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The Central Otago District Council may dump controversial plans to dispose of treated human effluent onto farmland. It originally wanted to discard thousands of cubic metre of dried sludge on land near the small settlement of Lauder, just over 60 kilometres from Cromwell. Lauder already gets Wanaka's waste, and angry locals and Federated Farmers don't think they should be lumped with anyone's excr...

Let's get the latest from across the Tasman now - where Australia is the latest country to raise interest rates.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The men tasked with maintaining the All Blacks 23 year Bledisloe Cup streak have been named. Dave Rennie has selected his 34 man squad to play the Wallabies, with a couple of vterans recalled to test rugby. Sports reporty Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

A part of measuring time known as leap seconds could soon be adandoned. At the moment there a two systems used to measure time, atomic time and solar time. To keep the two in sync, leap seconds are added. But the General Conference on Weights and Measurements votes next month on whether to call time on leap seconds. Adam Dunford from the Measurement Standards Laboratory spoke to Lisa Owen.

Nicola Willis has been given a pre-election lift, with Treasury painting a brighter picture of the government's finances in the short term. But the recovery has been largely driven by an increased tax take due to "higher and more persistent" inflation. So - what does it all mean for the election? Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch reports.

A senior pathologist is warning there's a traffic jam of tests in labs needing analysis, and the specialists who do the job are overwhelmed with work. The government is expanding some testing and screening, or making it more accessible for the likes of bowel and cervical cancer. But Associate Professor Diane Kenwright says the government has done nothing to bolster the workforce to deal with incre...

Wellingtonians may pay more for their electricity network in the coming years - as necessary infrastructure upgrades threaten to push them up significantly. The provider, Wellington Electricity wants to increase lines charges by up to $168 more for a year from 2028. But a consumer group says that'll be tough for many, who are already struggling with "astronomically high" power bills. Wellington is...

While the government's books were poured over in parliament today, Labour leader Chris Hipkins visited blue heartland - trying to win over the Employers and Manufacturers Association in a late-morning meet and greet. Meanwhile, National leader Christopher Luxon was visiting industry, and an old people's home in Wellington. Political reporters Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira and Lauren Crimp spoke to Lisa O...

The NRL judiciary will tonight decide the fate of Kiwi Rugby league player Phoenix Crossland. The Newcastle Knights hooker was sent off in Sunday's NRL preliminary final after a tackle on Penrith Panthers' star Nathan Cleary left him with a horrific ankle break. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

To some, election billboards might seem a bit old fashion, a symbol of a bygone political era, to others, a platform to vent their frustrations with politicians. A man has been arrested for allegedly defacing and removing election hoardings in Auckland's Takanini. So are billboards still an effective way to reach voters? Political marketing expert at the University of Auckland, Dr Edward Elder spo...

United States correspondent, Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about a series of taxpayer funded ads lauding the US president, which have copped criticism from both sides of the political aisle. As well as a female prisoner who is set to be executed in Tennessee, which will be the first time a woman has been executed in Tennessee in more than 200 years.

As the election looms closer, only about 60 percent of young people eligible to vote are actually enrolled. So Checkpoint took the streets today to ask those aged 18 to 24 if they'll be voting, or why they're chosing not to. Bella Craig reports.

The Pre-election Economic and Fiscal Update has forecast a deficit of $6.8 billion in 2026/27, down from May budget's $11.4 billion prediction. The improved forecasts meant the government intended to borrow $15 billion less over the next four years. Economist Cameron Bagrie spoke to Lisa Owen and broke down what the numbers mean. 

The latest RNZ Pacific news.

Twenty years after Hurricane Katrina forced him to leave, playing in the Rebirth Brass Band keeps Keith Frazier in touch with his home town, New Orleans.

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Wallace Chapman and Jesse Mulligan star in the shortest show on radio, where they show they really can make something out of nothing, join them to be part of their delight, or to simply despair. Wallace will also preview what's on The Panel tonight.

Seven minutes and 40 seconds. That's all it took for a father and son to commit Australia's most devastating terror attack. It took place at the Jewish Chanukah Festival of lights celebration at Sydney's Bondi Beach 9 months ago. 55 people were shot, 15 were killed. Alongside the horror were extraordinary acts of courage with strangers helping strangers, people confronting the attackers and first...

We're playing You're the Judge today and it's a really interesting dilemma we're asking you to weigh in on. Should your wishes be respected after death? Mary* has sent us a conundrum she has and wants your feedback. Message us on 2101 or email us afternoons@rnz.co.nz

A good podcast is like good radio .. you can't stop listening! Joining Jesse to share what she's been listening to is our Podcast Critic Jemima Huston. This week she's looking at: Where is Austin Tice? by Josh Baker (BBC and NPR) and All in the Mind with Sana Qadar (ABC)

The latest RNZ Pacific news.

Tuesdays is our chance to chat books! Our critic Anna Rankin joins Jesse to share what she's been reading. U.X.O by Brannvan Gnanalingam Paradiso 17 by Hannah Lillith Assidi

Mayoral minutes is where we speak with a local mayor about the challenges they're facing - how they're working to solve them - and what makes their community special. Today we're heading to the Waitaki District in the Canterbury and Otago regions of the South Island ...where you'll find Oamaru .... Mayor Mel Tavendale joins Jesse.

The latest RNZ Pacific news.