Checkpoint for Monday 16 December 2024

5:42 PM.Pounamu is a prized taonga for both Maori and non-Maori alike and increasingly its gifted for significant life events and celebrations. But as interest around pounamu grows, what are the tikanga… Read more Audio

5:36 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:30 PM.Sports correspondent Glen Larmer spoke to Lisa Owen about an update on the cricket in Hamilton, a star player from the Broncos escaping conviction and some highlights in sport from the year.  Audio

5:25 PM.A former spy minister said a police trip to China looks like a "classic effort" by the Chinese government to "curry favour" with New Zealand authorities. A group of 33 police staff visited China in… Read more Audio

5:16 PM.Richlisters and the kindness of a church means needy families are still being fed after a trio of key donors stepped into save David Letele's south Auckland food bank. The Butter Bean food bank has… Read more Audio

5:09 PM.Fiji's government is desperately trying to protect the country's reputation as a tourist destination after seven people fell violently ill after drinking cocktails at a five-star resort on Saturday… Read more Audio

4:49 PM.Local government minister Simeon Brown said these will be benchmarks that can be accessed by the public - and show ratepayers how their council compares to others. It's part of a raft of reforms… Read more Audio

4:46 PM.An advocate for young homeless people said it's clear Oranga Tamariki needs more funding to care for teenagers and children. The call comes as Oranga Tamariki data shows the number of kids and teens… Read more Audio

4:41 PM.A survivor of the Lake Alice child and adolescent unit, where children were tortured in the 1970s, has received an in-person apology from the Medical Council for not investigating a complaint he made… Read more Audio

4:30 PM.The weather threatened to ruin things for the Black Caps but play finally got underway this afternoon on day three of the third and final test against England in Hamilton. Sports reporter Bridget… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.The clean up task force, that has been funded by the government, is only just finishing, almost two years after Cyclone Gabrielle battered the region. Hundreds of homes and land was coated in metres… Read more Audio

4:18 PM.Middle East correspondent spoke to Lisa Owen about what the situation is like in Syria, a week on from the fall of Bashar Al Assad's regime, a number of Israeli strikes happening on Syrian territory… Read more Audio

4:15 PM.Fijian authorities are scrambling to find out what led to seven people falling ill after drinking cocktails at a five-star resort on Saturday afternoon. All were taken to hospital where their… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.Food waste is a massive issue, it's estimated up to a third of all food is lost or wasted globally. A recent survey by social group Love Food Hate Waste found 42 percent of left overs aren't used… Read more Audio