Checkpoint for Thursday 26 June 2025

5:47 PM.Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about a push in Australia for schools to do more to tackle declining standards among their students by doing more to improve their writing skills.

5:44 PM.The sudden death of MP Takutai Tarsh Kemp in the early hours of this morning has brought members from across the house together today. Flags in the capital have been flying at half mast for the Te… Read more Audio

5:38 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:33 PM.Moana Pasifika may have had their best season on the field to date, but off field financial dramas are plaguing the franchise. Reports have emerged that Moana have been larely reliant on tax payer… Read more Audio

5:23 PM.The fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran is still holding , but Iran's supreme leader remains hidden in a bunker, fearing assassination. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has gone to ground, issuing no… Read more Audio

5:07 PM.A huge catch-up bill has left one Watercare customer stressed out and "pissed off' and she says the problem is still not fixed. Checkpoint has revealed that more than 13 thousand Watercare smart… Read more Audio

4:50 PM.A music licensing organisation is chasing up hundreds of businesses a week asking them to pay-up for the tunes they are using, so that artists get what they are owed. A Hawkes Bay florist told… Read more Audio

4:44 PM.A year on from the devastating Wairoa Flood and residents still fear for their lives when it rains. When the Wairoa River burst its banks, it tore through over 400 properties, causing 40 million… Read more Audio

4:31 PM.Danish tennis player Holger Rune has put some of his mangled rackets up for sale, with a price tag close to $12,000 for charity. With news of Rune's new online venture sports reporter Felicity Reid… Read more Audio

4:26 PM.The head of a provincial referees assocation has said fewer people are putting their hands up to referee, with side line abuse escalating. Horowhenua Kapiti Rugby Football Union has cancelled all club… Read more Audio

4:16 PM.Washington DC correspondent Zach Montellaro spoke to Lisa Owen about Donald Trump riding a high after his trip to the NATO summit in the Netherlands. NATO's Secretary General Mark Rutte was full of… Read more Audio

4:11 PM.Families are booking holidays a year in advance to get an affordable escape and airlines and accomodation providers are wise to people sneaking off a day or so before official school holidays, one… Read more Audio