Checkpoint

Aotearoa has pledged $2 million in humanitarian assistance to Nepal through the Red Cross. Several villages, kilometres of roads and more than a dozen bridges have been wiped out in a massive flood and landslides near the border with Tibet. Nepalese guide, Karma Renjen Lama grew up where the landslip hit. His sister's home has been wiped out and he is waiting for his family to be evacuated. He spo...

Eateries around Wellington have been facing off for weeks in a hard-fought and popular competition for the capital's best burger. Lazy Juan on The Terrace has come out on top with its Marites burger, full of Filipino flavours. Anya Fielding reports.

It could still be months before Papua New Guinea parliament makes its decision on whether to approve of independence for the country's autonomous region of Bougainville. In an historic day yesterday, the result of Bougainville's independence referendum was finally tabled in PNG's parliament, after a seven-year wait. Johnny Blades spoke to Lisa Owen from Port Moresby.

Though the decision may be out of their hands, the Warriors will do everything possible to ensure they play finals football at their "spiritual home". The club is currently leading the NRL table and on track for a rare home play-off, but where that potential home final will be played remains uncertain. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

How young is too young for a child to travel unaccompanied on a long haul bus trip. From mid next month, Intercity is lifting the minimum age for unaccompanied children from seven to 10 years old. One Christchurch dad is not keen on the changes. Tim Frank's children regularly use Intercity buses to see their grandparents, but now his youngest will have to wait three years before he can join his si...

Clean-up efforts are underway across the Queenstown Lakes District today after a winter storm triggered slips, road closures, and emergency evacuations overnight. Nine houses have flooded, and - armed with shovels - some residents in Fernhill have been trying to stop a torrent of water from causing any more damage. Otago Southland reporter Katie Todd has the story.

Volunteering is becoming a luxury fewer people can afford, according to Volunteering Northland. It has about 1000 people on its books, but says that doesn't reflect the reality of who's now able to help out. It's stressing organisations that rely on people donating their time. Community connections co-ordinator for Volunteering Northland, Verena Pschorn spoke to Lisa Owen.

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about growing calls for a ban on smart glasses capable of surreptiously recording video of people without their knowledge or consent.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

A Waikato based tech company is looking for two hundred new workers, on top of the 300 people it has hired since January. Gallagher is a global company that specialises in animal management and security. Its revenue grew 33 percent over the past year. Gallagher CEO and Executive Director, Kahl Betham spoke to Lisa Owen.

Auckland kindergartens have been emptier than usual this week, with some reporting more than half of their children off sick. Flu-related hospitalisations are at a 10 year high in Auckland, and national infection rates are at a four year high. The late season influenza spike has sparked concern for some of the most vulnerable, with reports of under-fives in intensive care, and outbreaks across 20...

A torrent of mud and water has swamped villages on the border of Nepal and Tibet. The devastating floods swallowed towns, roads and bridges in the Rasuwa district of Nepal. It initially registered as a 4.4 magnitude earthquake. More than 160 are dead and hundreds missing, including five New Zealanders. Secretary General of the Nepal Red Cross, Rishi Khanal spoke to Lisa Owen.

An emerging trend of people getting high on so-called space vapes has police worried. High Alert, New Zealand's early warning system for dangerous drugs, has also issued a warning over the vapes laced with illicit substances. There's concern people could be unwittingly consuming them, as they're indistinguishable from legal products, apart from containing an anaesthetic drug. Finn Blackwell report...

No new taxes is the latest catch-cry from National MPs, but Labour has tried to turn it around on them today with its own promise - no new increases in fuel tax. Labour's leader Chris Hipkins made the commitment this afternoon, which the government has labelled irresponsible. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

At least five New Zealanders are among the hundreds of people still unaccounted for after flooding and landslides in Nepal. The deadly flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border has caused widespread damage and Nepalese officials say they anticipate huge scale loss of life. Scientists are now trying to piece together the order of events behind the devastation. Felix Walton reports.

Ryan Fox has a reputation for getting around a golf course at pace. Tomorrow morning he will tee off in the season-ending PGA Tour Championship in Atlanta after just making the qualifying mark. In the lead-up to the tournament, Fox and his caddy were mic'd up by the PGA to get some insight into how one of the fastest players on tour approaches the game. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa...

A Westport food truck has been sent a cease and desist letter by McDonald's over its burger of the week. Mister Chops recently featured a special burger, the 'Chops Big Mac'. That prompted the letter from McDonald's alleging misuse of a trademark and claiming the burger closely resembles its well known staples. Owners of Mister Chops, Rob Carroll and Alex Hogg spoke to Lisa Owen.

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about Facebook owner Meta has reached a multi-billion dollar settlement in the massive social media addiction case, as well as Trump signing off on a plan to import more beef to the United States.

There are calls for health professionals to be more proactive in screening for malnutrition. New Zealand studies have shown high levels of malnutrition in people aged 80 plus, new admissions to residential care and hospital patients. Chair of Malnutrition care Aotearoa and Auckland University nutrition lecturer, Sue MacDonell spoke to Lisa Owen.

A major incident has unfolded in South Auckland, with two people confirmed dead in Wattle Downs. Two schools and an early childhood centre were forced into lockdown earlier. Reporter Erin Johnson spoke to Lisa Owen from the scene.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about British Prime Minister Andy Burnham possibly meeting with US President Donald Trump again next month, as well as London bus drivers walking off the job again in a dispute over working in extreme heat.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

It's long been known that contact sports like boxing, rugby and football can cause brain damage. But new research in the United States now suggest at least 25 percent of American footballers can expect to end up with a degenerative brain disease known as CTE - and the real figure may be even higher. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Northland teenager with a passion for volleyball is smashing it with her pick of scholarships from several US universities. Kerikeri year 13 student, Kaia Derbyshire has chosen Butte College in California and will head there next year to study and compete at indoor and beach volleyball. Kaia has had to travel hours to training in Auckland and Tauranga with the aim of going international. Kaia De...

The scheme that is meant to be driving down New Zealand's climate pollution is instead letting emitters kick the can down the road by planting pine forests. Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, Simon Upton says the emissions trading scheme needs major reform to do its job properly. He has tabled a report in Parliament suggesting forestry should be phased out of the scheme altogether, or...