Checkpoint for Friday 19 December 2025

5:49 PM.Whether your goal was to thrive or survive 2025 it's certainly been a big year. We've done 228 shows in the past twelve months, covering plenty of remarkable and difficult stories. Despite the hard… Read more Audio

5:44 PM.United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about some of the survivors of the Manchester Arena Bombing receiving some good news, as well as the UK Sports Personality of the Year… Read more Audio

5:32 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:28 PM.The Black Caps are still well in control of the third and final test at Mount Maunganui. It's been another profitable period with the bat for the Kiwis who have declared with a mammoth total of 575… Read more Audio

5:24 PM.Frustrated health workers are questioning why hospitals and health services are being asked to find another five hundred million dollars in "efficiency savings" out of this year's budget, while half a… Read more Audio

5:11 PM.An advisory group set up to tackle retail crime is in the spotlight again over its spending, It was revealed earlier that the Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime, or MAG, has spent… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.The man found guilty of five counts of murder over the Loafers Lodge blaze will spend a minimum of 22 years behind bars. Esarona David Lologa was found guilty in September of setting the Wellington… Read more Audio

4:55 PM.Researchers at the University of Auckland have been given an $850,000 grant to investigate the power of music for people with dementia. The collaboration with Yale University in the US aims to find… Read more Audio

4:49 PM.Vital lab tests for Gisborne patients are facing unnecessary delays as samples are flown or driven hundreds of kilometres across the country for analysis, according to one union. Apex represents… Read more Audio

4:44 PM.As Kiwi's flock to the beaches in the summer heat, the need for surf lifeguards couldn't be greater. But Surf Life Saving New Zealand says that with the growing population, they'll need 1000… Read more Audio

4:33 PM.A retired Waikato couple who worked for Hamilton's hospital for over six decades between them are facing a lengthy wait for tens of thousands of dollars of holiday pay. Errors in calculating holiday… Read more Audio

4:28 PM.The Black Ferns have a new coach, with Whitney Hansen set to take charge of the side on a two-year deal after the six-time world champions came up short at this year's global showpiece. Sports… Read more Audio

4:24 PM.'Tis the season for corporate gifts. But have you had one from your KiwiSaver provider? It turns out, some people have been treated to a few early Christmas presents - an umbrella in one case and a… Read more Audio

4:14 PM.Asia correspondent Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about the death of a prominent activist has sparked protests in the capital of Bangladesh, as well as a group of scientists in India who have… Read more Audio

4:10 PM.While a bunch of us are winding down for the festive season, others are gearing up for one of their busiest times of the year. Animal shelters are among them. The charity Helping You Help Animals or… Read more Audio