Checkpoint for Thursday 12 June 2025

5:43 PM.Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about the United States announcing it will review the AUKUS security pact, putting Australia's multi-billion dollar nuclear submarine deal in a… Read more Audio

5:37 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:32 PM.Education advocates have said a government decision to remove special funding for Pacific and Māori students in vocational courses harks back to the days of a one-size-fits all education model. The… Read more Audio

5:27 PM.Netball New Zealand has called for World Netball to amend its strict eligibility criteria, which prevents players representing two different countries at consecutive world cups. Sports reporter… Read more Audio

5:18 PM.While farmers are treated to record dairy and meat prices, mental health is still a massive issue with disproportionately high suicide rates in rural areas. Huge work loads, isolation and lots of… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.Inland revenue figures show a record number of hardship withdrawals from KiwiSaver is the past year. Between July 2024 and April 2025, more than $389 million's been taken out of KiwiSaver for… Read more Audio

4:46 PM.A dozen Auckland High schools are voluntarily making changes to their competition rules to stamp out the use of so-called Year 14 players. Year 14's are students that return for an extra sixth year of… Read more Audio

4:42 PM.Mark Lundy hasn't been able to speak a word publicly since he was released from prison early last month. That's because the man twice convicted of murdering his wife and daughter in Palmerston North… Read more Audio

4:31 PM.The controversial 'run it straight' competition has announced it is relocating from Auckland to the Middle East. The much-maligned collision phenomenon was scheduled to host its final in Auckland this… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.Research out of Australia has revealed that 16 out of 20 sunscreens, many of them sold in New Zealand, do not meet their SPF claims. One product, which sells in New Zealand for around $50, claimed to… Read more Audio

4:17 PM.US correspondent Zach Montellaro spoke to Lisa Owen about protests against the Trump administration's immigration raids expanding beyond Los Angeles. Audio

4:08 PM.It's that time of year where bugs are rife, but there are questions around what the benchmark for a sick day is now, after the early post covid years where people were exiled from the office for the… Read more Audio