Checkpoint for Thursday 29 January 2026

5:46 PM.Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about Police in Western Australia who have come under fire for taking two days to announce an investigation into a "potential terrorist attack" on… Read more Audio

5:44 PM.More than a hundred people mucked in today to clean up the capital's waterfront. Wellington Museum's Great Big Waterfront Clean-Up happens annually, and it's now in its eighth year. Krystal Gibbens… Read more Audio

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

5:30 PM.Getting kicked to the kerb by the Aussies could have a silver lining for New Zealand's A-League clubs. The Wellington Phoenix and Auckland FC have been booted out of the Australia Cup - a knock-out… Read more Audio

5:25 PM.Recovery efforts are back underway at the site of the fatal Mount Maunganui slip after they were earlier suspended when more land movement was detected. One of the six people missing has now been… Read more Audio

5:15 PM.In a Parliament first, National and Labour are teaming up to tackle modern slavery. Backbench MPs from the rival parties have put forward new legislation, and they are using a new rule to fast-track… Read more Audio

5:09 PM.Staff cuts are to blame for a massive IT outage at hospitals in Auckland and Northland according to a union. The Public Service Association says its members had to resort to paper systems and white… Read more Audio

4:48 PM.The prime minister says it could take up to six months to remove masses of soil dumped on damaged roads on the East Cape from last week's storm. Christopher Luxon visited weather-hit Te Araroa and… Read more Audio

4:44 PM.Pencils, pens, textbooks and a full set of uniform might seem like the basics for any school student, but many families are relying on donations to start the school year. Several schools across the… Read more Audio

4:35 PM.There's a mystery lurking in the waters of northern New Zealand. What happened to a highly invasive seaweed pest that smothered huge areas of seabed, threatening native species and the Kiwi way of… Read more Audio

4:30 PM.It is bad news for New Zealand basketballer Steven Adams, with his NBA season over due to injury. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen. Audio

4:25 PM.A pop up clinic offering free dental care in Wairoa has been overwhelmed with demand in an area that hasn't had a full time dentist for half a decade. The clinic is a joint project between Health New… Read more Audio

4:15 PM.United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about Donald Trump threatening Iran with "major destruction" as he pressures the country to negotiate the a nuclear weapons deal, as well… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.A former National MP says discrimination against pacific peoples travelling to New Zealand needs to end and the government should change visitor visa requirements so they are treated the same as… Read more Audio