Checkpoint for Friday 17 October 2025

5:55 PM.Checkpoint producer Johnny Sutherland spoke to Lisa Owen about the hefty cost of living remote. Audio

5:44 PM.One girl became so sick she needed a blood transfusion after drinking contaminated water during a school trip to a popular North Canterbury campground. An outbreak of gastroenteritis caused by the… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the boss of MI5 intervening in a row over the collapse of the alleged Chinese spy case, as well as Johnson & Johnson facing legal… Read more Audio

5:36 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

5:35 PM.The Australian Diamonds coach has seen all the headlines surrounding the Silver Ferns since the shock suspension of coach Dame Noeline Taurua. But despite all the turmoil she doesn't think the Silver… Read more Audio

5:25 PM.There have been stormy scenes in Mangawhai today as the Kaipara District Council tried for a second time to hold an emergency meeting about allegations of election irregularities. Yesterday's meeting… Read more Audio

5:17 PM.The mood appears to be souring between coalition parties over the sale of well-known New Zealand's dairy brands to French multinational Lactalis. New Zealand First says the move to sell Fonterra… Read more Audio

5:08 PM.The Health Minister has taken a deep dive into the pay packets and perks of senior doctors during a speech at their annual conference. Simeon Brown accused them of crossing an "ethical line" for… Read more Audio

4:52 PM.The government is changing the law around pharmacy ownership, a move one pharmacist said is putting commercial interest above patient care. Currently pharmacies must be majority owned and effectively… Read more Audio

4:34 PM.A fashion store owner says his staff has been left traumatised by a violent armed robbery earlier this week. Roopdarshan, a fashion and jewellery store in Auckland's Mount Roskill, was targeted by a… Read more Audio

4:31 PM.A sea of Samoan supporters are set to descend on Mount Smart this Sunday. A blockbuster double header kicks off the 2025 rugby league Pacific Champs, with both the Kiwi Ferns and Kiwis in action… Read more Audio

4:26 PM.Fancy diving between branches at the top of a tree? Well the International Tree Climbing Championships may be just the thing for you. While tree climbing may elicit childhood memories - this is… Read more Audio

4:25 PM.If you fixed your home loan rate a while ago, you might have mixed feelings as you watch interest rates fall. They'll probably be lower for a while to come, but if you're missing out on the savings… Read more Audio

4:17 PM.Asia correspondent Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about the number of bear attacks in Japan hitting a record high, as well as the last surviving member of Sir Edmund Hillary's team that reached the… Read more Audio

4:06 PM.Long running magazine Reader's Digest has stopped publishing a printed edition, moving exclusively online after 75 years. GM of Publishing and Sales Asia Pacific for Reader's Digest, Sheron White… Read more Audio