Checkpoint

Americas correspondent Katie Silver joins Lisa Owen with news from the region.

There's concern Northland families already using buy-now-pay-later services for essentials like food and petrol will be forced further into debt with rising fuel prices and the ongoing cost of living crunch. Nga Taonga o Kaikohe works with whanau in financial hardship in Kaikohe, Hokianga and beyond. It says many are rural and rely heavily on cars to get around, including to essential health appointments. Nga Taonga o Kaikohe founder and director Megan Hepi spoke with Lisa Owen

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about one of Australia's most respected bureaucrats and security officials has quit the Royal Commission into Anti-Semitism. Former Australian spy boss Dennis Richardson says he has nothing useful to contribute to the investigation into whether more could have been done to prevent the Bondi Terror Attack.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The delayed Rugby League World Cup is seven months away and a new face is vying for a place in the Kiwis squad. Kalyn Ponga has been given the green light to switch allegiances and potentially suit up in a blockbuster opening game against the Kangaroos in Sydney. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

A consumer watchdog is warning passengers to know their rights as Air New Zealand slashes hundreds of flights across the country in the wake of the global fuel crisis. The airline is cutting 11,000 mostly domestic flights between now and early May. That will affect about 44,000 passengers. Air New Zealand says the cuts are necessary to help keep flying affordable as the war in the Middle East forces jet fuel prices up. Consumer New Zealand chief executive Jon Duffy spoke to Lisa Owen.

Ministers are reassuring Kiwis the country is well-placed to deal with any threat to fuel supply driven by the war in Iran - saying there's no need to panic. The possibility of fuel rationing or even car-less days does remain open - but the government says that is not on the table right now. Petrol and diesel prices have been climbing quickly with the conflict putting a strain on shipping and fuel exports from the Middle East. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

Residents have been evacuated from a suburb near Christchurch Airport after a "high-risk explosive" was found. Cordons are in place around Sheffield Crescent in Burnside after police were alerted to the substance shortly before 2:30pm this afternoon. Police sent an emergency mobile alert to people nearby. Reporter Anna Sargent spoke to Lisa Owen.

Fallout from war in the Middle East is hitting kiwi farmers from multiple directions, including a massive jump in the price of fertiliser. Rising fuel prices means gassing up machinery like harvesters is costing thousands of dollars more. About 40 percent of the world's fertiliser is produced in the Middle East using natural gas. The farmer owned co-operative Ballance Agri nutrients is a fertiliser importer, but also a manufacturer. Ballance Agri nutrients CEO Kelvin Wickham spoke to Lisa Owen.

Heritage advocates are warning shifting Dunedin to a higher seismic zone will damage the city's economy and put its iconic buildings at risk. Under a new earthquake-prone buildings bill, Coastal Otago - including Dunedin - will shift from a low to a medium seismic risk area. But a select committee was today warned of the harm this could do to a city known for its historical architecture. Tess Brunton has more.

Increased fuel costs could drive some trucking business under according to an industry association. War in the Middle East has effectively closed the Hormuz strait, a vital shipping lane, meaning oil prices are volatile. A barrel of Brent Crude is just over $100 US dollars. The New Zealand Trucking Association says fuel has now overtaken labour as the biggest cost for trucking companies. CEO David Boyce spoke to Lisa Owen.

Heinz Wattie's growers and staff are reeling following the company's proposed closure of three factories in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin. The move would see 350 workers made redundant, 220 suppliers affected and the end of Wattie's frozen vegetables, Gregg's coffee and other household names. Keiller MacDuff has more.

A licence to assault that could result in deaths. That stark warning to the Justice Select Committee today as it considers amendments to the Crimes Act, including breeding the circumstances under which retailers and others can carry out citizens arrests. The Police Association and Retail NZ say that as well as potentially ending in tragedy, this could see retailers in the dock charged with manslaughter. It's one of the proposals from the Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime, whose chairman Sunny Kaushal today gave a robust plea for tougher laws. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

The All Blacks rumour mill has continued to churn away. The latest speculation surrounds Tana Umaga, who has been touted to join Dave Rennie's coaching team. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

There is an operation underway to help the critically endangered Kākāriki Karaka, or orange fronted parakeet. In February Kākāriki Karaka eggs were scooped from nests high in the treetops of a Nelson predator free sanctuary and flown to Christchurch to hopefully be hatched by surrogate birds at the Isaac Conservation and Wildlife Trust. It is estimated there are only about 450 of the birds left in the wild. DOC Ranger Megan Farley spoke to Lisa Owen.

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about reports that a strike which killed dozens of Iranian school children may have been the result of a targeting mistake by the US military, meanwhile, figures have come to light about the financial cost of the war to the US.

