Checkpoint for Tuesday 8 December 2015

6:51 PM.In his first appearance at Question Time in the month since his infamous "you support the rapists" jibe at Labour, the prime minister, John Key, stands by all his previous statements including that… Read more Audio

6:48 PM.Negotiations over the Phoenix A-league licence are being blamed for forcing Saturday's football match against the Melbourne Victory to go ahead on a sub standard pitch. Audio

6:45 PM.The Auckland Council's new urban development agency plans to create a new waterfront at Onehunga, and transform the Manukau City Centre. Audio

6:41 PM.The Education Review Office says half of the schools it looked at in the first six months of last year were failing to raise student achievement. Audio

6:35 PM.Beijing has issued its first ever "red alert" for pollution, with authorities in the Chinese capital ordering half the citys cars of the road and advising schools to shut. Audio

6:28 PM.To the Paris climate change talks, where New Zealand's ambassador, Jo Tyndall, says a small group of countries appear unwilling to budge on their positions. Audio

6:23 PM.An inquiry into the the Official Information Act has found some ministerial officials have tried to limit the scope of what's released. Audio

6:21 PM.The Defence Force will spend 59 million dollars on new rifles. Audio

6:17 PM.A witness at the trial of a Taranaki farmer accused of murdering his son has told a jury he confessed. Audio

6:14 PM.The latest on a Brisbane 23 year old, back with his family after fighting alongside Kurdish forces against Islamic State. Audio

6:12 PM.The number of women travelling from New Zealand to Islamic States controlled areas in the Middle East is on the rise, though they still total less than a dozen. Audio

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

5:57 PM.A study suggests stricter bar closing hours may behind a drop in how much police work is taken up dealing with drunks. Audio

5:54 PM.Demand is growing for a public holiday to mark the New Zealand land wars. Audio

5:52 PM.Wellington will get a new multimillion dollar movie museum and convention centre - just across the road from Te Papa. Audio

5:48 PM.The Crown says Amandeep Kaur led her husband like a lamb to the slaughter. Audio

5:44 PM.New Plymouth District Council has won a legal battle to sell its biggest investment worth hundreds of millions of dollars but it has one more hurdle to clear before the deal goes ahead. Audio

5:41 PM.Running a car is set to get cheaper with annual licence fees being cut next year by a third to an average of 130 dollars. Audio

5:37 PM.A Hawke's Bay pastor had to have a head wound stapled in hospital after a strange attack by a man wielding a traditional Maori weapon. Audio

5:35 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:28 PM.The number of women travelling from New Zealand to Islamic States controlled areas in the Middle East is on the rise. Audio

5:26 PM.Teenagers will be able to earn NCEA credits by sitting their driver's license next year. Audio

5:21 PM.An elderly woman who was abused as a child in state care says government delays in compensating victims of abuse are a disgrace. Audio

5:19 PM.The billionaire businessman Donald Trump has sparked controversy after calling for a ban on Muslims entering America. Audio

5:17 PM.A number of children have been hurt in a crash which has closed part of State Highway 16 west of Auckland. Audio

5:15 PM.A Far North businessman is calling for a police blitz on petty crime in Kaitaia after an officer was stabbed, overnight. Audio

5:11 PM.A man who raped a teenager just days after being paroled could be detained on prison grounds indefinitely, after Corrections applied for the first ever public protection order. Audio

5:08 PM.The Justice Minister today sought and received an assurance from the Australian government, about New Zealanders in detention and their ability to appeal if they are deported here. Audio

5:00 PM.The Justice Minister today sought and received an assurance from the Australian government, about New Zealanders in detention and their ability to appeal if they are deported here and a man who raped… Read more Audio