Checkpoint

The surgeon who removed a Manawatu's woman's stomach following a weight loss operation in Turkey is raising concerns about the risks of medical tourism. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

Sports reporter Jonty Dine speaks to Lisa Owen about the latest developments from Super Rugby Pacific.

The annual hot cross bun fight has begun and it can get pretty heated. When is it too early to start selling them and how much should they be? James Bryant, the founder and owner of bakery Knead on Benson spoke to Lisa Owen.

Mojtaba Khamenei was chosen by Iran's Assembly of Experts to succeed his father who was killed at the beginning of the latest conflict. It comes as the conflict in the middle east enters its tenth day. Dubai correspondent Fiona Nicole Mee spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Canterbury food producer believes the war in the Middle East is yet another blow to grain farmers who may already be considering bailing out after a few years of bad harvests. The conflict and the effective closure of the vital shipping lane through the Hormuz Strait are pushing energy prices. Farmer David Birkett grows grains including wheats, barley and cereals on his Leeston property south of Christchurch. He spoke to Lisa Owen.

The centre of New Plymouth has been taken over by street artists, musicians, and a whole lot of spray paint this week. The Get Up Festival is back in town for the first time in more than a decade and 26 graffiti artists are transforming the CBD into a living gallery. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin went to take a look.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer holding a press conference on the situation in the Middle East, as well the world's most famous dog show, which is officially underway in Birmingham.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

A New Zealand alpine skiing duo will be flying the flag in Italy when the Winter Paralympics start this weekend. The highly experienced Adam Hall and Corey Peters are the only New Zealanders involved in the 50th edition of the Games. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Prime Minister says he is not considering stepping down after a sobering poll result that has the National party dropping into the twenties. Senior national ministers defended Christopher Luxon as news of the Taxpayers Unions Curia poll landed today. Labour says it shows the Prime Minister is out of touch, but the Deputy Prime Minister says the coalition has a plan to fix the economy. Political reporter Lillian Hanly has more.

A New Zealand logistics company estimates war surcharges could add up to ten million US dollars to its monthly freight costs. The Hormuz strait a vital shipping lane between Iran and Oman is current closed. Iran's threatening to bomb any ships trying to pass through the narrow strip of water. Kotahi co-ordinates the ships various New Zealand exports including dairy and meat to the region. It has thousands of containers literally at sea and it say freight companies are charging a per container premium for delivery. Kotahi chief executive Emma Parsons spoke to Lisa Owen.

As Wellington grapples with a wastewater disaster that's pushing 70 million litres of untreated sewage into the sea each day, Christchurch's proposal to pump semi-treated sewage into the ocean for the next two years has not gone down well with one government minister. The city's mayor, Phil Mauger, put forward the idea to mitigate the putrid stench coming from Bromley's damaged treatment plant. The plan has raised the ire of Shane Jones, who has put the council on notice. Keiller MacDuff reports.

The US Defense Secretary has said that fire power over Iran is about to surge dramatically. Pete Hegseth was speaking at a joint press conference with the head US Central Command, as Operation Epic Fury heads into its seventh day. Admiral Brad Cooper said US combat power is building. Its bomber force has struck nearly 200 targets, including ballistic missile launchers deep inside of Iran. Dr John Battersby, a Senior Fellow at Massey University's Centre for Defence and Security Studies spoke to Lisa Owen.

A new election is confirmed for the Papatoetoe subdivision of the Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board, after a High Court judge upheld an earlier ruling that voided the outcome of the 2025 local body election. The District Court ruled in December that voting irregularities had materially affected the result and declared the election invalid. RNZ Asia's Blessen Tom reports.

A former teacher struck off for sexual misconduct was working at an organisation for vulnerable youth for roughly five months, before a ruling detailing her offending was made public. The Teaching Council's Disciplinary Tribunal has found April Nordstrom had a sexual relationship with a student at Whangarei Girls' High School and behaved inappropriately towards three other students at Horowhenua College in Levin. The years the students attended the schools have not been disclosed by the tribunal to protect their identities. Reporter Finn Blackwell spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Warriors kick off their season in Auckland on Friday night. A packed Mount Smart is expected as a highly regarded Roosters side await the Wahs. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Pressure's mounting on Christopher Luxon after a horror poll has his party slumping three points to its lowest level since the Judith Collins era. The Taxpayers' Union Curia poll released today has National on 28.4 percent, six points behind Labour. Support for the Greens, ACT, and Te Pati Māori have grown. Former National Party MP Simon O'Connor spoke to Lisa Owen.

America correspondent Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about the US Defence Secretary calling for Latin American countries to take more military action against drug cartels. She also spoke about how Venezuela and the US are working to reestablish diplomatic ties, following the dramatic capture and arrest of Venezuela's former president.

