Checkpoint for Thursday 26 February 2026

5:50 PM.A Dunedin high school band that will open for the Foo Fighters early next year says it's unlikely they'll play another gig organised by the city council. The band SEEK HELP! from Queen's High School… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.Two men accused of abducting and killing an innocent Sydney grandfather have appeared in court on murder charges. It's a case that captured global attention after authorities said the 85-year-old's… Read more Audio

5:34 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:32 PM.The greatest of all time is hanging up her black jersey. Portia Woodman-Wickliffe, who came out of retirement for last years World Cup, has again announced she is bowing out of the international… Read more Audio

5:22 PM.The Deputy Prime Minister has got his own safety message for Air New Zealand after the airline posted a $40 million loss for the six months ended December. David Seymour has described the national… Read more Audio

5:18 PM.A man present at a deadly Dunedin student party in 2019 says the night is burned in his memory. Samson Aruwa helped to free at least 30 people from a stairwell pile-up and carried 19-year-old… Read more Audio

5:15 PM.The wives of two firefighter killed in a landslide during Cyclone Gabrielle have recounted the moment they learned their partners had died. Volunteer firefighters Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.Police are seeing more incidents involving drivers who've been huffing nitrous oxide or nangs, that can cause black outs and dizziness. They say the risks are "clear and grave". It is illegal to sell… Read more Audio

4:48 PM.Air New Zealand could be in for a hard landing, as the CEO carries out a strategic review in the face of rising costs and falling profits. The national carrier posted a $40 million loss for the six… Read more Audio

4:46 PM.Child poverty activists say families are having to make impossible decisions and go without life's essentials following the release of new Stats New Zealand data. The agency says one in seven kids are… Read more Audio

4:33 PM.All motorists know what it's like learning to drive - the endless attempts to parallel park, the grinding gears, the lurches and the stalls. Now one instructor reckons he's found a way to confine… Read more Audio

4:31 PM.The Wellington Phoenix and Chris Greenacre have been loyal to each other for nearly two decades. This week the A-League club turned to the former player and reserve team coach to get them out of a… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.A kiwi nurse, who has launched an app to help decipher what is in packaged food, wants more honesty and transparency around ingredients. Kaiwise allows shoppers to scan the bar code on packaged items… Read more Audio

4:14 PM.United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen a clash between Cuba's coastguard and a US-registered speedboat that resulted in the deaths of four people, as well as reports that the… Read more Audio

4:08 PM.Are New Zealanders generally ill mannered, impatient, and sometimes just plain obnoxious when they get behind the wheel of car? The government is looking to change a collection of road rules… Read more Audio