Checkpoint

'Cigfluencer' culture is taking social media by storm and the number of celebrities and influencers posting while smoking has health experts concerned. While cigarettes are making their comeback on screen, with over half of box office films featuring tobacco in 2024, smoking numbers remain low. However, decreases have recently come to a grinding halt, with the smoking rate for 18-24 year olds rema...

When Christopher Luxon first survived a vote of confidence among National MPs in April, Act leader David Seymour said at the time he was pleased to see the party stable and "drawing a line under any trouble they may have had." Fast forward 4 months, and the Prime Minister's leadership is being tested again. He's survived another vote of confidence. Just like the last one, National's coalition part...

There's no rest for some of our Commonwealth Games medallists with the swimmers back competing in the pool this week. A 15-strong New Zealand team is preparing to take on some of the world's best at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in California, which is the first time the competition has been held in eight years. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Netball New Zealand's new chief executive Jennah Wootten will have hit the ground running on her first official day in the job today. RNZ revealed that Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray are behind a bid to establish a new franchise netball league for 2028. Details of the bid from the couple behind the A-League Club Auckland FC are yet to be publicly revealed. In the meantime, players, coaches and offi...

Middle East correspondent Madeline Croad spoke to Melissa Chan Green about how in Syria, a court has sentenced former leader Bashar al-Assad to death. She also spoke about how there has been several attacks at sea in the region and how Lebanon has become the first Middle Eastern country to get rid of the death penalty.

'People are unwell, people are unravelling,' those are the words of a Wellington community leader who is among those describing drug use, threats and psychotic breakdowns on the suburban streets of Newtown. Some are also asking whether harmful synthetic cannabis is to blame. Wellington Issues reporter Ellen O'Dwyer has more.

He's not the first leader to survive a leadership challenge but Christopher Luxon is now part of a much smaller club of leaders who have stared down two votes of confidence. 'Our caucus is united.' That was the message from the Prime Minister following a three and a half hour caucus meeting. The announcement afterwards was more planned and coordinated than the 24 hours that had preceded it. Deputy...

In Australia, the country's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is toughing out a storm over comments he made about a gift from his Japanese counterpart. Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Philip Polkinghorne has been accused of pretending to do some of the things he said he did, on the morning he found his wife dead. Dr Polkinghorne was acquitted of murdering his wife, Pauline Hanna, and is a witness at the Coronial Inquest into her death, which began last week.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The New Zealand Breakers have unveiled their rebrand as pre-season training tipped off on Auckland's North Shore. Coach Gordon Herbert was in the gym for the first time seeing who he'll be working with and how he can put the puzzle together for NBL season. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

In Southland, 'The Saw Club' is keen to attract new members through an event called 'Last Warrior Standing'. It's competitive arm wrestling. Mel Shepherd is the Secretary and Treasurer of the Southland Arm Wrestling club. Ranked in the top ten in New Zealand, she spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

With speculation over his leadership swirling, National's Christopher Luxon is calling all National MPs to the capital for an urgent in-person caucus meeting tomorrow. He's just come off a fortnight defending his comments to Rotorua small businesses, his Foreign Minister telling a Chinese-born MP to go back where he came from, and announcing on live radio he wants a referendum on MMP - without hav...

A New Zealand study has found a link between vaping during pregnancy and sudden infant deaths - also known as SUDI. On average one New Zealand baby dies from SUDI each week - and Maori and Pacific babies are at a much higher risk. The study of 101 deaths between 2022 and 2023 found that over half of the mothers were vaping while pregnant, in the cases involving bedsharing. Researchers say while th...

After three days, Ohakune residents have been told their water will be gradually restored but it's not yet confirmed safe to drink. The Ruapehu District Council has put out an update that said a boil water notice remains in place. Residents are also being asked to conserve water as the reservoir recharges. It had fallen to 12 percent on Saturday. Remi Butler, manager of The Peaks Motor Inn spoke t...

The All Blacks are set for their second outing in South Africa. Dave Rennie's men will meet the Sharks in Durban on Wednesday in the second of four franchise matches in the republic. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Finishing school is not a concept you hear so much about these days and if you did, you wouldn't associate them with the skills being taught at one in the South. Changing a tyre, cracking a stock whip and shooting a gun are among the subjects at the Southern Girl Finishing School. It's being run by Laura Koot on a farm in Kingston, about 45 minutes from Queenstown. Koot spoke to Melissa Chan-Green...

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about how Donald Trump has just signed an executive order around childhood vaccinations and how details have emerged of an elaborate misdirection operation to reportedly protect the president on a recent trip to Turkey.

Christopher Luxon has called for an 'urgent in-person meeting' on Wednesday at 9:30am. Any of his MPs who aren't in Wellington will need to travel back given it's a recess week at parliament. Citing media reports and conversations about increased speculation about his leadership, Luxon called it an 'unfair distraction'. Former National Party MP Maurice Williamson spoke to Melissa Chan-Green

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about Prime Minister Andy Burnham who is set to announce he's going on tour this week, as well as Banksy's artwork proving costly for British taxpayers.

Clarification: The Free House was incorrectly called a former Anglican church in this audio. It is a former Reformed Church. A popular Nelson pub in a 100-year-old church could face closure under one of the city council's options for a new library, community hub and civic centre. The Free House has become a regular meeting place for many groups including knitters, singers, domino players and mount...

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Could former All Black coach Scott Robertson be in for a shock code switch? Robertson has been offered a four year deal to become the inaugural coach of the yet to be confirmed 20th NRL team - The Orcas. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

With energy security and power bills front of mind for voters in the lead up to the election, Contact Energy has kicked off what will be a keenly watched reporting season. The first figure out is a net profit of $423 million, up 28 percent from $331 million the year earlier. However, 90 percent of customers received a price increase in the last 12 months. Contact Chief Executive Mike Fuge spoke to...

A union for St John ambulance workers says the record numbers of calls to the service in the last week is making an already stressful job harder. St John activated its major incident response over the weekend after receiving more than 2500 calls on Saturday, the most it has ever received in a single day. In the last week the ambulance service had just over 16,000 calls, breaking the record set jus...