Checkpoint

Evening business for 20 May 2026.

The Chiefs are encouraging their fans to flout the ban, but the Crusaders have fired back by threatening to melt any they manage to confiscate.

The funding feud between Nicola Willis and Winston Peters is continuing, amid revelations the Ministry for Foreign Affairs will not have to find savings in this year's Budget.

In April, there was a ten percent increase in bus trips in Canterbury compared to the same time last year. That's 120,000 extra journeys. Even before the fuel crisis the regional council, Environment Canterbury said the network was under strain. Environment Canterbury, Public Transport General manager Stewart Gibson spoke to Lisa Owen.

David Seymour has unveiled a report that's made extensive use of AI to reveal a messy maze of regulations that suck up people's time. The regulations minister's report into regulatory duplication and inefficiency comes just a day after the bombshell announcement of deep cuts to the public service. It was followed up with confirmation the New Zealand government logo would feature English first, ahe...

Nine prison staff have been arrested in a police operation at Mount Eden jail and five more at the Auckland South Corrections Facility. Senior corrections officers are among those arrested in the police sting that's part of a wider investigation in Auckland. Corrections employ about 11,000 staff. Corrections minister Mark Mitchell spoke to Lisa Owen.

A landmark moment, that's how Christchurch Airport is describing the launch of three new direct international flights from the city. Air New Zealand announced the new routes from Christchurch to Singapore, Tokyo and Perth at tourism event TRENZ in Auckland this morning. Tourism reporter Tess Brunton has more.

Too little, too late. That's the view of some frustrated Wellington residents on the city's south coast, who are facing a long wait for the failing Moa Point wastewater treatment plant to be completely fixed.

Arsenal have won their first English Premier League football title for 22 years.

The lightweight traps are easier to carry into remote locations, cutting time and costs. About two hundred of the NestGard boxes are being used in Aotearoa. But they're now being deployed to Scotland's remote Orkney Islands as part of a stoat erradicaiton programme .

Americas correspondnet Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about efforts to trap and test rodents from southern Argentina for the hantavirus strain which killed three cruise ship passengers

The Finance Minister on Tuesday announced more than 9,000 public service jobs will go over three years, with savings of almost $2.5 billion. It has public servants holding their breaths. The government says new tech and AI will help streamline departments, but details are sparse. Either way some people are going to be looking for work. Bruce Pilbrow, the chief executive of New Zealand owned recrui...

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm with the latest from across the ditch.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Caleb Tangitau was struck down with a ruptured achilles after the siren in his side's loss to the Chiefs on Friday night. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

DNA samples are generally matched using a minimum of 6 genetic markers that are present in both samples. One sample for example may be taken from crime scene evidence and matched to samples in a data base. Now, a team of scientists has been working on a mathematical algorithm that can match DNA with just half the makers. So, three instead of six. That means it can match partial or degraded DNA sam...

Nearly nine-thousand public servants are in line to lose their jobs over the next three years - as a result of cuts to the public service in the coming Budget. The seismic shake-up - outlined in a pre-Budget speech today - will come as a result of merging a suite of ministries - yet to be determined - with the goal of saving an average 600 million dollars a year. But the coalition parties aren't a...

The worst piece of legislation I've ever seen. That's an advocate's verdict on legislation supposed to clarify the purpose of Disability Support Services. The bill introduced yesterday makes it clear the crown is the not the employer of family carers. It follows a Supreme Court ruling last year, that two parents who care full-time for their disabled children should be considered government employe...

After several false starts, The Enhanced Games, a sporting event that allows athletes to dope, will get under way in Las Vegas. But days out from the start of competition, little is known about the details of the event and the athletes taking part. Sports editor Dana Johannsen spoke to Lisa Owen.

A property investment expert says councils could crack down on short term holiday rentals right now if they wanted to and there's no need for a bed register. Checkpoint spoke to a Christchurch councillor who is campaigning for a nations wide bed register; to make it easier to track Airbnb's and other short-term rentals. The register would force platforms to share data, like addresses and the numbe...

A shooting at San Diego's largest mosque has left 5 people dead. Three victims, including a security guard, were shot and killed when two teenage shooters opened fire on the mosque. Both suspects were found dead in a car nearby soon after the incident. The shooting is being investigated as a hate crime. US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen.

More than 8,500 public service jobs are being axed as part of a government overhaul. AI and digital technology are a big part of the plan. The cuts are forecast to save $2.4 billion dollars over four years. Andrew Lensen, senior lecturer in AI at Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington spoke to Lisa Owen.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about how another Labour MP has weighed in on Keir Starmer's leadership and how the Metropolitan police have revealed the scale of efforts to deescalate two rival protests held in London. She also spoke about how England is preparing for the annual Watercress Festival.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Wellington Phoenix women fell just short of the ultimate prize in the A-League but the club is predicting bigger things to come. The Phoenix lost the grand final to Melbourne City 3-1 on Saturday night and a couple of hours later were already planning for the next season. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.