Checkpoint for Thursday 17 April 2025

5:45 PM.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese appears to have a slight edge over his conservative opponent Peter Dutton whose policies on the housing crisis, tax cuts, the cost of living and nuclear energy are… Read more Audio

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

5:30 PM.When Cyclone Gabrielle beat its destructive path down the North Island's east cost, the tiny coastal village of Herbertville wasn't spared. Remote and isolated anyway - east of Palmerston North, it's… Read more Audio

5:26 PM.The Wellington Phoenix women's coach said he knew his job was on the line after two seasons of failing to make the A-league football play-offs. The club announced today that Paul Temple has not been… Read more Audio

5:14 PM.A patient who has been denied ACC cover after getting pregnant after a doctor failed to re-insert their contraceptice device wants ACC to do better when handling complex cases and not search for a… Read more Audio

5:11 PM.Ex- tropical Cyclone Tam has been making its way down the North Island. The storm has brought down powerlines and trees, closed roads, cancelled ferries and flights and damaged property. In Auckland… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.Thousands of people are expected to be without power in Northland as ex- tropical Cyclone Tam makes its way down the North Island. The storm has brought down powerlines and trees, closed roads… Read more Audio

4:47 PM.Ex-Cyclone Tam has hit Northland the hardest so far. Reporter Peter de Graaf spoke to Lisa Owen. Audio

4:42 PM.As Anzac day approaches, a charity's taking veteran's support into its own hands - setting up an AI chatbot to provide therapy because it said veterans affairs is failing to do its job. No Duff… Read more Audio

4:32 PM.There are calls for greater transparency about what the HMNZS Manawanui was doing before it sank in Samoa last October, including whether the New Zealand warship was performing specific security for… Read more Audio

4:26 PM.A waddle of penguins are resorting to rockonomics in the face of Trump's tarrifs. The remote sub antarctic Heard Island is Australian territory and as a result have been slapped with a ten percent US… Read more Audio

4:23 PM.'We can beat anyone, anywhere,' has become the mantra of Moana Pasifika. Tana Umaga's men have shown that on their day they can shock any team as they get set to meet the best of the Australian Super… Read more Audio

4:13 PM.A United States judge is warning he could hold Trump officials in contempt of court for not turning around deportation flights that were headed to El Salvador with hundreds of people on board. It… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.Wild winds have cut power to great swathes of the Northland. Northpower is dealing with 30 unplanned outages and it could takes days to get the lights back on in the hardest hit areas. Ex-Cyclone Tam… Read more Audio