Checkpoint

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.

The Warriors kick of their NRL finals series at a sold-out Mt Smart stadium tomorrow. While the home side have the upper hand in finals experience the visiting Dolphins are shaping up to be one of the Warriors' most formidable rivals. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The road cones are gone, the sculptures unveiled and 23 new trains are set to start carrying commuters on Auckland's very own City Rail Link. Although trains won't run until Sunday, the CRL was officially opened by the Prime Minister and Auckland Mayor at a ribbon cutting ceremony this morning. But as dignitaries congratulate one another on the completion of New Zealand's biggest-ever infrastructu...

Government agencies that haven't beefed up email security could be leaving the door open to hackers, according to an international cyber security company. It follows revelations data may have been stolen form Dunedin-based company ZenTech and published online. International Cyber Security company, Proofpoint claims 50 percent of NZ Government agencies are exposed when it comes to email security. S...

Warriors fans are furious that some tickets snapped up for tomorrow's sell-out playoff against the Dolphins at Auckland's Mount Smart Stadium are now selling online at inflated prices. On Trade Me and other marketplaces some sellers are asking hundreds of dollars more than what they paid for the tickets. Rachel Moore reports.

One of Labour's most senior MPs has tied himself up in knots trying to explain the party's Capital Gains Tax policy. Willie Jackson seemed unaware whether the proposed CGT will affect small businesses, if they own the property they operate out of. Now, National's piling on the pressure. Political reporter Giles Dexter spoke to Lisa Owen.

A 50-year-old Christchurch zoo is in financial crisis. There's a $4 million hole in its budget for this year and cash reserves will dry up by March. That is the sober assessment offered by Orana Wildlife Park's own board and leaders. Timothy Brown has more.

After a three-year hiatus Richie Mo'unga will be back in black in the last Test against the Springboks in Baltimore. Mo'unga is one of five players who will get their first start of the series on Sunday. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Auckland City Rail Link is about to open after a decade of construction and a spend of almost $5.5 billion. Auckland Transport's Stacey van der Putten spoke to Lisa Owen about what everyone needs to know ahead of the opening.

Middle East correspondent Madeline Croad spoke to Lisa Owen about major developments involving the Iran-backed Houthi militant group in Yemen, as well Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahi taking legal action against a newspaper that reported he was warned about a Hamas operation ahead of October 7th.

Is sport the answer to cutting youth crime and re-offending by tamariki? This week the government announced it is giving almost $2.5 million to six community sport and outdoor programmes. It is all part of the government's wider goal to reduce serious and persistent youth offending by 15 percent by 2030. Whenua Iti Outdoors in Tasman is getting $450,000 of funding over two years. CEO Mark Bruce-Mi...

The latest news from Australia with correspondent Nick Grimm.

There was milk, Turkish Delight, and talk of the price of mince as National's Christopher Luxon and Labour's Chris Hipkins tried to win over business owners, less than two months out from the election. With Parliament on break, the two party leaders took to the streets to campaign early for the election. Jessica Hopkins reports.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The All Blacks continue their journey in America this weekend with the fourth and final test match in the Greatest Rivalry tour against South Africa in Baltimore. It's been 10 months since the All Blacks were last stateside and a lot has changed since then. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

One university student's love for the Takahe is so deep that he is on a mission to get it voted supreme winner in the hotly contested Bird of the Year. Sam McGee has self-funded, filmed and produced a short movie about the threatened species to bolster its election campaign. Sam McGee spoke to Lisa Owen.

A multi-national company is seeking to fast track plans to prolong the life of its Otago gold mine for the next decade. OceanaGold's fast-track application wants to expand the existing open pit and underground areas at Macraes mine, revisit previously mined ground and process stockpiled low-grade ore. The company says the extension will produce about 130-thousand ounces of gold a year and support...

Grey Power wants assurances there will be no more MSD botch ups, following a report into winter energy payments being wrongly suspended. An MSD review has revealed more than 16,000 pensioners were affected by the mistake. Grey Power National President, David Marshall spoke to Lisa Owen.

A convicted murderer has revealed how he and another man accused of the killings shot two people in their Auckland home. Lok Fung Lorrence Li has admitted manslaughter charges but pleaded not guilty to murdering Fu-Fu Joseph Kwok and his wife Mei Han Chong in 2023. Finn Blackwell reports.

A decapitated dolphin has washed up in the Coromandel, and DOC investigators want to know how it happened. The grisly find at Pauanui Beach was reported on Monday. The animal is believed to be a bottlenose dolphin - which is a protected species under the Marine Mammals Act. DOC Principal Investigations Officer Hayden Loper spoke to Lisa Owen.