Checkpoint

A council's decision to close a major intersection in the Waikato for roadworks has turned the area into commuter chaos, say locals. Several crashes have ensued on the Waikato Expressway at two interchanges, as displaced traffic causes signficant congestion during rush hour. As Natalie Akoorie reports, residents are fearful someone will be killed.

With Dave Rennie's coaching squad assembled, the new crew now turn their attention to the players they'll task with resurrecting the national side, their next audition coming in round seven of Super Rugby Pacific. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen. 

Woolworths New Zealand has been fined thousands of dollars for failing to properly deal with a rat infestation at its South Dunedin supermarket. More than 20 rats were caught when the supermarket closed for close to three weeks in February 2024 to eliminate the furry problem. The company was charged and pleaded guilty last year before appearing for sentencing in the Dunedin District Court this aft...

Americas correspondent, Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about Venezuela's former president Nicolas Maduro appearing in front of a US court today, as well as US-Cuba tensions escalating - with Fidel Castro's brother reportedly becoming involved in discussions between the two countries.

In Northland, a retired couple's Ōakura home has been flooded again while still being repaired after a storm in January that severely damaged the property. Ōakura was still in clean up mode after some people were forced out of their homes more than two months ago. The couple had only just moved back home before yesterday's rain. Ōakura resident Linda Kelsall spoke to Lisa Owen.

The severe weather that swept into Northland has moved swiftly down the island, leaving the region in clean up & recovery mode and others bracing for impact. Kaikohe residents are being asked to urgently conserve water after the town's treatment plant was damaged by flooding. In Kaitaia a rapid relief team's been serving free meals to evacuees. NZTA is urging caution with an number of roads damage...

As war continues in the Middle East, Australians are reassessing their heavy dependence on fossil fuels -- in particular petrol and diesel - amid fears supplies will diminish in the weeks ahead. There are also concerns that rubbish could pile up on streets as the rising price of diesel puts pressure on waste collection services. Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen.

The red heavy rain warning for Northland east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangarei remains in place until 4am..

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Finland's football team are the furthest from home many of them have ever been to play. The world number 75 side missed out on qualifying for the Football World Cup and are now in Auckland for two games in the FIFA Series. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

New Zealand is turning into a no grow zone when it comes to vegetable processing. McCain and Watties are both shutting down processing operations, raising concerns about the health of manufacturing in New Zealand. Head of Advocacy & Strategy at the Employers and Manufacturers Association, Alan McDonald spoke to Lisa Owen.

A young mum facing life threatening delays for cancer treatment may be forced to raise more than a million dollars for a stem cell transplant overseas. Loran Geddes, who is 29, was diagnosed with Leukaemia last year and needs a stem cell transplant for any chance of a cure. But a lengthy waitlist means her treatment keeps getting pushed out, significantly impacting her chance of survival. What was...

It's been a wet and wild 24 hours for the top of the country, with some areas seeing more than 200 millimetres of rain. Whangārei District Council and the Far North District Council have each declared states of emergency. The deluge has closed roads, including the two routes that connect the tip of the Far North to the rest of the motu. Locals are now bracing for another night of rough weather, wi...

This year marks a quarter century since The Lord of the Rings first hit screens - and fans are still journeying to Middle Earth. Tour operators say they've had a bumper summer and interest in Lord of the Rings experiences - and seeing film locations - is actually growing. Katie Todd reports.

The NZ College of Midwives have won its class action against the crown over fair and reasonable pay. A court decision has found the way the Crown paid its lead maternity carers unlawfully discriminated on the basis of sex and the crown failed to ensure self-employed midwives got fair and reasonable pay. The case was heard in the High Court in 2024. College of midwives CEO Alison Eddy spoke to Lisa...

A literal life saver for those admitted there, but a North Canterbury eating disorder residential facility can't attract government funding, leading to concerns about who can access care. Recovered Living NZ offers a different experience from the public system - catering for only nine people at a time - patients live in and stay for months at a time. But it comes at a cost of just over $1000 a nig...

There's a growing divide is emerging in junior sport. As some clubs experiment with ways to reduce barriers for young players, others say rising costs are forcing difficult decisions about fees just to keep the lights on. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Waikato maths whizz is waiting on some final calculations to see if he's taken out his fifth world title in a row. The marathon 48-hour global online maths contest kicked off yesterday. The games see rangatahi compete in live 60 second rounds going head-to-head against other students around the world. Hamilton year nine student Woojin Kim had a lot to play for, after winning four consecutive tit...

United State correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about tech giants dealing with a major legal blow in a landmark social media addiction trial. A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google liable for designing their social media platforms in a way that can be intentionally addictive and harmful to young people. Each company has been ordered to pay millions in damages, and the finding could a...

States of Emergency have been declared in Whangarei and the Far North with storm conditions expected get worse overnight. Northland east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangarei is under a red weather warning until 4am tomorrow. 25 schools closed throughout the region, affecting nearly 4000 students. State Highway 1 is also closed at four different locations around Northland. Civil Defence Co-or...

UK correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the UK taking matters into its own hands to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as well as transgender women and girls involved in UK Girl-guiding groups have been told they have until September to leave.

A Dunedin city councillor has resorted to reading a novel to defend himself at what he's likened to a public show trial. First-term representative Benedict Ong was censured by his colleagues at a meeting today for criticising a council staff member, in an email sent last month to the chief executive and local journalists. Tess Brunton reports.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

It is the final day of the double header series between New Zealand and South Africa. The Black Caps and White Ferns play the last of five T20's against their Protea counterparts today. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Teachers working from home, carpooling and cancelling away trips are just some of things rural schools are having to do to manage rising fuel costs. Rural schools are already finding it harder to get relievers, some of whom have to travel long distances to get to work, with private vehicles the only transport options. Families are feeling the squeeze too getting students to and from school bus sto...