Checkpoint

A warning that the following story discusses suicide. An inquest has heard that a Christchurch man who died after a police stand-off was planning to carry out a mass shooting in the weeks following the mosque terror attack. Artemiy Dubovskiy, who was known as Troy, is suspected of taking his own life early on March the 27th, 2019 after police negotiated with him for hours. Timothy Brown was in the...

More than one hundred and thirty million dollars. That's how much the government's investing in literacy and maths support for budget 2026 .. as part of its "Teaching the Basics Brilliantly" policy.

A cat rescuer who tames, desexes and rehomes stray felines is worried a bureaucratic battle could put his operation on pause. Tony Hitchcock has run Feral No More from the small Rangitikei town of Marton for the past three years with no issue. But a move to Eketahuna in Tararua is proving problematic for continuing his rescue work. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

The Queenstown experience could be elevated even further, if a futuristic transport project gets off the ground. Whoosh is a system of autonmous electric passenger pods that move along a static overhead network of cables and rails. Queenstown business consortium spokesperson Matthew Day spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Hurricanes are embracing the expectations surrounding them. The men from the capital have kicked clear at the top of the table and are determined to end a decade long title drought. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Game Animal Council and Wild Game Recovery Trust have set up a new online platform to simplify the process for hunters wanting to donate wild meat to families in need. The site Hunt and Share include QR codes for labelling and allows meat to be traced from the hills to the plate. The Game Changer NZ project also connects-up hunters, butchers and foodbanks. Wayne Langford, chair of the Wild Gam...

Donald Trump says "the clock is ticking" for Iran as the road to resolving the Middle East conflict drags on.

There are calls for a national bed register, to stop so called ghost communities caused by short term holiday rentals. A bed register could force operators, like AirBnB, to share data with local councils; including accommodation addresses. The concern is that some areas, particularly in visitor hotspots, are being taken over with temporary accommodation... hollowing out neighbourhoods and making i...

Checkpoint producer Johnny Sutherland spoke to Lisa Owen about Lucas Gill, an 18-year-old from Winton who was accepted by five Ivy League universities.

Thousands of police officers are being deployed to central London at the weekends ahead of two protests. Meanwhile, the political drama continues at Downing Street. UK correspondent Grace Thomas spoke with Lisa Owen.

Businesses are becoming more cautious about investment while The Warehouse has reported flat third-quarter sales as consumers grapple with the high cost of living. Business reporter Nona Pelletier spoke with Lisa Owen.

The two sides meet in a crucial Super Rugby clash in Auckland this weekend. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke with Lisa Owen.

Runners know where they must finish but are blind-folded and dropped at a mystery start point. From there teams of two must find a way to their way to the finish line more than 20km away without any technology. Lisa Owen spoke with John Moore, the organiser of Christchurch's new Find Your Way Home adventure challenge, due to take place in July.

The former partner of a woman whose baby died in Canterbury has denied responsibility for killing her son. Soul Turany was less than four months old when he died from catastrophic head injuries in 2014. Police say only the boy's mother, Storme Turany, or her then-partner, Tony Farmer, could have killed the child. Reporter Timothy Brown has more.

A New Zealander and five Australian residents caught up in a deadly cruise ship hantavirus outbreak have touched down in Perth. The group landed at an airforce base and were bussed to a quarantine centre where they must stay for at least three weeks. The group was on the MV Hondius when the rat-borne virus broke out. Three people from the ship have died and a further 11 are either confirmed or sus...

Government plans to amend references to the Treaty of Waitangi across a raft of legislation is being compared to ACT's Treaty Principles Bill by critics. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says the amendments will ensure references to the principles of the Treaty are clear and consistent, however the Waitangi Tribunal says it will weaken the Treaty in the law. Maori news journalist Tuwhenuaroa Natana...

Melodious singing is filling a Palmerston North theatre as 400 women take part in the annual Sweet Adelines competition. It comes with a top prize, the chance to represent New Zealand on the world stage. The Manawatu Overtones are hosting the Harmony Manawatu Convention. Reporter Jimmy Ellingham caught up with chorus members as they put the finishing touches on their preparation.

The Woolworths in the Hastings suburb of Flaxmere, has applied for a licence to sell alcohol seven days a week from 9am to 9pm. In its submission Health New Zealand say Flaxmere is a vulnerable community with high levels of deprivation and it's opposed the licence. Submissions on the application by Woolworths have been heard this week, Lawyer Grant Hewison, who is a member of Communities against A...

Invercargill's mayor is condemning the thugs who attacked two people they lured off into a public park through dating apps.

Auckland FC's A-League season is on the line once again with one last chance to make it to a grand final. Auckland and Adelaide are level at one-all heading into the second, and deciding, semifinal at a sold-out Coopers Stadium. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The SPCA's calling for nominations for its 2027 Pets of the Year Calendars. It's a fundraiser for the animal welfare group, with proceeds going to medical care, shelter and providing a second chance for vulnerable animals needing homes. SPCA Events and Partnerships manager Elinor Birch spoke to Lisa Owen.

Middle East correspondent Lou Browne spoke to Lisa Owen about how dozens of ships have managed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz and the latest from the talks in Washington between Lebanon and Israel.

Tourism is New Zealand's second largest export but with rising aviation costs and cuts to capacity, what does that mean for the industry, which is gearing up for TRENZ, its big international tourism expo? Rebecca Ingram the chief executive of Tourism Industry Aotearoa spoke to Lisa Owen.

An urban renewal project in New Plymouth's CBD is revealing traces of the city's past - piece by piece. The derelict Metro Plaza is being demolished to allow a stretch of the Huatoki Stream - which has been hidden from view for about a century - to be uncovered. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin was on site.

Australian supermarket operator Coles has been found by a court to have been misleading shoppers with fake discounts on a number of common household items. Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen.