Checkpoint

After a week of searching for a dog lost in the remote alpine back country behind Hokitika, a determined group of rescuers have found Molly; wet but well. Molly got separated from her owner Jess, who was seriously injured after falling down a waterfall in the Arahura Valley. Strangers donated thousand of dollars for a helicoper search of the area, after local pilot Matt Newton had already tried to find her. He spotted her on Tuesday tucked in rocks near the falls. Newton spoke to Lisa Owen.

The post code lottery is still alive in New Zealand's heath system. That warning comes from doctors at Palmerston Hospital, where recruitment problems have driven one department to the brink. Of the two doctors still at the hospital's gastroenterology service one is about to finish and the other says he's going to leave too due to the workload and conditions. However, Health NZ said it has the ability to cover gaps in the service while it recruits replacements. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

While some of New Zealand's top cricketers are playing in T20 franchise cricket in India, next door in Bangladesh, the Black Caps will be playing white ball internationals. The upcoming tour clashes with both the Indian Premier League and Pakistan Super League, causing some selection headaches for the national side. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

On call doctors and health workers are asking Health New Zealand to cover their travel costs as petrol prices head in one direction. The medical workers include junior doctors, MRI techs, psychologists, and lab scientists, who are called in outside their normal work hours, meaning they're often making repeat trips to hospital or other work sites. Apex national secretary Dr Deborah Powell spoke to Lisa Owen.

The US president has once again vowed to obliterate important Iranian infrastructure if a deal to end the war isn't reached soon. Despite the threat, Donald Trump said there have been "serious discussions" between the two countries. Iran has called American peace proposals "unrealistic." United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen.

The man at the centre of one of the country's highest profile crimes, David Tamihere, has had his double murder convictions quashed after 36 years. Tamihere was found guilty in 1990 of the murder of young Swedish trampers Urban Hoglin and Heidi Paakkonen in a case that shook the country and went around the world. Reporter Rowan Quinn spoke to Lisa Owen.

Europe correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about how French Police are investigating an attempted bomb attack in Paris and how new survey has revealed it's a worrying time for British hospitality businesses. She also spoke about the Sunday Star Times naming its best place to live in the UK for 2026.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

New Zealand's fuel stocks remain strong - with the latest update showing an increase in petrol and diesel levels.

The All Whites play their final home game before the Football World Cup against Chile in Auckland. After a loss on Friday there's a bit more pressure on the side to end their two-game send-off on a high note. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen from Eden Park.

It's time to start prioritising who gets diesel according to a leading economist. Westpac Chief Economist Kelly Eckhold expects 91 to crack $3.70 a litre in the next week and for Diesel to be not far behind, Diesel fuels Aotearoa freight, farming and other industries. Deputy Prime Minister David Seymour spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Waikato man who is hosting dental tours to Vietnam said clients who have been quoted tens of thousand of dollars for work in New Zealand are paying a fraction of the price off shore. A new poll shows strong support across the political spectrum for free dental care for adults. Damien Nikora from The Current Place spoke to Lisa Owen.

Who is willing to try their luck and running prowess against a horse? Only fools, of course. The Central Otago race Only Fools and Horses is back for round two next month and has added a second shorter race to entice more people to challenge their two or four legged foes. Reporter Tess Brunton hoofed it to the Maniototo to hear from the fools and horses.

The aviation industry is urgently calling for a specific crisis plan for aviation fuel. The government released its updated fuel plan on Friday outlining four state responses to manage disruption in global fuel supplies. It's adament there's currently no supply issues around fuel and it's asking people not to stockpile. Simon Wallace from the Aviation Industry Association spoke to Lisa Owen.

A messy dispute between Auckland sports clubs and an Anglican charity is headed to the High Court, although there are calls for the Anglican Bishop of Auckland to step in to stop it. Jessica Hopkins reports.

All Black prop Tamaiti Williams has been hospitilised with a serious infection in his spine. Williams will miss the remainder of the Super Rugby season and will remain under close medical supervision. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Ministry of Education said it has no plans to build anymore single-sex state schools, this despite research suggesting that some students do better away from the distractions of a co-ed setting. One such single-sex school bursting at the seams is Westlake Boys' High School on Auckland's North Shore, which has a roll of about 2700 students, and a waitlist. Headmaster Paul Fordham spoke to Lisa Owen.

