Checkpoint Podcast Options

5:16 PM.An Invercargill man was caught off guard by "ferocious" weather today as the lower South Island was violently battered. Ian Hamilton was at the Invercargill Rowing Club when the storm came in so… Read more Audio

5:10 PM.Tens of thousands of people are without power, buildings have been damaged, trucks have flipped and the West Coast is cut off from the rest of the Mainland by road, after ferocious winds and heavy… Read more Audio

4:52 PM.More than 100,000 workers, including teachers and doctors, have walked off the job today in a nationwide strike. Disgrunted public sector employees showed their disatisfication with the coalition… Read more Audio

4:46 PM.Publicly-funded infrastructure projects in Auckland have been the target of cartel conduct by two construction companies. The first company involved, Maxbuild Ltd, was sentenced last December and the… Read more Audio

4:36 PM.Wild weather has battered parts of the country in both islands after rare red level wind warnings were issued. In the South, fire crews have had their hands full, combatting a large scrub fire in… Read more Audio

4:29 PM.The All Blacks fly out for their end of year tour tonight. They'll take on Ireland, Scotland, England and Wales, with the first test against the Irish taking place in Chicago next weekend. Sports… Read more Audio

4:24 PM.One person is dead after a car and an electric bus crashed head on causing a fiery blaze on Auckland's Tamaki Drive. Police had been warning people to stay away from the area saying the buses electric… Read more Audio

4:18 PM.United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the US imposing new sanctions on Russia only one day after a planned meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin was cancelled. Audio

4:13 PM.Strong gusts of wind are felling trees and posing big challenges for farmers in south Wairarapa this afternoon. One of them, Mike McCreary, was out checking paddocks in his ute when he spoke with our… Read more Audio

4:08 PM.Wild winds are proving the enemy of emergency services. Gusts are fanning fires around the country with power lines toppled and trees ripped up by their roots. A local state of emergency remains in… Read more Audio

5:52 PM.United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomas spoke to Lisa Owen about the fallout continuing for Prince Andrew following the publication of Virginia Guiffre's memoir, as well as a British grandmother… Read more Audio

5:45 PM.Kaikoura is bracing for destructive winds to fan flames that have already destroyed five homes and multiple buildings. The area is under red strong wind warning from tomorrow morning with gusts of 140… Read more Audio

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

5:30 PM.The wild weather is playing havoc on sport around the country and the Black Caps are not immune. The Black Caps started their home 'summer' of cricket at the beginning of this month. Sports reporter… Read more Audio

5:26 PM.The Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell has declared a local state of emergency for the Canterbury region. Fire crews are racing to put out a handful of large fires in Kaikōura before wind… Read more Audio

5:14 PM.New Zealand's drug spend is less than half that of other comparable countries according to a new report by the Institute of Economic Research. It also found Aotearoa spends the highest percentage of… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.Kaikōura is bracing for destructive winds to fan flames that have already destroyed five homes and multiple buildings.The area is under an orange strong wind warning from tomorrow morning with gusts… Read more Audio

4:55 PM.A contentious bill tightening the test for Māori to win customary marine title has passed its third reading, sparking fiery protest across the country. The protest even made its way to the steps of… Read more Audio

4:45 PM.Thousands of parents will be juggling childcare and work during tomorrow's mega strike with many schools closed. It's estimated more than a hundred thousand people including teachers, principals… Read more Audio

4:39 PM.After eight months of the School Lunch Collective taking over the government's school lunch programme and the cost cut down to three dollars, some schools say meals have shrunk, waste has sky rocketed… Read more Audio

4:37 PM.The prospect of more ferocious winds has Wairarapa locals on the verge of tears on the eve of one of their biggest holiday weekends. A rare red-level wind warning has been issued tomorrow for… Read more Audio

4:32 PM.The highly public dispute between Netball New Zealand and Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua is becoming increasingly political. Earlier today Minister for Sport and Recreation Mark Mitchell told… Read more Audio

4:24 PM.The collapse of e-commerce website, Grab One has left many businesses struggling to cover the cost of vouchers that the site sold but hasn't paid the retailers for. Some say they simply can't afford… Read more Audio

4:19 PM.Asia correspondent Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about Japan's parliament electing the country's first ever female prime minister, as well as an attempt to exterminate a cockroach with a makeshift… Read more Audio

4:08 PM.An Australian TV host has kicked off a conversation with a post on her social media calling for airlines to provide women only seating areas. It has attracted hundreds of comments many supporting her… Read more Audio