Checkpoint Podcast Options

6:09 PM.The Auckland Council has a short time ago agreed on an average 2 point 9 percent rate rise for households. Audio

5:51 PM.An Australian researcher says New Zealand appears to be copying Australia in moving to give spy agencies more powers, and that's worrying. Audio

5:48 PM.The Government is putting aside millions of dollars in next week's budget to create more than two thousand additional places in its Maori and Pasifika trades training schemes; The Electoral Commission… Read more Audio

5:45 PM.A leading economist is warning of a two track labour market and economy with Christchurch and Auckland experiencing the greatest recovery but the rest of the country remaining flat. Audio

5:42 PM.Lawyers for the Crown have told the Court of Appeal the legal argument being used by 3 activists who attacked the Waihopai spy base could set a dangerous precedent. Audio

5:35 PM.The partial sale of Mighty River Power is done and dusted and details of the next asset float will be announced in next week's budget. Audio

5:32 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

5:26 PM.The largest sharemilking company in the country has today made an about-face and pleaded guilty to animal cruelty. Audio

5:23 PM.News from the business sector including a market report. Audio

5:19 PM.KiwiRail has admitted it failed to identify problems with a rail crossing in Auckland, where a disabled woman was dragged along by a freight train and critically injured. Audio

5:15 PM.A police officer who pursued a speeding car in Gisborne last year, reached speeds of 127 kilometres an hour in a 50 K zone and at times drove with one hand so he could operate his radio. Audio

5:11 PM.The National backbench MP, Aaron Gilmore is standing his ground saying he won't resign. Audio

5:08 PM.Unemployment has dropped sharply but there are fears it won't last. Audio

5:00 PM.A sharp drop in unemployment. Aaron Gilmore stands his ground and Kiwirail fails to identify problems at Morningside. Audio

6:54 PM.The United States and South Korea have vowed to keep up their guard and not reward North Korea's recent bad behaviour or threats of war. Audio

6:51 PM.New restrictions on log burners in Christchurch mean locals wanting one will have to wait at least a year because the approved model isn't on the market yet. Audio

6:47 PM.Parliament's Speaker has officially declared the seat of the late Parekura Horomia vacant, and a date has been announced for a by-election in his former electorate of Ikaroa-Rawhiti; Ngai Tuhoe… Read more Audio

6:44 PM.The Reserve Bank is tightening lending rules to safeguard the financial system from rising housing prices, but the move will hit home buyers in the pocket. Audio

6:38 PM.A Tuakau man accused of importing pseudoephedrine from Thailand has had the number of charges against him dropped on the first day of his trial today, including being a member of an organised criminal… Read more Audio

6:35 PM.Children's behaviour and school trustees are the targets for an extra 80 million dollars from the government over the next four years. Audio

6:32 PM.An update from the team at RNZ Sport. Audio

6:27 PM.Hellaby Holdings is defending the time it took to make its much foreshadowed purchase of the industrial services company Contract Resources. Audio

6:22 PM.Three activists who broke into the Waihopai spy base want a full civil Trial to decide whether they are liable for damages. Audio

6:18 PM.The three young women who escaped from ten years of captivity in the American city of Cleveland, have been reunited with their families after undergoing medical checks at a local hospital. Audio

6:14 PM.In a pre-budget speech, the Labour leader David Shearer has said next week's budget will be one for the boardroom, not the smoko room. Audio