RNZ: Checkpoint

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about British-made drones reportedly being used in the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, as well as the full extent of the damage caused by the devastating wildfires across England slowly being revealed.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Black Ferns have arrived in Auckland ahead of a monumental stretch of test matches. Australia await in the first of eight tests for the Ferns, a side they have never lost to in 29 meetings. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government has ordered another report into a second Auckland harbour crossing, despite a detailed analysis being completed earlier this year. Director of the Greater Auckland transport advocacy website, Matt Lowrie spoke to Lisa Owen.

An urgent care clinic in South Auckland is absorbing patients from a crowded hospital emergency department, as EDs around the country hit peak winter demand. Meanwhile another clinic in South Auckland has had to shut temporarily due to staffing issues and sickness, pushing more patients to other clinics. Luka Forman reports.

A new report recommends a massive overhaul of the aged care sector that would see some people paying a lot more for care in their golden years. "A place to grow old" report concludes the sector is significantly underfunded despite the government spending $2.5 billion on in home and residential care in the 2024/25 year. Minister for Seniors and Associate Minister of Health Casey Costello spoke to Lisa Owen.

The popularity of sleep radio has boomed in recent years, with one online station racking up tens of thousands of loyal listeners each month. Whether it's birdsong or your favourite band, niche radio stations are scratching an itch. Anya Fielding spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government has ordered yet another business case for a new Auckland harbour crossing, which Transport Minister Chris Bishop says will be "the largest and most expensive infrastructure project ever undertaken in New Zealand". That's despite $100 million already being spent on looking at the issue. Political reporter Lillian Hanly spoke to Lisa Owen.

A post-code lottery for residential eating disorder care is leaving some patients feeling stuck and without the help they say they need. Diante Peihopa-Harris who was living in Whangarei finally worked up the courage to seek support for her eating disorder but was told there was nothing available in Northland. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

A former Black Fern rediscovered her love of rugby while running around in Perth and now could be making history in the green and gold. Loose forward Pia Tapsell played six tests for the Black Ferns and is in line to make her debut for the Wallaroos against her former side in Auckland this weekend. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Canterbury manufacturing company, struggling to find workers despite high unemployment says there's a mismatch in school leavers skills and misconceptions about the industry. Vortex Engineering group has been trying to fill 10 Christchurch roles across various trades, but says it hasn't been easy, despite unemployment sitting at 5.6 percent. Vortex Engineering Group CFO Glenn Hansen spoke to Lisa Owen.

Middle East correspondent Lou Browne spoke to Lisa Owen about Donald Trump's son-in-law and Middle East Envoy, Jared Kushner sitting down with Hamas officials in a rare face to face meeting. It's part of efforts to push forward an Amercian-backed Gaza peace plan between the militant group and Israel.

Who should pay for our care as we get older? It's a major issue facing Aotearoa and according to a new report the current age care system can not meet future demand safely, equitably or sustainably without a major shake. Aged Care Commissioner Erin James spoke to Lisa Owen.

Whether it's Woolworths' "Ooshies" or New World's Smeg knife promotion, many Kiwis are keeping these sought after items close. But down in the South Island there's one man who's built up a massive collection of his own and he's looking to the public to help him part ways with it. Producer Johnny Sutherland spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about the Clacton by-election, how the UK has broken another temperature record and how people battling the scorching heatwave have found a rather unusual way to keep their homes cool.

New Zealand Football has withdrawn support for FIFA president Gianni Infantino's bid for re-election. Infantino courted controversy with the FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, which proposed carving off the commercial rights to the World Cup and selling 20 percent to private investors. New Zealand Football said FIFA's actions to develop the scheme had contributed to a breakdown in trust and increased division within international football. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Business people from across the South Island have met in Christchurch for the first South Island election conference to hear from politicians about their plans for the Mainland. They covered a range of topics from transport, productivity, infrastructure and immigration, with National announcing its election plan for the South Island. But the head of the Southland Chamber of Commerce said she still feels her region is badly overlooked and its potential underestimated. Rachel Graham has more.

Friday was the first time the accusation was ever been put to him under oath, Phillip Polkinghorne told the Coronial inquest that he did not kill his wife. The former eye doctor has faced an intense cross-examination. He has admitted lying many times, but maintains that does not mean he is responsible for Hanna's death. Jessica Hopkins reports.

An emergency department doctor working in Palmerston North said he believes some decisions are being made to prioritise Government discharge targets over ideal healthcare. Government targets set a goal for hospitals to admit and discharge 95 percent of patients within six hours. The trend has been slowly increasing toward that, with 74.2 percent in December. Health NZ Group Director of Operations at Counties Manukau Dr Vanessa Thornton spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Netball New Zealand said it's a priority to have a domestic competition in 2027 and beyond. Speaking publicly for the first time since officially becoming CEO, Jennah Wootten said today that the organisation is looking at a number of options but could not guarantee anything would be ready by next season. The organisation is facing losses of up to $6 million for the financial year. Watching the developments is boss of the New Zealand Netball Players Association, Pippa Moore, she spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

People working at Sylvia Park Shopping Centre are feeling shaken after a man carrying a stolen air rifle was fatally shot by police as he approached the mall yesterday. RNZ understands the man is 33 year old Hapai Ropata Clyde Otene and he was on community detention and supervision. A post on Facebook said he's a father of five. Amy Williams reports.