Students at 16 high schools around the country will have their hearing tested during March; hearing awareness month. The Deaf and Hard of Hearing Foundation's screening programme started with five secondary schools in 2019 and is aiming to reach 100 this year. It's found large numbers of teenagers are experiencing tinnitus or ringing in their ears and many of them are plugged into headphone or earbuds for hours everyday. Deaf and Hard of Hearing Foundation chief executive Natasha Gallardo spoke to Lisa Owen.

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about Australia beginning to evacuate citizens caught up by the widening conflict in the Middle East.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The rugby world is preparing for the reign of Rennie. Dave Rennie was announced yesterday as the new head of the All-Blacks helm. He edged out Highlander's coach Jamie Joseph who's tackling the fact he came up short in the race for the top job. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

The amount of food binned in retirement villages has been picked over by researchers, who've come up with a tool to help reduce the waste. 14 villages were part of the three-year study by the University of Otago funded by the Ministry for the Environment. Some initial results were shared with the industry. Maggie Owens from the Retirement Villages Association spoke to Lisa Owen.

A New Zealand family living in Kuwait is anxiously waiting to hear whether they will be able to return home, after the Defence Force confirmed it would deploy planes to the Middle East. As part of contingency preparations, consular staff and two C-130J aircraft will be sent to the Middle East in preparation for evacuation operations. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

The death toll in Iran has reportedly exceeded 1000, conflict continues in the Middle East. The strikes have pushed up the price of brent crude oil but more than 18 percent in the past week as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. Westpac suggests that if the conflict continues for a month, prices will shoot up much further. It also warned that our inflation rate could be pushed up by one percent. Finance Minister Nicola Willis spoke to Lisa Owen.

Thousands of bottles of its Steinlager beer are being recalled because they are wrongly labelled alcohol free, when they are not. The Steinlager Ultra Low Carb Beer is actually 4.2 percent alcohol but has been mislabelled. More than 2500 boxes, or over 60,000 beers are now being urgently recalled by Lion NZ. Food Safety NZ Deputy Director General spoke to Lisa Owen.

A conservation group says the $5000 fine handed down to an Otago fisher for killing a Hector's dolphin highlights the failure to protect the endangered mammals. But industry lobby group Seafood NZ claims it actually shows how well the system is working. FV Emma Jane was fishing off the coast of Oamaru last February when an on-board camera captured a dolphin caught in its set net. One of the crew cuts the dead Hector's dolphin free and it sinks into the sea. The vessels' skipper, who was already facing other charges for trawling in a protected zone, lied on his catch report. Then lied twice more when confronted by fisheries officials when the footage was viewed months later. Keiller MacDuff reports.

Flood-hit residents on Wairarapa's south coast are demanding action after a creek burst its banks during torrential rain. They want the council to open the creek up to the sea so it can drain during heavy rain, but the council says it's not its responsibility. Homes in Whangaimoana Beach were inundated when a severe storm swept across the lower North Island last month, closing roads, cutting power to thousands, and severing communities. Locals say heartache could've been avoided, if the stream bordering their properties had been dug out. Mary Argue reports.

After the resignations of three of the five members of a ministerial advisory group charged with tackling retail crime, justice officials issued a warning. In a report, obtained by Checkpoint, they told Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith the group's two remaining members didn't have relevant expertise in the security industry and facial recognition technology - areas the group is to issue advice about. But, the group is still working to produce reports about these matters. Reporter Jimmy Ellingham spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Black Caps are through to the final of the T20 Cricket World Cup after a commanding win over South Africa this morning, booking their spot in the big dance. Now it's a waiting game for New Zealand, who'll find out overnight who stands between them and the trophy. Hosts India take on England in the second semi-final tomorrow morning. Sports editor Dana Johannsen spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Rotorua retailer has been charged over allegedly selling nangs or nitrous oxide for recreational use despite repeated warnings from police. Police are targeting shops selling the gas following a growing number of incidents involving huffing drivers. Bay of Plenty District Commander, Superintendent Will Loughrin spoke to Lisa Owen.

US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about a failed US Senate vote that could have significantly limited President Trump's war powers in Iran.

There is concern that patients are effectively being offered the chance to "buy" their way up the public wait list for MRI scans. Hundreds of patients in the Greater Wellington Region are being offered petrol payments to travel out of the district to get the diagnostic procedure faster. While Health New Zealand says the scheme is giving patients the option to be seen quicker, the senior doctor's union is worried it will offer an advantage to people with vehicles who can afford to take off time to travel. Capital and Coast group director of operations Jamie Duncan spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Taranaki woman is on mission to make 52 new ice cream flavours this year, one every week. Little Liberty Creamery makes dairy and gluten-free plant based frozen desserts, and has been taking flavour suggestions from social media. Owner Peita Kensington spoke to Lisa Owen.

