Checkpoint for Friday 27 February 2026

5:51 PM.A bumper crowd, brimming with colour, has descended on Christchurch's Hagley Park for the first day of the Electric Avenue music festival. The iconic Kiwi band Split Enz, which includes celebrated… Read more Audio

5:45 PM.United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about handheld facial recognition technology being rolled out by Police in London, as well as new figures out of the UK showing… Read more Audio

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

5:31 PM.Football fans at this year's world cup will face some strict rules about what can be brought into stadiums. But without a ball even being kicked at the global tournament Scotland's supporters have… Read more Audio

5:25 PM.With the technology now readily available and rapidly developing, a New Zealand researcher says that AI needs a category of its own when it comes to copyright law. In 2018 the Ministry of Business… Read more Audio

5:13 PM.Early trials of a breakthrough stem cell therapy to treat babies with spina bifida while still in the womb is showing remarkable results. The trial results published today in The Lancet medical… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.The High School and Primary School workforce look to be grappling with two different kinds of challenges. Figures from the Ministry of Education show last year they were expecting a shortfall of 880… Read more Audio

4:56 PM.Waipā District is now in recovery after extreme weather forced it into a state of emergency two weeks ago. But with some residents still cut off and Pirongia village still rationing water, things are… Read more Audio

4:48 PM.The SPCA is rolling out a new programme to teach children to recognise the signs of certain dog behaviour in the hope it prevents bites and attacks on young people. It comes after a fortnight of… Read more Audio

4:45 PM.The shortage of secondary teachers is getting worse. The education ministry today forecast high schools will be short 1220 teachers this year and next, a big jump from last year's estimate of 880 for… Read more Audio

4:35 PM.A Dunedin croquet club has been roughing it since 2018 after asbestos was found in their old clubrooms. The Tainui Croquet Club has no electricity, fresh water comes from a hose poked through a nearby… Read more Audio

4:30 PM.After two rounds of Super Rugby Pacific, the Aussies are leading the pack. The Brumbies and Waratahs are setting the pace with New Zealand-based sides occupying spots three to eight on the table and… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.A pedestrian advocacy group is pushing back against the Government's proposed changes to cycling on the footpath - saying only children aged 5 or younger should be allowed. Living Streets Aotearoa… Read more Audio

4:16 PM.Americas' correspondent Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about officials confirming that an American citizen was killed in yesterday's clash between Cuba's coastguard and a US-registered speedboat. Audio

4:06 PM.At the supermarket what makes you decide between fresh or frozen veggies? If it's price or nutritional value, then you may be interested to know what really comes out on top. According to the latest… Read more Audio