Checkpoint

It was a catastrophic night for the Cowboys in the NRL. The North Queenslanders were crushed 82-12 at the hands of a ruthless Roosters side. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Ngāi Tahu Farming has been chosen by the Department of Conservation to operate the country's largest farm. Molesworth Station is spread over 180,000 hectares across Marlborough and North Canterbury - and is currently run as a cattle farm by state-owned Pāmu Landcorp. The Department of Conservation administers the land - and put the contract to manage the farm out to public tender. Ngāi Tahu Farmin...

The death toll from this week's major earthquake in Japan has risen to 34. The 6.8 tremor rocked the southern city of Kumamoto on Tuesday afternoon prompting thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. There's been widespread damage and as search efforts continue there are concerns that the death toll will climb. Correspondent in Tokyo, Chris Gilbert spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

For years we've had fire service campaigns to install smoke alarms in every home, now Hato Hone St John is pushing for lifesaving defibrillators to be considered in the same way. A report in the NZ Medical Journal today found St John ambulance attempt 2000 resuscitations a year and only about one in 10 people survive. The rate hasn't changed in five years. Deputy chief executive of clinical servic...

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about Australia opening a new front in its ongoing campaign to get tech giants to toe the line on stricter regulation of social media -- with legal action launched against the messaging app "Telegram" for not doing more to remove terror content.

The New Zealand Blood Service says the capital's new blood bank officially opened by the Health Minister today couldn't come soon enough. The facility plays a critical role in delivering life-saving donor blood to patients and replaces a decrepit laboratory at risk of losing its accreditation. Reporter Mary Argue was given a tour.

Auckland FC are entering a new era of their A-League existence with an experienced Portuguese coach leading the way. Pedro Moreira landed in Auckland yesterday and was sharing his coaching vision for the upcoming season today. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

The opposition is demanding the Prime Minister take action after Winston Peters said a Green MP who moved to New Zealand should go back to his own country. The New Zealand First leader in Parliament responded to some heckling from Lawrence Xu-nan with an abusive rant. Political reporter Russell Palmer spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Solar installers are warning of a looming worker shortage, if low-cost loans or subsidies are brought in without any support or training for the wider electrical industry. Many political parties have announced policies boost rooftop solar uptake ahead of this year's election. Some installers have seen demand treble this year already and say the industry is already near capacity. Climate Change cor...

Over 10,000 teens left school last year with no qualifications to their name. It's the third consecutive year that 15 percent of school leavers had no NCEA certificates or equivalent qualifications. The people who work with those young people say the figures are shocking. Education correspondent John Gerritsen has more.

Plans for intensive housing growth in Auckland and issues with wastewater overflows is driving the largest ever investment in water services for the city. Last month, the water company said splitting from Auckland Council had allowed it to raise $1.5 billion to pay for fixing old infrastructure, upgrades and new projects. But households will also pay for it. Watercare CEO Jamie Sinclair spoke to M...

A sense of the inevitable has shrouded the Hatrick Raceway this week as the Whanganui Greyhound Racing Club prepared for its last ever meeting on Friday. The government is shutting down the industry over animal welfare concerns. Owners from around the country gathered with dozens of dogs at the venue on Tuesday for its final straight-track meeting. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin was ther...

If you want to install solar on your house, the current process is too slow and costly according to a report that recommends cutting red tape. The review of the solar installation process by the Ministry of Regulation has just been released. Rewiring Aotearoa's CEO Mike Casey spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Unpaid rent has been the thorn is the side of many landlords, waiting months to get a case through the Tenancy Tribunal. So in a new pilot, the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment is prioritising cases where someone wants to terminate the tenancy for rent arrears. Sammy Carter has more

News from the business sector, including a market report.

It was another day filled with drama, records, glory, and shattered dreams in Glasgow. The opening six days of the Commonwealth Games have produced a plethora of moments, not all of them for sporting excellence. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Nashville may be home to country music's 'achy breaky heart' but New Zealand's country music capital is home to Meila Scully. The young singer's song writing about people who've experienced loss is earning awards. More recently the 13 year old won the junior category at the Southern Country music awards. Meila Scully spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about fresh strikes kicking off between the US and Iran again, as well as a school in New York that has backtracked on a plan to introduce an AI-powered humanoid robot teacher.

A science teacher at St Patrick's College in Wellington says he is moving to make sure all assessments are done in the classroom under supervision, to combat AI. The strategy comes as the Education Review Office today released a report saying AI is becoming part of everyday life and schools want more formal guidance from the Education Ministry. 

Europe correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about wildfires continuing to rage across parts of Europe as another heatwave looms, as well as new UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham giving Labour a big bump in the polls.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Warriors are looking to steady their strong season following another slip up at the weekend. After seemingly getting things back on track, the Warriors were battered by the Bulldogs, the loss dropping them out of second place on the NRL ladder. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Councils are being encouraged to record more consistent dog control data to help tackle the problem with roaming and uncontrolled dogs. Guidelines around how to use the current powers in law have also been released today. Local Government Minister Simon Watts spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

About 30 people gathered this morning to mark the life of a stillborn baby boy, who was found on the side of a rural Marlborough road in May. Police are yet to identify the child or its family. The funeral service was held at the children's memorial area at Fairhall Cemetery, near Blenheim. Samantha Gee was there.

There has been mixed reaction to the government's response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Covid-19 response, with NZ First calling it "pathetic" and Labour calling it a distraction. But the government has accepted "in some form" all of the 63 recommendations, promising key advice will be made public within five working days in future pandemics. Political reporter Lillian Hanly has mor...