Checkpoint for Wednesday 21 July 2021

5:06 PM.New Zealand officials have met with the Chinese Embassy amid escalating tensions between the two countries.

The government this week issued a charged statement, in line with the United States and… Read more Audio

7:59 PM.Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins is backing away from any suggestion there could be changes to MIQ requirements by the end of the year.

At his weekly press conference updating progress on the… Read more Video, Audio

5:21 PM.The man who murdered a police officer says he could have killed a second officer, if he wanted to.

Eli Epiha admits killing Constable Matthew Hunt on an Auckland street in June last year.

He denies… Read more Audio

5:30 PM.People who regularly walk down one stretch of Christchurch's central city may get the feeling that they are always hearing one particular very catchy Rick Astley song blasting out on to the footpath.

5:36 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6264537674001 Video, Audio

5:41 PM.Too much red tape and risk-averse health authorities means family doctors have been effectively sidelined when it comes to giving Covid-19 vaccinations, the head of Aotearoa's largest general practice… Read more Video, Audio

5:51 PM.The Football Ferns will take a knee before their first match at the Olympic Games tonight.

They're kicking off their Games campaign at 11:30pm against Australia.

The head of the New Zealand Olympic… Read more Video, Audio

7:54 PM.The search for the family of baby Toa, the lost orca calf, has reached its 10th day - and rescuers are considering tough decisions about his future.

There have been multiple unconfirmed sightings of… Read more Video, Audio

6:07 PM.The trans-Tasman bubble is deflating, but the government says it's not going to pop - for now at least.

The are now three Australian states with a travel pause in place, with the announcement… Read more Audio

6:10 PM.West Coast residents are bracing for more heavy rain as the flood-hit region grapples with finding acccomodation for those whose homes have been destroyed.

The Associate Housing Minister visited the… Read more Video, Audio

6:14 PM.Eastern Bay of Plenty Covid-19 vaccinators are welcoming hundreds of people through the doors each week.

So far, more than 15,000 jabs have been administered in the region - about 21 percent of the… Read more Audio

6:17 PM.A life of abuse from an early age has been outlined to the inquiry into abuse in care by a woman of Tongan and Palagi descent.

The Royal Commission is focusing on the historical abuse in care of… Read more Audio