Checkpoint

The Wellington Phoenix Women flew to Melbourne today ahead of their first A-league football grand final. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

Grammy winning pop star Dua Lipa refuses to be put in a box or actually anywhere on the box, when it comes to selling TVs. The singer is suing the electronic giant Samsung for $15 million us-dollars for allegedly using her photo to sell televisions in the US. The pop star's face is plastered across the packaging of Samsung's TVs. Auckland University senior law lecturer Joshua Yuvaraj has been following the action and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Storme Turany, the mother of a 16-week-old Canterbury baby that died from catastrophic head injuries in 2014, says she was not involved in the infant's death. Soul Turany's skull was fractured in two places and he was bleeding in one eye and across a large area of his brain. Police believe Soul's fatal injuries must have been caused by either Ms Turany, or her then-partner, Tony Farmer. Reporter Timothy Brown has more.

A call tonight for a full independent review of a privately owned Southland lab service, after doctors twice missed signs a woman had cancer, delaying her treatment. She died a year later. Awanui labs failed to detect the 74 year old retired nurse had stomach cancer, despite analysing multiple biopsies, with cancer cells present. The lab is privately owned but is contracted by Health New Zealand to provide medical laboratory and pathology services. Advocacy group, Patient Voice Aotearoa wants an urgent wide ranging of the lab service, it's chair Malcolm Mulholland spoke to Lisa Owen.

For the past 20 years Annette Hall has been the voice of a vital maritime radio service, checking in on fishermen, providing forecasts, and coordinating rescues. For those on the water in the Far North, she's seen as something of a guardian angel. At 6pm tonight, however, the long-serving volunteer with an infectious laugh will hang up her handpiece for the last time and the channel will fall silent. Reporter Peter de Graaf has more.

A proposal to run a floating sauna in a popular Te Anau reserve has run out of steam, for now. The plan was for people to sweat it out on a floating pontoon on Lake Henry, with the option to finish with a cold plunge. Floating Sauna Limited had already been granted resource consent for the proposal, today was about considering submissions for and against the idea. Tess Brunton has more.

Christopher Luxon has jumped into the immigration debate, promising a careful approach, putting social cohesion ahead of business profit. It's already prompted scepticism from his coalition partner New Zealand First - which says the India free trade deal suggests otherwise. The Prime Minister made the comments in a speech to business leaders in Auckland this morning, also signalling a tighter-than-expected Budget to land in two weeks' time. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

Wellingtonians will be looking up to catch the only Australasia film festival projected on a 360-degree planetarium dome. The Dome Under Film Festival, or DUFF, will be making its New Zealand debut this week at Wellington's Planetarium Space Place. Krystal Gibbens reports.

In a surprise shake-up for Team New Zealand, three-time America's Cup winner Blair Tuke is stepping off the boat. The veteran has not been named in the crew for the first preliminary regatta of the 38th America's Cup cycle in Cagliari next week. Instead, he will move into a strategic shore-based position. Sports editor Dana Johannsen spoke to Lisa Owen.

An eggs-trodinary art collection, linked to Dunedin's famous music scene, has gone on display at the city's Museum of Natural Mystery. The eclectic array of objects belonged to the frontman for the rock band the Chills; Martin Phillips, who died in 2024. Curator for the Dunedin Museum of Natural Mystery, Bruce Mahalski spoke to Lisa Owen.