Checkpoint for Wednesday 20 May 2015

6:56 PM.Zooloogists and geologists from Otago University have discovered a big secret about the Taieri River and why there are two distinct species of the same fish in the upper and lower reaches of it. Audio

6:50 PM.One more big sleep before Budget Day when all will be revealed; Ministers invoke the need for secrecy to frustrate opposition attempts to obtain answers to questions even vaguely related to the… Read more Audio

6:47 PM.A Wellington mana whenua leader says tribal boundaries have not been adequately considered in the proposal for a supercity council; For the first time ever, Mâori-influenced lettering is being used in… Read more Audio

6:44 PM.A room where critically acclaimed crime writer Dame Ngaio Marsh worked was reopened this morning after being flooded last month. Audio

6:35 PM.Malaysia and Indonesia say they will try to send migrants rescued at sea, back to their home countries. Audio

6:28 PM.A leading farmer says unions naming and shaming farmers who appear to be paying poor wages is not the way to improve things for dairy workers. Audio

6:20 PM.A new union-backed study claims McDonald's may have avoided paying half a billion dollars of tax in Australia over five years by shifting profits through Singapore. Audio

6:17 PM.The Trade Minister, Tim Groser, is unapologetic about offending the Canadians after describing their dairy industry as belonging in the former Soviet Union. Audio

6:12 PM.The Australia government says it will not overreact to accusations cattle are being slaughtered with sledgehammers in Vietnam. Audio

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

5:55 PM.Lawyers for three young Australians who joined Islamic State and now want to come home are trying to figure out how to convince police the men are not a risk. Audio

5:52 PM.A Wellington mana whenua leader says a proposal for a supercity council does not adequately factor in tribal boundaries. Audio

5:46 PM.Iraqi government soldiers will be punished for running away from Islamic State militants who attacked and took over the key city of Ramadi. Audio

5:42 PM.More now about how fifty-thousand New Zealand cars are being recalled, with the Japanese manufacturer, Takata, admitting there's a fault in its airbags which can cause them to explode unexpectedly. Audio

5:39 PM.The Chief Ombudsman says the Prime Minister has endorsed the misuse of the Official Information Act and needs to take it more seriously. Audio

5:35 PM.Some social services say they've have been blindsided by the government's plan to shake-up funding in the sector. Audio

5:34 PM.For the latest now on the markets. Audio

5:28 PM.More than 150-thousand dollars worth of speeding tickets have been cancelled by the police because a camera in Wellington's Ngauranga Gorge was clocking fines at the wrong time. Audio

5:24 PM.More than fifty-thousand New Zealand cars are being recalled because the Japanese air bag manufacturer, Takata, has admitted, for the first time, there's a fault in its airbags causing them to explode… Read more Audio

5:20 PM.RNZ political editor Brent Edwards gives a Budget analysis. Audio

5:15 PM.Tempers flared in Parliament this afternoon ahead of tomorrow's Budget. Audio

5:11 PM.Chris Watson, Scott Watson's father, was at court today with his daughter, Scott's sister Sandy. Audio

5:07 PM.The lawyer for Scott Watson has told a court the convicted double murderer deserves to be able to tell the public about the miscarriage of justice that saw him locked up. Audio

5:00 PM.Scott Watson goes to court for the right to tell his story; Scott Watson's father on what his son wants to tell people; Tempers flare in Parliament ahead of Budget; Budget Analysis from our political… Read more Audio