Checkpoint

A public inquiry has found authorities could have prevented Tom Phillips from disappearing with his children - or brought them home sooner. The report, by former High Court judge Simon Moore, says agencies missed crucial chances to protect the children and repeatedly downplayed or overlooked the harm they faced. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch reports, and Police Deputy Commissioner Jill R...

A business owner on the South Island's West Coast says State Highway 6 closures are costing him thousands of dollars a day as tourists cancel, turn around or avoid the area. The highway was closed late last month, when heavy rain caused slips, washouts and rockfalls. A few days later it partially opened, for three daily escorted convoys. Haast locals are questioning why it's taking so long to rest...

As many of us enjoyed the final days of summer, communities on Tairawhiti's East Cape were inundated with torrential rain, causing widespread flooding. The destructive storm triggered more than 11,000 landslips, blocking the coastal road at several places and blocking off residents. Seven months on, the road is still getting fixed as the clean up continues, and locals are dealing with multiple oth...

The first All Whites squad since their Football World Cup exit in June has been named for an expanded FIFA international window. This year September and October international windows have been combined, meaning more matches than ever before. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Amateur bird-watchers are being called on to help with the great Bittern bird count. The Bittern Matuku-hurepo lives in wetlands around the motu and is one of New Zealand's most endangered birds. Every year there is a head count to see how the Bittern is tracking. The Love Bittern project co-ordinates the great Matuku-Hurepo muster to avoid the birds being double counted. Project founder, Wendy Am...

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the president's son, Donald Trump Jr, confirming part of his wedding celebrations were paid for by a Russian oligarch with ties to Vladimir Putin.

A public inquiry into the handling of the Tom Phillips case says the harm he caused in isolating the children as well as concerns from the maternal whānau were "minimised or overlooked by agencies for significant periods". Concerns raised by the children's adult sisters were effectively ignored despite their repeated attempts to alert Oranga Tamariki. Chief Executive Amanda Malu spoke to Lisa Owen...

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland meeting in Cardiff as calls for the break up of the UK gather momentum, as well new fast-track legislation could see Nigle Farage's Reform UK party facing action over its recent donations.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The side were stunned at the weekend by a loss to the Dolphins, leaving them needing to win three in a row to clinch a maiden title. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's been almost three weeks since a devastating flash flood ripped through villages on the Nepal-Tibet border. Approximately 1,300 people are known to have died in the disaster, with thousands more still feeling the affects. Veteran-led group Taskforce Kiwi has sent three volunteers to central Nepal's Nuwakot region which suffered catastrophic damage in the flooding. Taskforce Kiwi's team lead St...

The family of a Christchurch woman murdered by a patient who absconded from a psychiatric hospital have asked why it took their mother's death for changes to be made at Hillmorton. Laisa Waka Tunidau was stabbed to death by Zakariye Mohamed Hussein outside her Sockburn home in June 2022, after he left Hillmorton Hospital on unescorted community leave. An inquest into her death began in Christchurc...

A coroner's described the death of an Otago University student as "senseless" and a "woeful illustration" of the country's youth drinking culture. The 20 year old student died after choking on his own vomit at a flat party in 2023.

The capital city's annual literary festival is back, bigger than ever, after last year's hiatus. Verb Wellington is active again, much to the delight of authors and booklovers. Anya Fielding reports.

Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen about the latest news from the Beehive.

A spike in thefts of copper and other recyclable metals is causing millions of dollars of damage to important infrastructure. The risk of having high-voltage wires exposed is also endangering thieves and the public. Police say the thefts - which often occur at night and in remote locations - can be hard to detect. Bill Hickman has more.

Sports reporter Bridget Tunicliffe talked Lisa Owen through the Silver Ferns squad heading to next year's World Cup.

The environmental cost of a new pair of jeans could be enough to make a shopper blue. Brand new jeans can have an environmental footprint that is 180 times higher than pre-loved ones. That's according to new research from Planetary Accounting Network which uses a sophisticated dashboard to calculate the environmental costs of everyday purchases. Community recycling group Wanaka Wastebusters commis...

Middle East correspondent Madeline Croad spoke to Lisa Owen about the price of oil rising as hostilities ramp up between the Iran-backed Houthis and Saudi Arabia, as well as an important summit between Iran and several Gulf nations being postponed.

So far so good for Auckland's City Rail Link, which had its first full weekday in operation today. Auckland Transport says trains ran smoothly and that by 9am about 24,000 people were travelling on the network. Reporter Matthew Theunissen was riding the rails and filed this report.

New Zealanders travelling to Fiji are being warned of an increased risk of HIV transmission, with the Fiji government declaring the epidemic a national crisis. The New Zealand government website Safetravel says travellers should avoid acitivities that may increase their risk of infection. With the school holidays approaching, the Ministry of Foreign affairs has encouraged all New Zealanders headin...

Checkpoint producer Johnny Sutherland spoke to Lisa Owen about a largely forgotten story about a yacht grounding which happened almost five decades ago at the bottom of the South Island and how it connects two women that live 15,000km apart.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the future of assisted dying legislation in England and Wales hanging in the balance, with MPs preparing for a crucial vote, as well as two people being arrested in London on suspicion of helping Iran's intelligence service.

An Otago university researcher has landed what could be a significant scientific catch using a 2km line and a blob of marmite. What's believe to be a new species of fish was lured from the depths of Lake Manapouri and Lake Te Anau last month. The fish is being DNA tested, and if confirmed as a new species it could reveal the secrets of a whole new eco-system. University of Otago Zoology researcher...

News from the business sector, including a market report.