Checkpoint for Friday 15 May 2015

6:50 PM.New Plymouth voters have rejected the introduction of a MAori ward in a citizens'-initiated referendum on the proposal; Ngati Mutunga on the Chathams Islands has moved a step further to settling its… Read more Audio

6:48 PM.New Plymouth voters have rejected the introduction of a MAori ward in a citizens'-initiated referendum on the proposal; Ngati Mutunga on the Chathams Islands has moved a step further to settling its… Read more Audio

6:35 PM.Six months after becoming the leader of the Labour Party, Andrew Little is forging new links with the business community as he makes economic growth his top priority. Audio

6:28 PM.A publishing era comes to an end tonight when the printing press at the Taranaki Daily News rolls for the last time. Audio

6:20 PM.A new study has discovered that eating flavonoids - found in green tea, apples, blueberries, red wine and onions - can significantly reduce the risk of catching colds and coughs. Audio

6:18 PM.Eleven schools around the region hit by the flooding have been closed today. And at Tawa School, a block of four classrooms are out of action for at least the rest of the term. Audio

6:13 PM.In the north Wellington suburb of Tawa, shop owners want answers out of the city council about the failure of recently upgraded drains to cope with yesterday's deluge. Audio

6:10 PM.The capital's transport network is up and running again but flood-wary commuters are questioning whether the chaos of last night is bound to happen again. Audio

6:06 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:48 PM.The Mayor of New Plymouth is to make a complaint to the UN after a referendum overwhelming rejected his idea of introducing a Maori ward to the district. Audio

5:47 PM.Prince Harry has continued his charm offensive today, delighting South Auckland students who tried to get him up on stage with them. Audio

5:45 PM.A new study says getting synthetic cannabis off the shelves has cut the number of users needing mental health treatment down to virtually zero. Audio

5:40 PM.Three schoolboys playing chicken with a freight train have brought back traumatic memories for the train's driver, who's seen at least one level crossing accident before. Audio

5:37 PM.People in Mt Maunganui say a tornado that tore roofs of homes and plucked trampolines off the ground was over just seconds after it started. Audio

5:33 PM.The New Zealand dollar is down about half a US cent from this time yesterday, unsettled by continued volatility in commodity markets. The senior foreign exchange strategist at ANZ, Sam Tuck, says the… Read more Audio

5:27 PM.A fishing boat carrying hundreds of Myanmar migrants that had been stranded in the Andaman Sea for over week is now nowhere to be seen. Audio

5:22 PM.Police in Kaikohe are full of praise for two local men who risked their lives by stepping into a brawl between rival gangs in the town and stopping the fight. Audio

5:17 PM.Most of the Kapiti Coast residents forced out of their flooded houses have now returned home, as the massive clean-up of the region continues, with some local roads still closed. Audio

5:12 PM.Fran Wilde is the Chair of the Greater Wellington Regional Council. Audio

5:08 PM.The Capital's highways and most rail lines are back up and running but 24 hours on from yesterday's deluge people are questioning whether the transport tangle's bound to just happen again. Audio

5:00 PM.The Capital's transport woes;Residents start returning to flooded Kapiti Coast homes;Regional council responds;Kaikohe men risk lives to stop gang brawl;Desperate scenes on migrant boat off… Read more Audio