Donald Trump says he's "not happy" with the UK after it refused to permit the use of British bases to assist the US-Israeli strikes that sparked the latest conflict in the Middle East. He also remarked that working with Prime Minister Keir Starmer was not like dealing with Winston Churchill. Meanwhile, Britain has confirmed it's sending a warship to the Middle East. United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

A coroner has today heard evidence of the fractured, drug-fuelled family life of a 10-month-old baby who died of severe head injuries in Auckland six years ago. Poseidyn Hemopo-Pickering was rushed to Hospital after being found unresponsive on a September evening in 2020. He was later moved to Starship Children's Hospital, where he passed away. In the Auckland Coroner's Court today, Poseidyn's mother, Filoi Hua-kau provided some insight into the family's life in the leadup to his death. Finn Blackwell reports.

In the last 25 years neither the Black Caps or their T20 Cricket World Cup semi-final opponents South Africa have won an ICC white-ball trophy. Tomorrow morning the two sides meet at Eden Gardens with the Proteas seen as the favourites to progress to the final. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Prime Minister has been forced to correct the record once more on a matter related to the Middle East - prompting the Greens to claim he's out of his depth. Except the Greens have made a mistake themselves this week too. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

The US-Israeli war with Iran is approaching its fifth day and the death toll continues to climb with one human rights group reporting over a thousand civilian deaths in Iran. US Admiral Brad Cooper says America's military has deployed more than 50,000 troops to the region and destroyed 17 Iranian ships so far in the operation dubbed "Epic Fury". While this conflict began with US-Israeli strikes against Iran, several other countries have now been dragged into the war. CNN's Matthew Chance spoke to Lisa Owen from Beirut.

The Middle East conflict could bring significant pain at the New Zealand petrol pump. The price of brent crude has already risen about 16 percent in the past week. The Strait of Hormuz, a narrow strip of water between Oman and Iran is a vital shipping lane for about 20 percent of the world's oil. Iran is threatening to attack any ships trying to pass through the strait. Waitomo Group chief executive Simon Parham spoke to Lisa Owen.

Auckland Council is campaigning for changes to the Dog Control Act that is almost 30 years old. General manager; Licensing and Compliance, Robert Irvine spoke to Lisa Owen.

Auckland animal control officers say they need laws with more teeth, with current dangerous dogs legislation resulting in dogs being locked up for years. Last year, the council received almost 17,000 reports of roaming dogs and more than 1300 reports of dog attacks on people. Currently, 60 owners are facing prosecution for dog attacks. It's prompted calls for a revamp of the three decades old Dog Control Act and more power for animal control officers. Bella Craig reports.

In the Mackenzie some workers are resorting to sleeping in cars, campervans or commuting because there aren't enough affordable rentals as travellers continue to stream through. The local mayor has described Tekapo and Twizel as bursting at the seams with visitors, saying it's a welcome economic boost but it's coming at a cost. Hundreds of homes are earmarked for short term stays and prices are high, leaving some struggling to find a roof over their heads. Tourism reporter Tess Brunton has more.

The All Blacks have a new head coach. After weeks of guessing games, Dave Rennie has landed the most prestigious and scrutinised job in the country. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

An Auckland business association says the government's move on orders are "inhumane and a bad idea". Planned law changes will mean police can move on rough sleepers or people displaying disorderly behaviour; including those as young as 14. Karangahape Road is one of Auckland's most famous and colourful shopping and entertainment strips and it is host to some people who are effectively living on the street. But the K-Road Business Association does not support move on orders. General manager Jamey Holloway spoke to Lisa Owen.

The conflict in the Middle East has caused widespread disruption for many major events around the world. Despite international turmoil, the upcoming FIFA World Cup hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico has seen a massive surge in demand recently. America's correspondent Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen from Mexico.

A Kiwi stuck in the Middle East has driven hours through the desert in an effort to race back to New Zealand. The US-Israeli conflict with Iran has disrupted travel in and out of the region with much of the airspace completely shut - leaving thousands of international travellers stranded. Kiwi journalist and Checkpoint's Middle East correspondent Jacob Brown has just made the overland journey from Qatar to Saudi Arabia and hopes to fly back to New Zealand shortly. He spoke to Lisa Owen.

As the conflict in the middle east rages on, Australia has taken collateral damage after an air base used by its Defence Force near Dubai was hit by an Iranian drone strike. It comes as the Australian government steps up its efforts to repatriate its citizens stuck in the region. Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen.

News from the business sector, including a market report.