Checkpoint

The New Zealand rugby factory is continuing to export players in their prime. Hurricanes flanker Devan Flanders is the latest to join the long list of kiwis taking their talents offshore. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is heading home with fuel security for New Zealand intact and some of the country's biggest businesses better connected to help weather the economic storm. RNZ political editor Jo Moir spoke to Melissa Chan-Green from Singapore.

There's been trouble at sea following Donald Trump's plan to help stranded ships sail out of the Strait of Hormuz. The operation dubbed "Project Freedom" started on Tuesday and saw tensions in the region quickly explode with reports of the US and Iran trading attacks in the vital shipping route. The US President ramped up warnings against Iran saying its forces will be "blown off the face of the e...

It might have been a hot buttery topic of debate around the water cooler as to whether people are a fan of the beige butter from the U.S or the golden variety of New Zealand. But the "which butter's best" debate has now taken a bit more of a serious turn, with complaints now reported to Consumer NZ. Some customers have reported concerns through their "play fair" line, saying they were mislead by t...

One of New Zealand's most polluted waterways could lose its title thanks to a milestone reached in a years-long clean up. The first phase of a new wetland to help turnaround Lake Horowhenua's water quality is just weeks away from completion. For years, Levin's sewage was pumped into the lake. That stopped decades ago but the effects from that are still felt, as are the effects of excess nitrogen f...

United Kingdom correspondent Diane To spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about how the UK government has said it might ban pro-Palestinian demonstrations as a move to tackle antisemitism and how a new report is sparking dystopian fears with facial recognition. She also spoke about King Charles' royal visit to Bermuda.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Wellington Phoenix women have returned home ahead of their biggest week so far in the A-League. On Sunday, they lost the first leg of the semi-finals to Brisbane Roar in Queensland and need to turn it around for game two at Porirua Park this Sunday. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

A New Zealand microbiologist says the death of three people from a rare virus while on a cruise ship is concerning. The passengers died after what is thought to be an outbreak of hantavirus on a ship that's anchored off the coast of west Africa. Another passenger, a 69 year-old British man, is also in intensive care and the company operating the cruise ship says it's confirmed he has the virus. Mi...

People in the settlement of Clarkville north of Christchurch are worried someone could be seriously hurt or killed by gravel trucks pounding their narrow residential roads. Gravel is being extracted from the Waimakariri River in preparation for the new $1 billion Woodend Bypass motorway. When locals heard that extraction work, which began in summer, was set to resume again today, they blocked the...

A court has heard a man was drunk, annoyed and motivated by anger towards police before he drove into two Nelson officers, killing one and seriously injuring another. 33-year-old Hayden Tasker is on trial for the murder of senior sergeant Lyn Fleming in the early hours of New Year's Day last year, at the High Court at Christchurch. The Crown argues Mr Tasker had murderous intent, while his defence...

The prime ministers of New Zealand and Singapore have just signed a world-first agreement. It commits both nations to keeping supplies moving in times of crisis, and gives New Zealand fuel security. Political editor Jo Moir spoke to Melissa Chan-Green from Singapore.

A long-term patient of Palmerston North Hospital's gastroenterology department is concerned about the care he'll receive when the last permanent doctor leaves next month. Over recent years the service, which focuses on patients suffering from problems with their digestive systems, has struggled to attract specialists to work there. One left on Friday, and the other finishes in June. Temporary and...

The men from the capital still sit comfortably atop the Super Rugby ladder, after dispatching the defending champions at the weekend. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Teachers who were with 15-year-old Karnin Petera on a school caving trip in May 2023 gave emotional evidence at an inquest into his death in Whangarei. Northland reporter Peter de Graaf spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

"A humanitarian gesture." That's how Donald Trump has described a plan to get stranded ships out of the Strait of Hormuz. Details around how the US-led efforts would operate are scarce, but the President has warned that any Iranian intervention would "be dealt with forcefully." Iran said any American action in the Strait would breach the current ceasefire. Meanwhile, Iran has put forward a new pea...

A council operated crematorium is being called out over its charging, with families taking their loved ones a hundred kilometres away for the service to be carried out. Tauranga City Council runs the only crematorium in the city and charges $979 for an adult cremation. That's compared to $695 in neighbouring Hamilton and $630 charged in Rotorua. Crematoriums run by Auckland Council charge $750. Fu...

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about how the UK's terror threat level has been raised once again, following the latest antisemitic attack in London and how Central London had a brand new sculpture. She also spoke about a routine driving test just outside of Paris taking a turn for the worse.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

We're heading towards the business end of the Super Rugby Pacific season. The final stretch before the play-offs will kick-off in the capital on Friday. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Fonoti-Fuimaono brothers have just been named among 12 of the country's most promising opera singers, who will compete against each other in the Dame Kiri te Kanawa song quest semi finals in July. The proud Samoan siblings grew up in Hastings and now live in Hamilton,where they all studied music at Waikato University. Melissa Chan-Green spoke with two of the brothers Faamanu and Jordan, who sa...

The scale of damage to State Highway 3 at Awakino Gorge has been laid bare ahead of the route reopening to single-lane, escorted convoys tomorrow afternoon. More than 30 slips, including a 16 thousand cubic metre monster, came down during a severe weather event two weeks ago, and 10 significant underslips have further undermined the road. Our Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin was in the Awa...

It's now five weeks exactly since Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she was "actively consulting with industry, local Government and other community stakeholders" about who would be on the list. Earlier this week, Shane Jones told Checkpoint officials are finalising the list but didn't want to rush it and would confirm a timeline at another time. Nathan Surendren is Chair of the think tank, Wise...

Remember internet cafes? Well, in Nelson they're making a comeback of sorts, with what's thought to be the country's first AI cafe. The initiative, by the Nelson AI Sandbox, aims to let people grab a coffee and try out a bunch of AI tools, so they don't get left behind by the new wave of technology sweeping the world. There's even a hardworking AI assistant on hand to help. Samantha Gee reports.

From Saturday, new plumbing rules come into effect which would remove lead from all products allowed in new build homes and buildings. This change was signalled as far back as four years ago, so it's likely that those products will have been phased out over builds in the transition period too. However, Water New Zealand said older homes could still have pipes with lead in them and there are things...