Checkpoint for Thursday 7 May 2015

6:53 PM.Winston Peters makes submission on the Flag Referendum Bill to Justice and Electoral Committee; Trevor Mallard presents his petition on that Bill to the same committee; Te Ururoa Flavell fields… Read more Audio

6:48 PM.The people of Te Tai Tokerau and Māoridom are mourning the death of a leading advocate of Te Reo Māori; Iwi leaders have scolded Maori MPs who are critical of the Whānau Ora policy; Five young Māori… Read more Audio

6:41 PM.New evidence shows the chances of surviving the disease in New Zealand is much worse than other countries. Audio

6:39 PM.A Christchurch masseur has been jailed for sexually assaulting three women on the massage table. Audio

6:36 PM.MPs considering a national flag change have been told the public should have the right to say whether or not they want a new one, before considering alternatives. Audio

6:33 PM.A Te Puke freezing worker who's been threatened with the sack because of a Facebook post says she's not backing down. Audio

6:25 PM.A student has described seeing a teacher sitting at his classroom desk in front of a computer with his pants down and touching his crotch. Audio

6:21 PM.Auckland households will pay $115 a year extra in special rates for a plan the government says is misguided and which it won't help to fund. Audio

6:18 PM.In the last few minutes polls have opened in Britain's most unpredictable general election in decades. Audio

6:11 PM.Stockton mine's axed more than a quarter of its workforce today and within months the entire coalmine could be forced to shut down. Audio

6:08 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:52 PM.The people of Te Tai Tokerau and Māoridom are mourning the death of a leading advocate of Te Reo Māori. Audio

5:49 PM.A man forced to sell his farm after losing millions in notorious interest rate swaps is waiting to see how big an imminent payout is before deciding whether to fight on. Audio

5:46 PM.Catering giant Compass is taking over at Dunedin's and Invercargill's hospital kitchens in the face of heated community and union opposition. Audio

5:43 PM.A policeman who trespassed two pig hunters in a threatening way has been found to have gone beyond the bounds. Audio

5:38 PM.The lawyer for hundreds of victims of historical abuse in state care says a new fast-track process to deal with claims is underfunded and deeply flawed. Audio

5:33 PM.The New Zealand Top 50 index has fallen 35 points. Audio

5:28 PM.The mother of a man doused in petrol and burned alive says seeing photos of him now feels like daggers to her heart. Audio

5:24 PM.A hit-and-run driver's suffered a fiery death avoiding police road spikes in Whanganui. Audio

5:20 PM.The trial of a New Zealander accused of drug smuggling and who could face the death penalty is underway in China. Audio

5:16 PM.Auckland households will pay an extra one hundred and fourteen dollars a year to fund transport projects which their council says won't otherwise go ahead. Audio

5:13 PM.Our reporter Georgina Stylianou is in Westport, and was outside the meeting waiting for the workers to come out. Audio

5:09 PM.The chief executive of Solid Energy is Dan Clifford. Audio

5:07 PM.A hundred miners are losing their jobs as the country's largest opencast coal mine axes more than a quarter of its workforce. Audio

5:00 PM.Westport's Stockton miners dealt another devastating blow; Solid Energy responds; Westport reacts to Stockton mine news; Auckland households to pay $114 a year for transport projects; Trial underway… Read more Audio