Checkpoint Podcast Options

5:28 PM.For two and a half years Far North folk have faced long detours, isolation from friends and family, higher costs and fewer customers. This week, however, that's coming to an end, thanks to the… Read more Audio

5:25 PM.The government opened its books today - revealing the economic outlook for the near term is looking pretty bleak. A lower tax take and higher Crown expenses deliver continued budget deficits - with a… Read more Audio

5:16 PM.MPI is asking people to keep a close eye on their backyard chooks after a bird flu scare in the forced killing of 200 thousand birds. A mainland egg farm near Moeraki tested positive for an aggressive… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.A massive 7.3 earthquake has hit Vanuatu, at a depth of 10 kilometres. The quake struck 37 kilometres west of the capital Port Vila just before 1:00pm local time. A local journalist has told the ABC… Read more Audio

4:50 PM.A woman whose holiday home was at the centre of an online scam said it has taken weeks for the host site to take the property offline. Meanwhile she's worried people will have been fleeced for a… Read more Audio

4:46 PM.The below-inflation lift of 1.5 percent, which comes into effect in April, brings the minimum wage up to $23.50. But the Employers and Manufacturers Union said the small increase reflects the… Read more Audio

4:34 PM.Black Cap Tim Southee's Test career is over following a big win over England in Hamilton today. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen. Audio

4:30 PM.The National Emergency Management Agency says there is no Tsunami threat to New Zealand. Locals on social media are reporting landslips and say its the biggest quake to hit the island  in up to two… Read more Audio

4:24 PM.Auckland Zoo's had a pre-Christmas delivery, they've welcomed a bruiser of a baby southern white rhino calf. He arrived on Friday, following a speedy labour; a remarkable three minutes give or take… Read more Audio

4:15 PM.United States correspondent Zach Montellaro spoke to Lisa Owen about a school shooting Madison, Wisconsin where a teacher and student have been killed, President-elect Donald Trump holding his first… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.One north island council's revealed its roll of recycle shame, the items people stuff into bin pretending they can have a second life, when they know full well they can't. A deer carcass was found… Read more Audio

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