Checkpoint for Thursday 20 February 2025

5:42 PM.In Australia, the Albanese Government has announced a $2.4 billion rescue package to prevent the shut down of one of only two steelworks still operating in the country. Australia correspondent Nick… Read more Audio

5:37 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:33 PM.Advocates for children are calling for urgent action as new data shows child poverty rates have stalled, and the government has missed all three of its targets. Stats NZ figures released this morning… Read more Audio

5:28 PM.The Tall Blacks have a clear mission over the next four days - beat the unbeaten and don't lose to the winless. New Zealand play two Asia Cup qualifiers against basketball opponents at different ends… Read more Audio

5:23 PM.Three Chinese warships east of Sydney have raised alarm bells, with Australia and New Zealand given no advanced notice of their mission. Both ANZAC Defence Forces are monitoring the vessels. They are… Read more Audio

5:14 PM.Keep Otepoti Dunedin Beautiful had put the call out for students to help collect discard bottles and other rubbish littering the streets after O week revelries. There was even a prize draw for anyone… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.The government's revamped school lunch programme continues to leave a bad taste for some schools, if the meals turn up at all. Principals have told Checkpoint lunches for their muslim students have… Read more Audio

4:47 PM.Air New Zealand's expecting a rough financial ride this year, as it prepares to ground more planes for engine maintenance. It's profit for the half year ended December dipped 18 percent compared with… Read more Audio

4:41 PM.Exploration drilling is underway again at Sam's Creek in Golden Bay, as mining company Siren Gold continues work to determine if it is viable to mine gold in the area. Residents say they're frustrated… Read more Audio

4:26 PM.Joseph Parker is set for the biggest bout of his boxing career when he meets Britain's Daniel Dubois for the IBF Heavyweight title in Saudi Arabia on Sunday. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa… Read more Audio

4:21 PM.An Auckland university researcher has got an $800,000 grant to study the medicinal properties of kawakawa. Maori have long used the native shrub as an anti inflammatory and for wounds. Now, it's hoped… Read more Audio

4:12 PM.Trump called Zelensky a "dictator" - while Ukraine's leader responded that Trump was trapped in a "disinformation bubble." It's the latest escalation after Ukraine's leaders were excluded from peace… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.Figures released show 156,000 children living in material hardship in 2024, up from 144,000 the year before. That's almost 13.5 percent of Aotearoa's children. Measures of material hardship include… Read more Audio