Checkpoint for Friday 26 February 2021

6:28 PM.The Fijian rugby league team - the Kaiviti Silktails - have sung a beautiful hymn of thanks to staff at their Australian MIQ hotel, where they've just finished two weeks isolation.

All the players… Read more Audio

6:20 PM.Fiji Police say illicit drugs more lethal than methamphetamine are being produced in the country.

They've uncovered clandestine laboratories in the country - as the drug problem there escalates.

… Read more Audio

6:15 PM.A programme that could help bring back a dolphin species from the brink of extinction has been launched with the Prime Minister's support.

The Māui Drone Project - lead by the World Wildlife… Read more Audio

6:08 PM.Technical problems and not enough people to answer the phone led to some long waits to get through to Healthline, a Ministry of Health review has found.

On Thursday Lisa-Marie told Checkpoint she was… Read more Video, Audio

5:50 PM.The Queen is urging people to think about others when getting the Covid-19 vaccine.

The 94-year-old received her first jab last month, alongside her 99-year-old husband Prince Philip, who is… Read more Video, Audio

5:40 PM.If you're in the market for a new car and have been holding out for prices to drop, you might be out of luck.

A vehicle shortage caused by the pandemic has seen the average sale price for both new… Read more Audio

5:35 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6235485256001 Video, Audio

5:27 PM.Immigration New Zealand says there was no special treatment for Green MP Ricardo Menendez March, when it granted his partner a visa.

His partner was living in Mexico and was granted a six-month… Read more Video, Audio

5:25 PM.The brakes won't go on trucks on the Auckland Harbour Bridge for at least a decade if at all according to Waka Kotahi.

On average about 170,000 vehicles cross the bridge everyday and over the years… Read more Video, Audio

5:22 PM.The man fatally shot by the police in Papatoetoe last night was a 501 deportee from Australia.

The police say 34-year-old Tangaru Noere Turia was deported from Australia in 2017, under section 501 of… Read more Video, Audio

5:13 PM.Real estate agents are under fire for failing to repay millions of dollars in wage subsidies, despite record property prices and a booming market.

Checkpoint can reveal more than $13 million was paid… Read more Video, Audio

5:08 PM.More people are having to self-isolate tonight after another person linked to the February cluster broke the rules before testing positive.

This new case - labelled L - is a household contact of a… Read more Video, Audio