remain a mystery. Audio

5:54 PM.Researchers say climate change needs to be addressed as a health issue, if Maori are to be saved from the worst effects of it. A paper delivered at the Population Health Congress in Auckland details… Read more Audio

5:50 PM.The jobless rate over the Tasman is expected to be the second worst in the Asia Pacific region over the next two years, behind only the Philippines. Audio

5:46 PM.The cousin of a homeless man murdered behind shops on one of Auckland's busiest roads says the family is pleased they will not now have to go through a murder trial. Audio

5:45 PM.For the third time, John Key has been officially sworn in as Prime Minister in a ceremony at Government House. Audio

5:42 PM.Auckland Council is signalling it may take a tougher line against owners of boats moored illegally on public land at Waiheke Island. Audio

5:38 PM.The World Health Organisation is warning Europe will almost certainly see more people infected with ebola after a nurse in Spain became the first person known to have caught the virus outside Africa.

5:35 PM.The New Zealand dollar is slightly weaker, in line with weakness in international equities markets. Audio

5:27 PM.The mayors of the country's two biggest cities are hitting back at government accusations that they're to blame for poverty and inequality due to poor planning over housing. Audio

5:24 PM.The International Monetary Fund is warning the pace of world economic growth may never return to the levels experienced before the global financial crisis. Audio

5:18 PM.The United Nations' special envoy for Syria has called on the international community to act, saying it cannot allow the Syrian town of Kobane to fall to Islamic State fighters. Audio

5:14 PM.One of the country's biggest helicopter companies has gone into receivership with 70 jobs on the line and millions of dollars in debt. Audio

5:08 PM.Scientists have discovered an active fault line in Wellington harbour capable of generating a magnitude 7 point 1 earthquake but don't yet know how far it runs through the city. Audio

5:00 PM.The active earthquake fault discovered in Wellington. One of the country's biggest helicopter companies goes into receivership and the latest on the fight against IS near the Turkish border Audio