Checkpoint for Thursday 5 February 2026

5:37 PM.In Australia the upcoming visit by Israel's President Isaac Herzog is causing division and widespread comdemnation due to allegatoins he incited genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. Australia… Read more Audio

5:36 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:29 PM.While the country has been dragged into a devastating war, one man is ensuring that rugby stays alive in Ukraine, and young players have a possible path to safety. Anton Shashero is coach of Ukraine's… Read more Audio

5:23 PM.Another chunk of State highway 35 around the East Cape has slipped away after more rain this week; with communties still cut off two weeks after the district was hammered by severe weather. Audio

5:13 PM.The results of tests on the Wellington coast line contaminated with millions of litres of raw sewage are expected anytime in the next 24 hours. But beaches on the south coast and Lyall Bay remain off… Read more Audio

5:09 PM.A protestor's speech, a scuffle, and a few scathing comments. The coalition leaders were heckled at Waitangi today as they made their election-year pitches - but it wasn't smooth-sailing for the… Read more Audio

4:51 PM.Could the rural equivalent of tinder targetted at health professionals help attract doctors to remote areas and keep them there. The boss of one health organisation thinks so. Audio

4:46 PM.Wellington Water's chief executive said an inspection of the the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant today has revealed the damage is as bad as they feared. An equipment breakdown at the plant has… Read more Audio

4:38 PM.Social media is driving a boom in the use of untested and potentially harmful drugs that claim to help achieve Hollywood good looks. Despite being unnaproved by Medsafe, these types of peptides are… Read more Audio

4:32 PM.Super Rugby Pacific is just over one week a way and fans have a few new law changes to look forward to. Officials say they are designed to make for a better viewing experience. RNZ's Jamie Wall spoke… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.A Wellington charity supplying school stationery to families who can't afford it may be forced to turn people away because demand is so high. Te Awakairangi School Stationery Drive, supplies children… Read more Audio

4:15 PM.US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the removal of hundreds of federal agents from Minnesota. Audio

4:08 PM.DOC's worried seventy million litres of raw sewage being pumped into the sea around the capital could contaminate a nearby marine reserve... and put several species at risk. The beaches are off limits… Read more Audio