Iran says it's "waiting" for a potential US ground attack and has threatened to "rain fire" on American soldiers if they lay boots on their land. It comes after the arrival of 3500 more troops in the Middle East and reports that the Pentagon is getting ready for weeks-long ground operations in Iran. Meanwhile, Pakistan says it's preparing to host talks between the US and Iran to try and negotiate an end to the war as it stretches into its second month. Middle East correspondent Lou Browne spoke to Lisa Owen.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the growth forecast or the UK suffering a huge hit in the wake of the Iran war, as well as the British Armed Forces turning their attention to Russia's shadow fleet.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Kiwi MMA legend Israel Adesanya will headline UFC Fight Night in Seattle, where another loss may spell the end for the former champion. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

A group representing people with a rare genetic disorder say they've been waiting almost two decades for some critical drugs to be funded. Fabry disease is caused by a missing enzyme, and can lead to life threatening complications including organ failure. There is no cure but there are treatments available overseas to slow degeneration from the disease. Deborah Klyer from Fabry New Zealand spoke to Lisa Owen.

There is no need to stockpile - that's the message from the government as it reveals the details of its fuel response plan. The plan sets out the four phases of the response - including what criteria will trigger a move between them. Phases three and four would bring in priority bands to see who gets dibs - but the government is confident that right now, there's enough supply coming in. Political reporter Giles Dexter has more.

A new marae under construction in New Plymouth - a city that hasn't had a functioning marae for about 150 years - represents a homecoming for manu whenua. Ngāti Te Whiti hapū is building the 15-million-dollar Ngāmotu Marae, overlooking Port Taranaki, and hopes it will become a focal point for the wider community. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin has more.

A KiwiSaver provider says more people are asking about dipping into their KiwiSaver due to hardship - as the cost of living and market volatility bites. Figures from Inland Revenue show last month almost 5000 kiwis withdrew $41.2 million due to financial hardship up from $37 million in February 2025. That was before the war in Iran caused the fuel prices to skyrocket and rattled the financial market. Generate KiwiSaver's Head of investment, Greg Smith spoke to Lisa Owen.

A council's decision to close a major intersection in the Waikato for roadworks has turned the area into commuter chaos, say locals. Several crashes have ensued on the Waikato Expressway at two interchanges, as displaced traffic causes signficant congestion during rush hour. As Natalie Akoorie reports, residents are fearful someone will be killed.

With Dave Rennie's coaching squad assembled, the new crew now turn their attention to the players they'll task with resurrecting the national side, their next audition coming in round seven of Super Rugby Pacific. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Woolworths New Zealand has been fined thousands of dollars for failing to properly deal with a rat infestation at its South Dunedin supermarket. More than 20 rats were caught when the supermarket closed for close to three weeks in February 2024 to eliminate the furry problem. The company was charged and pleaded guilty last year before appearing for sentencing in the Dunedin District Court this afternoon. Tess Brunton spoke to Lisa Owen.

Americas correspondent, Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about Venezuela's former president Nicolas Maduro appearing in front of a US court today, as well as US-Cuba tensions escalating - with Fidel Castro's brother reportedly becoming involved in discussions between the two countries.

In Northland, a retired couple's Ōakura home has been flooded again while still being repaired after a storm in January that severely damaged the property. Ōakura was still in clean up mode after some people were forced out of their homes more than two months ago. The couple had only just moved back home before yesterday's rain. Ōakura resident Linda Kelsall spoke to Lisa Owen.

The severe weather that swept into Northland has moved swiftly down the island, leaving the region in clean up & recovery mode and others bracing for impact. Kaikohe residents are being asked to urgently conserve water after the town's treatment plant was damaged by flooding. In Kaitaia a rapid relief team's been serving free meals to evacuees. NZTA is urging caution with an number of roads damaged.

As war continues in the Middle East, Australians are reassessing their heavy dependence on fossil fuels -- in particular petrol and diesel - amid fears supplies will diminish in the weeks ahead. There are also concerns that rubbish could pile up on streets as the rising price of diesel puts pressure on waste collection services. Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen.

The red heavy rain warning for Northland east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangarei remains in place until 4am..

