Checkpoint for Thursday 20 March 2025

5:46 PM.There are growing fears in Australia that the country's much-cherished system of subsidising many crucial medicines could be set to become the next target in Donald Trump's global trade war… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.A deep sea mining company leading the charge for the budding future industry is being accused by enviromental groups of changing its corporate branding from fueling the green transition to supporting… Read more Audio

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

5:31 PM.Change is on the horizon for the New Zealand Breakers with the sale of the Auckland-based NBL club.The ownership group, lead by former NBA player Matt Walsh who was based in America, have sold the… Read more Audio

5:24 PM.Teenage sensation Sam Ruthe ran himself into the record books with a sub four minute mile paced every step of the way by another Sam Olympian Sam Tanner. Tauranga's 15 year old Sam Ruthe is the… Read more Audio

5:17 PM.Streets are becoming toilets and rubbish pits.That was one resident's message to Queenstown Lake District Councillors in a call for the council to crackdown on freedom campers. Councillors voted to… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.The small businesses paying the price for free school lunches after the collapse of the main provider Libelle Group. Libelle, which made meals for the government's revamped programme, has gone bust… Read more Audio

4:46 PM.In a bid to knock it out out of the park on a trade trip to India the government is using a not so secret weapon; Cricket Diplomacy. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon pledged to get a free trade deal… Read more Audio

4:42 PM.The economy emerged from recession at the end of last year with a stronger than expected bounce in activity, on the back of tourism and agriculture. Gross domestic product the broadest measure of… Read more Audio

4:35 PM.Mangere locals are on a mission to promote cycling in the south Auckland suburb - aiming to make the area the cycling capital of the pacific. A new cycleway's in the works to boost biking in the area… Read more Audio

4:23 PM.It will be an Englishman leading out Moana Pasifika for their Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Chiefs in Pukekohe tomorrow night. Tom Savage has been given the captain's arm-band in the absence of… Read more Audio

4:12 PM.US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky's one hour phone call about the war in Ukraine. Audio

4:06 PM.A small Nelson school is fighting plans to increase the speed limit on the State Highway 6 that runs past its front gate. The government's reversing speed limit reductions, brought in by Labour, on… Read more Audio