The primary teacher's union is accusing the government of divide and conquer tactics in their stalled pay negotiations. The Public Service Commission has decided to extend a pay offer to about 10,000 teachers who are not bound by the NZEI collective agreement ahead of settling with unionised teachers. NZEI claims it is a deliberate and serious breach of good faith and would undermine teachers collective bargaining. It is now threatening legal action. NZEI's lead negotiator for the primary teachers collective, Liam Rutherford spoke to Lisa Owen.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the HMS dragon departing the UK for the Mediterranean to join the UK's defensive operations, as well as some significant developments around travel to and from Britain.

The plight of a New Zealand blood cancer patient forced to leave his four children behind and make a last chance dash to Australia for treatment has prompted dozens of doctors to write an open letter to the Prime Minister pleading for change. Tawhai Reti, who diagnosed with myeloma in 2019, exhausted all funded treatment options here and after being told he had weeks to live, was forced to most to Australia for funded treatment. His wife Lani Reti spoke to Lisa Owen.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown wants to push ahead with intensification in inner-city suburbs, whether residents like it or not. Last month, the government agreed to reduce Auckland's minimum housing capacity from roughly two million to 1.6 million. That's still 400,000 more than the 1.2 million under its current Unitary Plan. The council will ask the government to enable more housing density within 10 kilometres of the CBD, to make room for population growth in the coming decades. But Aucklanders' reactions to the decision are mixed. Jessica Hopkins reports.

The Warriors aren't buying into their own hype, even after opening their NRL season with a stunning upset win over the Roosters. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

A prestigious classical music competition could be sounding its last note after almost 60 years if it can't find sponsors. The annual National Concerto Competition honours outstanding classical instrumentalists or pianists under the age of 25. But the competition is costly to run and relies entirely on donations, and there's still a big bill to cover for this year event raising question marks about its future. National Concerto Competition Trust chair Tim Andrews spoke to Lisa Owen.

A group of blood cancer specialists are expressing their alarm at the unnecessary loss of kiwi lives due to treatment in New Zealand lagging behind international standards. Dozens of doctors, nurses and clinician reseachers have written an open letter to the Prime Minister pleading for improvements in blood cancer care. They say New Zealanders are dying because they cant get drugs that are funded overseas and they're also being cut out of clinicial trials. Auckland haematologist Doctor Rory Bennett signed the letter spoke to Lisa Owen.

England is set to follow the Indian Premier League by introducing a player auction to its Twenty-Twenty franchise cricket competition. The Hundred - as the English league is known - will hold the first of its player auctions overnight in London. RNZ Sports editor Dana Johannsen spoke to Lisa Owen.

One of New Zealand's oldest and biggest food producers could axe 350 jobs and a bunch of beloved Kiwi brands. Heinz Wattie's announced this afternoon it's proposing to discontinue the sale and production of frozen vegetables, Gregg's Coffee and Mediterranean, Just Hummus and Good Taste Company dips. The proposal would result in the closure of three manufacturing plants in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin. E tu director Finn O'Dwyer Cunliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

Americas correspondent Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about further doubt being cast over Iran's involvement in the Fifa World Cup which is set to be held across the US, Canada and Mexico in just three months, meanwhile Trump has continued to talk about a possible takeover of Cuba.

There is a call for immediate fuel rationing in Aotearoa as war in the Middle East rages on. The risk mitigation think tank, Wise Response Society wants the government to activate the emergency National Fuel Plan now, saying New Zealand's supplies could diminish rapidly. Chair of Wise Response, Nathan Surendran spoke to Lisa Owen.

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about the country finding itself drawn increasingly into the conflict in the Middle East, with the Albanese Government offering sanctuary to visiting Iranian soccer players, while also pledging to send military assets to assist in the defence of Gulf nations from attacks by Iran.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Tall Ferns' journey to this year's Basketball World Cup begins in the Caribbean this week against some of the sport's powerhouses. A young New Zealand roster will play five games in seven days in Puerto Rico, aiming to be among the top three sides in their pool to qualify for the pinnacle event in September. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Chatham Islands, that rely heavily on diesel to power the island, are bracing for an energy shock. While some of the island is now powered by the Point Durham wind farm that opened in November, petrol is also shipped to the island about 800kms from the mainland. The price of Brent Crude is fluctuating off the back of war in the Middle East, as around 650 residents on the Chatham's brace for pain at the pump. Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust chief executive, Bob Penter spoke to Lisa Owen.

Political opponents are taking starkly different lessons out of the new findings into how the country's Covid-19 response helped or harmed people. The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the pandemic today released its second report, sparked by public disquiet that its first one did not dig deep enough. Phil Pennington reports.

Oil market volatility caused by war in the Middle East is already fueling price hikes beyond the petrol pump. Air Zealand raised its fares today and said if the conflict leads to continued elevated jet fuel costs it may have to take further pricing action and adjust its network schedule. Meanwhile Air Chathams said added costs mean an extra $140,000 a month in expenses. Associate Energy Minister & Regional Development Minister Shane Jones spoke to Lisa Owen.

Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi has officially been reinstated to Te Pāti Māori, after a High Court decision ruled her suspension and expulsion was unlawful. The court found the decision breached the party's rules and requirements, and the relevant tikanga principles were not applied. Meanwhile, despite National's recent low polling the Prime Minister has received wholehearted backing from his caucus. Political reporter Giles Dexter spoke to Lisa Owen.

Three months since Queenstown introduced new freedom camping rules, many travellers are having far more expensive summer escapes than they bargained on. Every day, enforcement officers are handing out an average of 18 $400 fines to people who break the rules. Katie Todd reports.

Lying on the rocks and left to die, with puncture wounds, exposed bones and sometimes missing limbs. That is the state Little Penguins or Korora are being found in on coastlines around the country. Conservationists say irresponsible dog owners are to blame, with Auckland's West Coast beaches being a particularly egregious hotspot for dog attacks on penguins. Jessica Hopkins reports.

The T20 Cricket World Cup is over, but the Black Caps don't have long to dwell on the result with another series starting on Sunday. Travelling in several small groups the team are currently making their way back to New Zealand just in time to host five games against South Africa. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

It was a cup of coffee that could jolt any bean counter wide awake, at the cost of $700. A customer at Wellington's Newtown festival accidentally typed out the number wrong when paying for a $7.50 latte at a mobile coffee cart over bank transfer. The owner of the coffee cart spotted the error and went into full detective mode to try and fix the mistake. Bean Here coffee cart owner Sam Somers spoke to Lisa Owen.

The US President says the war on Iran is "pretty much" complete but America hasn't "won enough, as the conflict in the Middle East enters its eleventh day. The US military says it has struck more than 5,000 targets and damaged or destroyed at least 50 Iranian ships since the start of Operation Epic Fury. Close to 1300 people in Iran and 500 in Lebanon have been killed according to human rights groups and local authorities. US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen.

The price of flying has already gone up and could take off again if the war in the Middle East continues. Air New Zealand raised it fares this morning and said it could be forced to raise them again and also review routes. It all comes back to the price of aviation fuel, and the critical Hormuz strait which is a shipping route for up to 20 percent of the world oil is essentially closed due to the conflict. So what does it mean for the travelling public? Travel agent Vincent George spoke to Lisa Owen.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about how British Prime Minster Keir Starmer has spoken to US President Donald Trump for the first time since his public criticism of the UK's Iran response. She also spoke about how the youngest daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is no longer a patron of the world's oldest human rights organisation and how a New Zealand entrant in the world's greatest dog show Crufts competed.

Working women are being encouraged to bill the Prime Minister directly for the money they're not getting due to the gender pay gap. The campaign launched today by the group STILL Minding the Gap is calling on the government to introduce mandatory gender and ethnic pay gap reporting for businesses. At the moment it's voluntary. The group said making it mandatory would shrink the gap between 20 and 40 percent. STILL Minding the Gap campaign manager Jo Cribb spoke to Lisa Owen.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Medical experts are warning sports bodies need to do more to manage the risks of heat illness in football, after recent tournaments in the Pacific were played in extreme conditions. During the recent Women's World Cup qualifier, three Samoan players were struck down by heatstroke in temperatures nearing 40 degrees. It's highlighted the dangers of heat illness in top level sport. Sports editor Dana Johannsen spoke to Lisa Owen.

New Zealand's sharemarket has taken a hit today as economic ripples from the war in the Middle East, are felt further afield. The NZX50 joined other markets in the region, including Australia, Japan and Korea, in seeing investors rattled by the war and oil price hikes. The market closed 3.2 percentage points lower, while the S&P200 in Australia is currently tracking the same way, around 3.3 percent down. Jeff Ruscoe, the managing director of AMP Wealth Management spoke to Lisa Owen.

"It's been left unchecked for way too long." That said by an Auckland primary school principal who's had to hire a school counsellor to deal with the damage caused by social media. Bryce Mills said children aged as young as eight are being exposed to extreme online content. It's prompted calls to urgently push through a ban on social media for under-16s. Bella Craig reports.

The price of aviation fuel has 'gone ballistic' according to the boss of a New Zealand airline. Brent crude oil cracked 110 US dollars a barrel today. One of Europe's most popular budget airlines indicated last week that its profit could halve as a result of the war in the Middle East. New Zealand law requires a minimum of 28 days of petrol and 24 days of jet fuel to be "on hand." Air Chathams chief executive Duane Emeny spoke to Lisa Owen.

A former executive has been sentenced to 10 months home detention in the Auckland District Court today for paying an underage girl for "commercial sexual services." Reporter Finn Blackwell spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Prime Minister has fronted the media, with a full-throated defence of both the governments economic response to the Iran War and his leadership. He said the media went a bit bananas last week about his leadership following Friday's disastorous poll which had his National party languishing on 28 percent - but he insists he's not going anywhere. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.