Checkpoint for Tuesday 27 January 2026

5:46 PM.Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about temperatures soaring across the country, reaching close to 50 degrees in some areas, potentially trumping previous record highs. Audio

5:38 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:36 PM.The Labour Party has savaged a government advisory group on retail crime, calling it "dysfunctional, directionless and failing". It comes after Checkpoint yesterday revealed that three of the five… Read more Audio

5:32 PM.It seems timing continues to rule out potential All Blacks coaching candidates. Coach Vern Cotter will leave the Blues at the end of the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season to move to the Queensland Reds… Read more Audio

5:27 PM.In the Northland town of Oakura, locals are adjusting to a new reality - no proper road south to Whangarei for as long as the next three months. The road north reopened on Saturday but it is a long… Read more Audio

5:17 PM.The government is mulling an inquiry into the events surrounding the deadly landslide that crashed down Mount Maunganui on Thursday, leaving six campers missing - presumed dead. While the recovery… Read more Audio

5:09 PM.The government is assuring flood hit regions there's more financial support to come after announcing an immediate $2.2 million relief package. $1.2 million of that will go into topping up mayoral… Read more Audio

4:47 PM.There is a "strong case for an independent government inquiry" and families of those missing in the Mt Manuganui landslip "deserve" the facts, according to the Prime Minister. He has appointed Chris… Read more Audio

4:38 PM.Thames Coromandel's local State of Emergency ends tomorrow, and the mayor says at this point it is unlikely to be extended. However, as the district tries to dry out it has some challenges ahead… Read more Audio

4:30 PM.The temperatures are rising in Melbourne on and off the tennis court as the Australian Open reaches the quarter-finals stage. The city was forecast to reach 45 degrees Celsius and tournament… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.National has narrowly outperformed Labour as the party voters trust the most to manage the economy. Just over 32 percent of people trust the National Party the most to manage the economy in RNZ's… Read more Audio

4:17 PM.US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about President Trump speaking to Minnesota leaders about the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by ICE agents, as well as the public and political… Read more Audio

4:09 PM.A south Auckland health clinic that is now operating 24-seven is hoping to take the pressure of an overrun Middlemore hospital emergency department. Local Doctors Otara is the first clinic to open… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.The government is kicking an extra $1.2 million into mayoral relief funds for areas hit by the severe weather, to help with immediate needs like food and shelter. But it has acknowledged that is a… Read more Audio