Checkpoint for Thursday 15 January 2015

5:50 PM.Canterbury Farmers are being urged to irrigate efficiently as dry weather and low river levels continue. Audio

5:45 PM.Two New Zealand scientists have arrived in Tonga to assess the Hunga Ha-apai volcano after eruptions disrupted flights and stranded hundreds of people. Audio

5:40 PM.Jurors deciding the case of the Auckland Blues winger accused of taking part in a barroom brawl have been told that high profile sportsmen are lightening rods for drunks. Audio

5:36 PM.Beaches at Newcastle on the New South Wales Coast have closed for a record sixth day in a row after continued sightings of a 5 metre long large Great White Shark. Audio

5:34 PM.The house-hunting season is here, and the competition between banks is heating up. Audio

5:32 PM.The semi-final match ups are shaping up at the Heineken Open tennis tournament in Auckland. Audio

5:26 PM.New research shows toddlers growing up in private rentals are less safe than children growing up in other households. Audio

5:23 PM.A Hawke's Bay topdressing pilot who illegally carried passengers and crashed causing serious injury has been ordered to pay $10,000 and has been disqualified from flying for seven months. Audio

5:18 PM.Two rock climbers have made history in Yosemite National Park in California today. Tommy Caldwell and Kevin Jorgeson have completed their free climb of the dawn wall El Capitan, the world's toughest… Read more Audio

5:14 PM.Scientists have discovered very high temperatures underneath the Southern Alps after drilling to investigate the Alpine Fault. Audio

5:11 PM.The New Zealand First Party is calling for the Navy to up the ante and use its firepower in the standoff with a fleet of illegal tooth fish ships in the Southern Ocean. Audio