Checkpoint

One of the two rugby franchises will hold the Super Rugby Pacific title for the first time in a decade after tomorrow's final in Wellington. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

There were plenty of memories, hugs, performances and a lot of laughter as thousands gathered in Auckland to celebrate the life of Dame Jools Topp. Reporter Jessica Hopkins was there and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Health New Zealand faces a $190 million bill to process holiday pay owed to tens of thousands of current and former workers. Collectively, $1.8 billion is budgeted to repay those affected by the miscalculations. Unions are scathing of the cost of meeting the repayments, and of the process itself, which has been plagued by delays. But Health NZ said the work is complex and time-consuming and requir...

Love is in the air, in the Capital at least. Saturday is opening day for a bookstore focused on selling romance novels. The owner of XO Book Co in Willis Street says she wants to change people's ideas about the genre. Reporter Anya Fielding has a sneak preview and finds there's much more than Mills and Boon on the shelves.

It's do or die for the White Ferns in their T20 World Cup defence in the UK. New Zealand meet Ireland early tomorrow morning in Southampton, where a loss would all but end their title hope. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

An amateur sleuth working to identify hundreds of unmarked Otago graves is welcoming funding to properly recognise "pauper plots". Dunedin Council's announced it's getting almost $200,000 from the government to investigate unmarked graves of people who died in institutional care. There were several so-called lunatic asylums, church and welfare institutions in the region. Laura Furness spoke to Lis...

Middle East correspondent Lou Browne spoke to Lisa Owen about how the war on Iran has tested the relationship between the US and Israel particularly President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Brewers Association says tax on alcohol just keeps being cranked up without justification and needs to be reviewed. Alcohol excise is tagged to inflation and automatically goes up annually. The Brewers Association says since 2020 tax on beer has gone up more than 26 percent. It also points to dropping consumption and hospitality liquidiations as reasons for a revamp. Brewers Association execut...

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about a nationally-televised speech by One Nation leader Pauline Hanson that is dividing Australians - with some cheering on the right-wing party leader - while others warn her policy ideas will harm those struggling with cost-of-living pressures. 

An environment group says the government must urgently fix a proposed law allowing the sell off of conservation land. Forest and Bird says a bill going through parliament could allow land in Coromandel to lose protections against mining, something it thinks the government could be sneaking through by stealth. Jessica Hopkins reports.

Footballer Logan Rogerson's Bali Holiday took an unexpected turn after an SOS from All Whites coach Darren Bazeley. The Auckland FC midfielder is replacing Matt Garbett, whose Football World Cup has been cut short with a hamstring injury. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

A humble Hawkes Bay choir is celebrating its 40th birthday. The Hastings Choral Society launched in 1986, the same year Dave Dobbyn and Herbs released "Slice of Heaven", and the Prime Minister was David Lange. Founding member of the choir, Eileen Von Dadelszen spoke to Lisa Owen.

Shane Jones is facing heavy fire over a thirty thousand dollar travel budget blowout for a trip to Canada. The opposition say he's not living up to the standards set by his own government, and he's been critiqued by his coalition partners too. Political reporter Lillian Hanly has more.

"Embarassing" is how a union boss has described New Zealand voting against a suite of protections for gig or platform workers at an international labour conference. Aotearoa and the US were the only two countries that did not support the protections at the UN conference. NZ Council of Trades Unions secretary Melissa Ansell Bridges spoke to Lisa Owen.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Canterbury Rams basketball player Tamenang Choh has always been in his element on the court, but in the water he was out of his depth. The American import has now decided to take the plunge and learn to swim as an adult, taking advantage of the fact his training court is right next door to Christchurch's new pool at the Parakiore sports centre. Rachel Graham reports.

A coup is brewing in the heart of Auckland city of the treatment of an outspoken advocate for the CBD. Heart of the City CEO was stood down by an elevent member executive committee after their relationship with her allegedly broke down. Now dozens fo businesses are calling for a special meeting to roll the committee. Auckland city businessman Greg Moyle is among them, and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Planned cuts to the government agency combatting family and sexual violence don't go far enough, according to an advocate. David White, whose daughter was killed by her husband in 2009, says the Centre for Family Violence and Sexual Violence is an "ivory tower" and a waste of money. But others say the centre has done important work, and worry the cuts will stunt its progress. Felix Walton has more...

Healthcare services have been left scratching their heads over what's behind an ongoing scabies outbreak plaguing Whanganui. The city has been hit by the highly infection skin disease for about a year. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin has more.

It appears that TVNZ's FIFA World Cup experiment is paying dividents with record streaming numbers being generated. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

Turning trash into treasure is a challenge a group of South Island students are embracing for a good cause. Art and Design students at Otago Polytech get just $20 to upcycle a pre-loved or gifted item, before their creations are sold at an auction with the money going to the Red Cross. Senior lecturer at Otago Polytech's school of design, Andrew Wallace spoke to Lisa Owen.

US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the details of the newly released US-Iran peace plan.

Waikato rubbish crews are increasingly facing aggressive and abusive behaviour. The council has now launched a social media campaign encouraging culprits to dump the attitude. Acting Zero Harm Manager for Waikato District Council, Joanne McArthur spoke to Lisa Owen.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about Russian warships firing warning shots near a UK-registered yacht in the English Channel, as well as UK ministers working behind the scenes to ease concerns in Washington over Keir Starmer's plan to ban social media for under-16s.

News from the business sector, including a market report.