Checkpoint

Sydney's cafe manager, killed in the hostage seige is hailed a hero. Floral tributes fill Martin Place and getting the government books back in black. Audio

An appeal by a former board member of Te Kohanaga Reo National Trust has been dismissed by the Court of Appeal; A lawyer for a Maori law centre is calling for the Government to fund efforts to track… Read more Audio

Auckland Transport is investigating the weekend's brawl at the main train station that led to chaos at a string of stations, and tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Audio

About fifty Auckland hospital food workers walked off the job today in an angry protest at hotly debated changes to hospital food services. Audio

The Australian Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, has met his National Security Committee about the hostage crisis in Sydney. Audio

In the lead-up to Christmas, people are spending 6-percent more on books and video games than the same time last year. Audio

Some principals say their schools have been wrongly included in the Government's new flagship education plan. Audio

Security expert Tony Loughran from Zero Risk International is also at Martin Place. Audio

We now cross to Sydney's Martin place for the latest on this hostage crisis with the ABC's Jamelle Wells. Audio

Three men have fled from the cafe where a gunman is holding hostages in a standoff in central Sydney with heavily armed police and snipers. Audio

An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

Fifty-nine thousand people who have no idea they're entitled to shares in Maori land, are owed five million dollars, which is being managed by the Maori Trustee, Te Tumu Paeroa. Audio