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Finland's football team are the furthest from home many of them have ever been to play. The world number 75 side missed out on qualifying for the Football World Cup and are now in Auckland for two games in the FIFA Series. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

New Zealand is turning into a no grow zone when it comes to vegetable processing. McCain and Watties are both shutting down processing operations, raising concerns about the health of manufacturing in New Zealand. Head of Advocacy & Strategy at the Employers and Manufacturers Association, Alan McDonald spoke to Lisa Owen.

A young mum facing life threatening delays for cancer treatment may be forced to raise more than a million dollars for a stem cell transplant overseas. Loran Geddes, who is 29, was diagnosed with Leukaemia last year and needs a stem cell transplant for any chance of a cure. But a lengthy waitlist means her treatment keeps getting pushed out, significantly impacting her chance of survival. What was at first a six month wait, is now nine months. She's now in remission and must stay this way to get the transplant that is still six months off, leaving her in a dangerous limbo. Loran Geddes spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's been a wet and wild 24 hours for the top of the country, with some areas seeing more than 200 millimetres of rain. Whangārei District Council and the Far North District Council have each declared states of emergency. The deluge has closed roads, including the two routes that connect the tip of the Far North to the rest of the motu. Locals are now bracing for another night of rough weather, with Civil Defence warning the worst could be yet to come. Teuila Fuatai reports.

This year marks a quarter century since The Lord of the Rings first hit screens - and fans are still journeying to Middle Earth. Tour operators say they've had a bumper summer and interest in Lord of the Rings experiences - and seeing film locations - is actually growing. Katie Todd reports.

The NZ College of Midwives have won its class action against the crown over fair and reasonable pay. A court decision has found the way the Crown paid its lead maternity carers unlawfully discriminated on the basis of sex and the crown failed to ensure self-employed midwives got fair and reasonable pay. The case was heard in the High Court in 2024. College of midwives CEO Alison Eddy spoke to Lisa Owen.

A literal life saver for those admitted there, but a North Canterbury eating disorder residential facility can't attract government funding, leading to concerns about who can access care. Recovered Living NZ offers a different experience from the public system - catering for only nine people at a time - patients live in and stay for months at a time. But it comes at a cost of just over $1000 a night. The not-for-profit facility has a contract with ACC for sensitive claims patients but has been passed over for Health NZ funding to open the service to more people. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

There's a growing divide is emerging in junior sport. As some clubs experiment with ways to reduce barriers for young players, others say rising costs are forcing difficult decisions about fees just to keep the lights on. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Waikato maths whizz is waiting on some final calculations to see if he's taken out his fifth world title in a row. The marathon 48-hour global online maths contest kicked off yesterday. The games see rangatahi compete in live 60 second rounds going head-to-head against other students around the world. Hamilton year nine student Woojin Kim had a lot to play for, after winning four consecutive titles. He spoke to Lisa Owen.

United State correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about tech giants dealing with a major legal blow in a landmark social media addiction trial. A Los Angeles jury found Meta and Google liable for designing their social media platforms in a way that can be intentionally addictive and harmful to young people. Each company has been ordered to pay millions in damages, and the finding could affect thousands of other cases.

States of Emergency have been declared in Whangarei and the Far North with storm conditions expected get worse overnight. Northland east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangarei is under a red weather warning until 4am tomorrow. 25 schools closed throughout the region, affecting nearly 4000 students. State Highway 1 is also closed at four different locations around Northland. Civil Defence Co-ordinator in Whangaruru, Noeline Whitehead spoke to Lisa Owen.

UK correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the UK taking matters into its own hands to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, as well as transgender women and girls involved in UK Girl-guiding groups have been told they have until September to leave.

A Dunedin city councillor has resorted to reading a novel to defend himself at what he's likened to a public show trial. First-term representative Benedict Ong was censured by his colleagues at a meeting today for criticising a council staff member, in an email sent last month to the chief executive and local journalists. Tess Brunton reports.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

It is the final day of the double header series between New Zealand and South Africa. The Black Caps and White Ferns play the last of five T20's against their Protea counterparts today. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Teachers working from home, carpooling and cancelling away trips are just some of things rural schools are having to do to manage rising fuel costs. Rural schools are already finding it harder to get relievers, some of whom have to travel long distances to get to work, with private vehicles the only transport options. Families are feeling the squeeze too getting students to and from school bus stops. The New Zealand Rural Schools Association met with the Ministry of Education this afternoon to come up with a game plan. Association president Andrew King spoke to Lisa Owen.