Checkpoint for Thursday 1 October 2015

6:51 PM.The National Maori Midwives Organisation says expecting wahine around the country are suffering due to a shortage of Maori midwives to care for them; The government's creation of a sanctuary covering… Read more Audio

6:47 PM.Oxfam has issued a dire warning about risks to lives and livelihoods across the Pacific from the Super El Nino which has already brought drought and severe heat to Papua New Guinea. Audio

6:39 PM.A retired Australian admiral is warning that his country's Defence Force is failing to deal with the security threats and other consequences of climate change. Audio

6:34 PM.Gains on property sales are being targeted from today with the new bright-line test coming into force. Audio

6:26 PM.The Governor of Oklahoma has halted the execution of a death row inmate at the last minute, after realising the state had taken delivery of the wrong kind of drugs for his killing. Audio

6:21 PM.When retired manufacturing engineer Peter Aitchison goes to look out over Wellington harbour from his home, he sees a four-metre-high fence instead. Audio

6:17 PM.The Human Rights Foundation says a new law imposing parole on offenders deported back to New Zealand from Australia, must not pile extra punishment on people who've already served their time. Audio

6:14 PM.One of the protesters convicted of scaling Parliament buildings in June says he's sorry their action has cost the tax payer more than 36-thousand dollars. Audio

6:12 PM.The Green Party says the problems at the Corrections Department are far more widespread than those revealed in a new report into the escape to South America of murderer and paedophile Phillip Smith. Audio

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

5:56 PM.The Goverment is cautiously optimistic a deal to establish a Pacific-wide trade region can finally be wrapped up this week despite very little change to dairy access positions. Audio

5:53 PM.The National Māori Midwives Organisation says expecting wahine around the country are suffering due to a shortage of Māori midwives to care for them. Most of the three-thousand midwives in New Zealand… Read more Audio

5:47 PM.A foreign driver who was killed along with two of his passengers had limited New Zealand driving experience and had been seen overtaking dangerously just minutes before the crash. Audio

5:43 PM.Four Dames, a Lady and a former head of the Women's Refuge have come out in support of the American singer Chris Brown visitig New Zealand. Audio

5:40 PM.A climate change protest on the roof of Parliament buildings has cost tax payers over 36 thousand dollars Audio

5:35 PM.More now to the multiple failures by Corrections, Customs and others around murderer and child sex criminal Phillip Smith's escape to Brazil. Audio

5:33 PM.The latest report on the housing market from the government valuer, QV, shows prices are up nearly 13 percent in the year to September, the fastest rate in eight years. Audio

5:19 PM.Legal experts say the New Zealand and Australian governments have a responsibility to help a preschooler facing deportation and hundreds of others in the same situation. Audio

5:15 PM.Controversial American singer Chris Brown has been endorsed by a line up of high profile Maori women including four Dames, a Lady and the former CEO of the Women's Refuge. Audio

5:11 PM.The investigators point out Phillip Smith's escape was a rare event. But Corrections Chief Executive is Ray Smith says they could have done so much better. Audio

5:08 PM.Investigators have found multiple failures by Corrections, Customs and others let murderer and child sex criminal Phillip Smith expose big security gaps and escape to Brazil. Audio

5:00 PM.Multiple failures that let murderer and child sex criminal Phillip Smith escape to Brazil and high profile maori women backing a visit by the American singer Chris Brown. Audio