Checkpoint
Checkpoint with Lisa Owen is RNZ’s weekday drive-time news programme, Our people, stories and breaking news and interviews from 4-6pm.
Episodes
July 2, 2025 • 7 mins
United Kingdom correspondent Edward O'Driscoll spoke to Lisa Owen about three former senior staff members of the hosptial where convicted murderer Lucy Letby worked, who have now been arrested. As well as how Europe is coping as it remains gripped by a record-breaking heatwave.
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 4 mins
Pacific advocates say a proposed law change for out-of-hours immigration visits, like dawn raids, doesn't go far enough. The contentious enforcement practice involves immigration officers searching homes for people they have reasonable grounds to believe are liable for deportation between 6pm and 8am. It has been criticised for targeting Pacific people, particularly in the wake of the dawn raids era. Teuila Fuatai reports.
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 4 mins
News from the business sector, including a market report.
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 4 mins
The countdown is on until the official return of the Warriors women. After five years in the wilderness, the Wah-hines are finally back in the NRLW and will mark their return against the Roosters this weekend. Sports reporter Jonty Dine joined Lisa Owen
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 2 mins
Jaffa fans are coming to grips with the news the orange-coated chocolate treat will soon be no more. Confectionery company RJs has this week confirmed it stopped making the long-time Kiwi favourite earlier this year, and they'll soon vanish from shop shelves. Reporter Jimmy Ellingham visited the home of the Jaffa, the RJs outlet store and factory in Levin, to ask sweet-toothed visitors stocking up on packets of the sweeties ho...
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 3 mins
Residents voiced their frustration at the official response to last week's flooding at public meetings held in the Tasman district today, as the region preps for more heavy rain due to start falling overnight. Many felt the council could have done more to keep rivers and culverts clear, and decried the ongoing telecommunications blackouts in some areas. It meant some residents took matters into their own hands. Keiller MacDuff...
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 9 mins
Some pensioners are resorting to extreme power rationing to keep up with rising costs. Turning off hot water cylinders for days at a time and heading to bed as soon as it's dark to save on electricity. Stats NZ figures show electricity costs have gone up almost 9% in the twelve months from June last year. Gas has gone up almost 15.5% over the same period. The government's winter energy payment for those on super and a number o...
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 3 mins
An apparent typo could have cost a North Island council $20 million in lost revenue. At a meeting last month, the New Plymouth District Council passed a resolution saying rates figures in its annual plan were inclusive of GST, when they were in fact exclusive of it. Now it has had to quickly correct the error and apologise to ratepayers. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin reports.
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 7 mins
Pesky blood sucking mosquitoes could turn into power houses of disease control. Auckland University researchers have a million dollars in government funding to investigate whether the insects can be used as a bio security tool by collecting and checking their blood to track disease outbreaks. Professor Jacqueline Beggs from the University of Auckland's Faculty of Science is leading the project and spoke to Lisa Owen.
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 3 mins
A new type of climate change resilient apple is proving popular overseas, with exports tipped to nearly double this year. The 'Sassy' apple, bred by Plant and Food Research and grown by Taylor Corp in Hawke's Bay, can tolerate warmer climates while still developing good red colouring even during hotter summers. Hawke's Bay Tairawhiti reporter Alexa Cook reports.
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 4 mins
Top speed exits, protests, curfews and courtside spews, it was an eventful opening round of the Wimbledon tennis championship. Sports reporter Dana Johannsen spoke to Lisa Owen.
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 6 mins
Shiva the eight-year-old dog has been miraculously saved after 24 hours stuck in a drain pipe during severe flooding in Nelson. On Monday, 16 year old Chloe Sellers was at her dad's work in Brightwater playing catch with her dog, when the tennis ball rolled into a drain. Shiva went diving in after it and in a split second things turned bad. Chloe spoke to Lisa Owen about what happened next.
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 6 mins
Asia correspondent Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about Thailand's prime minister being suspended after weeks of political turmoil, as well as Police in Singapore who can now seize control of people's bank accounts to stop scammers.
Mark as Played
July 2, 2025 • 7 mins
A price tag of more than $80 for just over 3kg of prime New Zealand lamb is a little too rich, even for a former chef who devoted decades to fine dining. According to Stats NZ in the past year food prices have gone up 4.4% percent. That's the biggest jump since December 2023. Tony Astle ran the legendary Auckland fine dining restaurant Antoines in Parnell for almost 50 years. He spoke to Lisa Owen about how to keep cooking cos...
Mark as Played
July 1, 2025 • 5 mins
Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about an intense low pressure system, which is being described as a 'bomb cyclone,' which today began to hit coastal communities along Australia's eastern coastline.
Mark as Played
July 1, 2025 • 3 mins
News from the business sector, including a market report.
Mark as Played
July 1, 2025 • 4 mins
Wimbledon is now underway and the hot topic has been the historic heatwave which hit the competition with sweltering temperatures.The weather may be heating up but one tennis great is calling for cool heads. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.
Mark as Played
July 1, 2025 • 7 mins
The government is introducing instant fines for shoplifters, with penalities up to $1000. It said low level theft is a real scourge on the community and public confidence in the justice system is undermined if people can steal with apparently impunity. Retail New Zealand says just over $1.3 billion of goods were stolen in 2023. Under the new regime anyone caught stealing up to $500 worth of retail can be fined up to $500. For ...
Mark as Played
July 1, 2025 • 3 mins
Youth MPs are accusing the government of censoring them over changes to their speeches in Parliament. The 11th Youth Parliament is underway, drawing young people from all over the country to Wellington to debate and speak about what matters most to them. Some rangatahi say they were told to avoid criticising the current government, and feel let down by the process. But organisers insist the changes are just recommendations and...
Mark as Played
July 1, 2025 • 2 mins
Wanaka's health woes have taken centre stage today at a fiery public meeting with government ministers. At the third stop on a rural roadshow, Matt Doocey, Mark Patterson and health chiefs were pressed for urgent answers, while locals laid out stories of delays and decline. Katie Todd reports.
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
United States of Kennedy is a podcast about our cultural fascination with the Kennedy dynasty. Every week, hosts Lyra Smith and George Civeris go into one aspect of the Kennedy story.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.