Richie Mo'unga's call-up to South Africa is set to put the much-debated All Black eligibility rules under review. Mo'unga wasn't able to tour initially due to these rules, which meant he had to play rugby in Aotearoa before getting the green light for the black jersey. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

It's a case of who blinks first in the housing market. Buyers have confidence to know they can hold out. Sellers are holding on to hope they will get 2021 prices according to Real estate.co.nz research. But for some who are nearing retirement, the stakes are higher and a retirement health advisor said it's causing stress for many of the older people she deals with. Hannah McQueen at Age Brightly spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

A Palmerston North Emergency Department doctor has put out a plea for help to Health New Zealand after an extraordinarily busy day. Patients contacted Checkpoint to say they had been waiting 17 hours, but when Checkpoint spoke to Doctor Dusty Bratton he said others had been waiting even longer than that. Bratton spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

Australia's housing crisis continues to be an issue dominating politics across the tasman -- as the major parties there attempt to gain the political high ground, and a baby chimp is being raised by humans at an Australian zoo.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Tall Blacks are headed back to the safe haven of the Philippines for this month's World Cup qualifiers due to conflict in the Middle East. With games against Iran and Syria in a fortnight, Basketball New Zealand and governing body FIBA had no choice but to find an alternative host for New Zealand's away games. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke with Melissa Chan-Green.

Like New Zealand, cost of living has been top of mind for voters, with fuel costs and climbing utility bills driving a lot of debate. Visitors from around the region remain a key part of the economy. Figures from May show arrivals from New Zealand made up nearly two-thirds of visitors. RNZ Pacific reporter Tiana Haxton is in Rarotonga to cover the election and spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

The National party - having faced two leadership challenges in four months - now has just three months to convince voters it deserves a second term in government. The Prime Minister and his senior ministers went back to work today, after an hours long urgent caucus meeting at Parliament yesterday that ended with Christopher Luxon still in the top job. But despite protestations of nothing to see here.. questions remain over whether that's the end of it. Political reporter Lillian Hanly has more.

Emergency Departments already facing their busiest time of the year have been under even more pressure than usual. This week, Wellington ED recorded its busiest day in almost a year, and North Shore Hospital was too full to take some patients, diverting ambulances to Whangarei Hospital. Christchurch has been warning they are at 'critical overload'. Ongoing challenges like this have led nurse Keziah Jones to hand in her resignation at the hospital where she has worked for 20 years. She joined Melissa Chan Green to share her story.

Checkpoint reporter Bella Craig spoke to Melissa Chan Green from outside Sylvia Park following reports of multiple gunshots at the mall.

Oral nicotine pouches don't produce any smoke or odour - instead they're placed between the gum and upper lip. Researchers say young people are being targeted through social media. A survey of 16 to 25 year olds found they were aware of them and perceived them to be low risk because of claims such as 'tobacco free' and flavours like bubblegum and cola vanilla. And while the products can't be bought legally in New Zealand, the Government has agreed in principle to allow sales as a stop-smoking option. University of Otago researchers say there's not yet any robust evidence they're safe or effective for that. Lead author Professor Janet Hoek spoke with Melissa Chan-Green.

Richie Mo'unga is en route to Africa. The mercurial Mo'unga has been called into the All Blacks squad following a tour ending injury to midfielder Billy Proctor. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

If you live anywhere between Oamaru and Dunedin you no longer have an excuse to mistakenly take off with someone else's pen. That's because a group of 15 year-olds have been selling their theft-proof invention at markets all around there - and they want to expand. Their business sells pens with customisable beads at one end to spell out your name, so there's no confusing who it belongs to - which is just as well because they come with lots of other cool features too. East Otago High School student William Newton spoke with Melissa Chan-Green.

More details on Trump's elaborate plane switch involving a catering truck and decoy plane, and the latest on a plan by ICE to give its agents electric shock gloves. US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke with Melissa Chan-Green.

There were reports of multiple gunshots at the mall in Mt Wellington and shoppers and staff were locked inside stores as armed police responded. Checkpoint reporter Bella Craig spoke with Melissa Chan-Green from Sylvia Park.

Checkpoint visited five shops and found the banned pipes in three of them, some costing under $10. This comes a month after a briefing paper warnted the Health Minister they were readily available through some retailers. Penalties for anyone selling them range from three months jail to a $5000 fine. But drug addiction services are concerned Police aren't doing enough to enforce the law. Melissa Chan-Green spoke with Police assistant commissioner Corrie Parnell.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Melissa Chan-Green about how the British summer is continuing to cause headaches, with extreme heat, drought and more wildfires. She also spoke about how the UK Government's prisoner early release scheme could be about to hit another roadblock and how Heathrow is no longer Europe's busiest airport.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Southern Steel Coach Wendy Frew is welcoming news of a bid from a private investor in a domestic netball league, but said decisions would have to come soon to stop players and other staff from going overseas. It's a big task then that greets the Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennah Wootten on her first day in the job. RNZ has revealed the national body is in talks with high-profile couple Ali Williams and Anna Mowbray about a proposal to establish a new privately-owned franchise league. It's one of several options the cash-strapped organisation is exploring as it battles to secure the future of the sport. Sports editor Dana Johannsen spoke to Melissa Chan-Green.

It's been 40 years since Alan Hall was wrongly convicted of Arthur Easton's murder and today two former police officers have been found not guilty of obstructing the course of justice. The men, whose names are suppressed, have been on trial in the High Court at Auckland charged with willfully attempting to obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice. Justice Ian Gault delivered the not guilty decision this morning. Amy Williams filed this report.