Checkpoint is a drive-time news and current affairs programme on Radio New Zealand National. It broadcasts nationwide every weekday evening for two hours and covers the day’s major national and international stories, as well as business, sport and Māori news. This recording covers the first hour. The following rundown is supplied from the broadcaster’s news system:
Checkpoint FOR THURSDAY 21 AUG 2014
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1700 to 1707 NEWS
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The Prime Minister John Key says the fact he was on holiday in Hawaii when a controversial SIS briefing took place gives further weight to his insistence he wasn't directly told about it.
He's responding to claims he knew the spy agency was going to release information in 2011 to a rightwing blogger that would embarass the-then Labour Party leader Phil Goff.
Here's reporter Benedict Collins with the story. PKG
And there's been heat of another sort for John Key on the campaign trail today.
A woman has confronted him at Barrington shopping mall in Christchurch this afternoon about how slow it is getting her earthquake-damaged home repaired.
She is one of nearly six-thousand claimants (5964) classed by the Earthquake Commission and private insurers as vulnerable who have yet to have their cases resolved.
Conan Young reports. PKG
More than 200 roading and maintenance workers are losing their jobs in Central and Southern Hawkes Bay with the collapse of a council-owned infrastructure company.
The roading contractor Infracon is owned by the Central Hawkes Bay and Tararua District Councils.
The company's been losing money since it won a contract with the Tararua Council four years ago by putting in the cheapest bid.
It was two millions dollars less than the other tenders.
Now the bank is calling in its debt - although Infracon's interim Board Chair Roly Ellis, who is also Mayor of Tararua, won't say how much that is.
His council owns two thirds fo the company.
Mr Ellis says Infracon pricing couldn't cover its costs, and the council's chief executive did ask questions.
PKG
Tararua Mayor Roly Ellis.
We'll be talking to the union after six o'clock.
US officials have revealed details of a secret mission into Syria that tried but failed to rescue journalist James Foley and other American hostages.
The news comes just a day after Islamic State militants posted a video online showing one of them beheading Mr Foley and warning there'll be more executions if military strikes in Iraq don't stop.
Adam Entous is covering the story for the Wall Street Journal.
He says the government wants to show the public it was trying to do something about the kidnapped men.
PKG
Primary school teachers and principals have overwhelmingly rejected a plan the Government billed as the biggest change since Tomorrow's Schools came in 25 years ago.
Vote results out today show almost three quarters don't even want to try to negotiate improvements to the super teacher policy through their collective agreement.
The Educational Institute ran the vote, which the union's president Judith Nowotarski told a news conference today it is significant.
CUT
Our education correspondent, John Gerritsen, was at the announcement and joins us now. IV
At least 30 farmers in mid Northland are facing financial ruin in the wake of this year's extreme weather events and falling income.
And farmers' groups are warning that banks may be forced to write off millions in bad loans.
Ruth Hill reports.
PKG
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17.30 HEADLINES
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17.35 MARKET UPDATE
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As well as roading jobs on the line in southern Hawkes Bay, more than one hundred jobs might go at
the stationery supplier, Croxley, partly because of people sending fewer letters and not using notepads any more, the old-fashioned ones.
It's just announced it may shut its Avondale factory next year.
Its managing director David Lilburne wasn't available to come on Checkpoint but Croxley is putting the problems down to less mail and less paper being used in offices.
The Engineering Printing and Manufacturing Union's Joe Gallagher is with us. IV
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has warned the military campaign to restore the country's security against Gaza will continue.
Israel's military says it carried out 92 air strikes yesterday in response to 137 rockets fired from Gaza following the collapse of peace talks in Cairo.
The BBC's Yolande Knell reports from Gaza.
PKG
Yolande Knell
The Online Media Standards Authority says it is still waiting for ANY blogger to sign up to its code - despite claims by the Kiwiblog author, David Farrar, that he plans to join.
The right wing blogger says revelations in the book, Dirty Politics, have shown the blogosphere in a bad light, and he wants his work held up to a code of ethics and subject to a complaints procedure.
Dirty Politics claims National has orchestrated the release of information to attack bloggers, such as Cameron Slater.
Clare Bradley is legal counsel at Media Works and chair of the year old Online Media Standards Authority or OMSA. IV
Millions of dollars of Kim Dotcom's property will remain out of his control until at least next year, after a court extended an asset-freezing order.
The United States requested the restraining order shortly after the internet businessman was arrested in a raid on his Auckland mansion in 2012.
Today, the Court of Appeal dismissed an earlier High Court decision to let the freeze lapse, and has extended the order until April next year.
Kate Newton has been reading the decision. IV
The first laboratory on New Zealand's border, testing suspicious imports for illegal drugs is now officially open, paid for with seized cash from drugs offences.
The new lab at a customs base at Auckland Airport is expected to slash waiting times for test results from up to six weeks to just minutes.
Lauren Baker reports.
PKG
A specialist in traditional Maori custom and the arts is demanding the return of scared taonga, or treasure that have been put up for sale by the auction house Sotheby's.
One item alone, a hard-carved wooden pou whakairo, is estimated to reach up to $3.1 million dollars.
From Te Manu Korihi, Laura Bootham reports.
PKG
In the latest twist in Thailand's surrogacy scandal, authorities say DNA tests prove a Japanese man is the biological father of 15 babies.
Japanese media are reporting the man is the son of an I-T millionaire and wants to look after the children.
The Thais are cracking down on paid surrogacy since the baby Gammy story broke and there are reports of several Australian couples stuck in Bangkok at risk of facing human trafficking charges.
Our correspondent in Thailand, Michael Peel, joins us now. IV
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Presenter: Mary Wilson, Jim Mora
Editor: Maree Corbett
Deputy editor: Phil Pennington
Producers: Jo Leavesley, Mei Yeoh, Sharon Brettkelly, Bridget Mills