Checkpoint

A shortened but emotional weekend of Super Rugby awaits. One of just two kiwi sides in action, the Crusaders will play their final game at Addington, the stadium built in the wake of the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

In hard times is there room for haggling over price? It's a question Checkpoint was keen to answer when it feels like absolutely everything is going up. Food, power and fuel. According to Gaspy the national average price for 91 is $3.42. It's gone up 34 percent in the past 28 days. Jon Duffy from Consumer NZ spoke to Lisa Owen.

Four astronauts are strapped into their seats taking a ten day journey through space where they'll whip-round the moon before returning home. Nasa launched the mission - dubbed Artemis II - just before midday without a hitch. United States correspondent Todd Zwillich is the author of "The Man Who Knew the Way to the Moon" - a book that uncovers the behind the scenes details of Apollo 11, the first...

Greenpeace is claiming victory after an out of court settlement with Fonterra over what it said is an open and shut case of greenwashing. A label on the diary giant's Anchor butter read; 100 percent New Zealand Grass Fed. Greenpeace claims that gave the impression Fonterra dairy cows exclusively graze on grass, when they are actually also fed palm kernal products. In 2024 the environmental group f...

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about how Donald Trump has taken aim again at the UK and how the National Health Service is starting to encounter shortages as a result of the Iran war. She also spoke about how Donald Trump is set to meet King Charles.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen about the White Ferns taking on South Africa Women for the second of three ODI matches.

Is it an own goal for the government's $70 million major events and tourism fund? The Tourism Minister has announced the fund is backing a football festival featuring a game between English premier league team Tottenham Hotspur and Auckland FC at Eden park in July. The fund has also come underfire for financially supporting pop star Robbie Williams' tour to New Zealand. Act MP Todd Stephenson spok...

Some restrictions on Good Friday and Easter Sunday alcohol sales could be gone as soon as this long weekend - if a member's bill gets the support of enough MPs this afternoon. Labour MP Kieran McAnulty's bill would allow venues that are already open anyway to serve drinks without the confusion of what, exactly, is a substanial meal. The bill's currently being debated in Parliament. Political repor...

Mind the growing gap between the minimum and living wages, the difference between the two is now about $6 an hour, with official increases on Wednesday. The adult minimum wage is $23.95 cents an hour after a $0.45 increase. That's about $958 dollars for a 40 hour week, before tax. On the other hand, the living wage is officially going to $29.90 an hour or about $1200 before tax a week. Charles Wal...

There's growing concern about the rehoming of hundreds of greyhounds with the dog racing industry due to be shut down in just four months time. A bill banning the sport by August, is likely to come up for its third and final reading in Parliament tomorrow. ACT has pulled its support for the legislation raising concerns about the crown effectively confiscating the private property of law abiding bu...

NZTA Waka Kotahi is consulting on how it's going to pay for the first section of the multi-billion-dollar Northland Expressway. Many motorists accept they'll have to pay to use the new road, but the question is: How much? Reporter Peter de Graaf has more.

Users of car sharing service Mevo are gutted the company's gone into voluntary administration, saying it's a cost-effective and climate-conscious choice that's served them well for years. The Wellington-based company had cars in the capital as well as Auckland, Hamilton and Nelson. Regular customers and the administrators, are hoping it'll come out the other side. Lauren Crimp reports.

The White Ferns are facing a record run chase to level the one-day cricket series against South Africa in Wellington on Wednesday. The visitors posted a competitive 346 for 6 which is the highest total for a women's one-dayer at the Basin Reserve. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

New research suggests there's a simple way to get students match fit; let them wear sports gear all day rather than traditional uniforms. A study in collaboraton with Australia's Newcastle University found out of thousands of responses, more than three quarters supported the daily wearing of activity enabling sports uniforms. Newcastle University's Belinda Peden spoke to Lisa Owen.

America correspondent Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about how after a months-long fuel crisis and regular blackouts, Cuba has received a large oil delivery from Russia and how Mexico's president has continued to weigh in on the situation in Cuba. She also spoke about why have clowns been protesting on the streets of Bolivia's capital.

Families already struggling with alcohol harm will be worse off if Easter alcohol restrictions are loosened acording to a public heallth adviser. Currently, businesses with an on-licence can only sell alcohol if the customer is "residing or lodging" on the premises, or "present on the premises to dine." However a member's bill, from Labour's Kieran McAnulty, would let premises already open on Good...

Australian police are hunting for anyone who might have assisted the notorious fugitive Dezi Freeman who was shot dead on Monday by officers attempting to arrest the wanted man after months on the run. Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Barnardos is celebrating the opening of a new whare at its residence for at-risk rangatahi. The whare would have cost about 700-thousand dollars if not for the support and generosity of volunteers and the community. It provides a space for the children - who can no longer live at home - to reconnect with their whanau and heal. Timothy Brown went along to check it out.

New Zealand Rugby has locked in one of its brightest stars. Teenage Black Ferns fullback Braxton Sorensen McGee has recommitted to Aotearoa, with sevens set to be her focus. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

A grand old dame, who survived World War One and emigrated from Europe to New Zealand with a kiwi solider has made a surprise visit to Te Papa to see an exhibition which actually features her replica. Torty the tortoise, is well over a hundred years old and has been taken care of by three generations of the same family. Stewart Little, a stretcher bearer brought her home to Dunedin from Greece, in...

The killings of two swedish tourists in the 1980's is one of the most notorious criminal cases in New Zealand's history and as of today the double murders are unsolved. The Supreme Court has quashed David Tamihere's convictions, 36 years after he was found guilty of murdering back packers Sven Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen in the Coromandel. The couple was last seen in Thames in April 1989. Dr...

The boss of one of the country's largest energy companies said the the war in the Middle East is a "bazooka" for the government's planned Liquefied Natural Gas import terminal in Taranaki. The government has been pursuing plans for a billion dollar LNG terminal in Taranaki to protect fuel against dry-year risk. The Prime Minister has started to soften his language, saying if it doesn't stack up co...

When Everybody's Theatre in Opunake put out an SOS after its projector gave up the ghost - it appears "everyone" wanted to help out. Looking at a bill of 18 thousand dollars, the coastal Taranaki cinema faced months of being out of action - but the community wasn't having that. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin went to Opunake to see what makes Everybody's Theatre so special.