Checkpoint for Wednesday 19 November 2025

5:44 PM.UK correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the response to a formal espionage alert issued by MI5 and a ban on plastic wet wipes on England shelves coming into force in 2027. Audio

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

5:35 PM.Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen about the Black Caps vs West Indies suffering another rain delay and the result of the All Whites match against Ecuador. Audio

5:26 PM.Some Pike River mine families are still fighting for a corporate manslaughter law 15 years after the diaster that killed 29 men. The deaths lead to the creation of WorkSafe and the 2015 Health and… Read more Audio

5:18 PM.The government has announced an end to emergency housing motels in Rotorua - fulfilling a campaign promise. The minister responsible, Tama Potaka, said it will restore the town's safety, dignity, and… Read more Audio

5:13 PM.Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke Van Velden said she doesn't believe the changes the government is making to Worksafe will lead to another Pike River disaster. Van Velden has been… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.A petition calling for a stronger dog control law has put the spotlight back on Northland's, and the nation's, problem with roaming dogs. Dog attack victims say they're too scared to walk to their… Read more Audio

4:53 PM.Rail Minister Winston Peters said the budget for the new Cook Strait ferry project is less than half the cost of the previous Government's ill-fated mega ferry plan, even though the new ferries cost a… Read more Audio

4:47 PM.A west Auckland primary school has told parents the coloured play sand it's been using is positive for asbestos. It's arranging decontamination and air quality tests. The sand is part of a major… Read more Audio

4:44 PM.New Zealand has slid further down an international climate change league table, with authors now ranking us as 'low-performing'. As a nation, we've tumbled to 44th out of 63 countries in the Climate… Read more Audio

4:32 PM.Melbourne Storm star Eliesa Katoa will miss the 2026 NRL season as he continues his recovery from brain surgery. The 25 year-old copped multiple head knocks while on test duty with Tonga during the… Read more Audio

4:24 PM.Auckland University Professor of Psychology Tony Lambert spoke to Lisa Owen about the science behind anauralia; a condition which means you cannot hear sound in your mind. Audio

4:17 PM.Asia correspondent Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about the impact a diplomatic row between China and Japan is having on travel between the two nations. Audio

4:06 PM.A new Business NZ report estimates by 2045 Aotearoa will be 250,000 workers short. Without policy reform the rising cost of pensions and healthcare will consume all income tax. It concludes on our… Read more Audio