Checkpoint

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The A-League has fallen behind other codes when it comes to monitoring in-game concussions. After a player had a heavy collision in their last game - and passed the on-field test - Auckland FC are now pushing for change. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Air Chathams revealed it's cutting a significant number of North Island flights, including 45 percent of flights between Whakatane and Auckland. Last year, the government anounced it would support "at risk" regional routes through a 30 million dollar loan scheme. Associate Transport Minister James Meager spoke to Lisa Owen.

2026 was going to be tourism's year and it still could be, according to the boss of a leading campervan and recreational vehicle company. Tourism Holdings rents and sells campercans here and in Australia, the US, UK, Europe and Canada and has franchises in South Africa and Japan. Needless to say a fuel crisis, airline cutting flights and adding surcharges, isn't ideal. Tourism Holdings CEO Grant Webster spoke to Lisa Owen.

Fewer Maori and Pacific young people hold drivers licence's compared to Pakeha, and a Hutt Valley youth employment charity says that's locking them out of employment opportunities. Youth Inspire has been running a Driving School for more than seven years, during which over a thousand young people have come through its doors. However, they've just found out they will cease getting government funding and if it's forced to close there's concern there will be more road-related offending in the comunity. Maori News Journalist Pokere Paewai tagged along for one of the lessons.

A justice advocacy group is calling for a would be child sex abuser to be more closely monitored after he was charged with allegedly breaching his release conditions. The Sensible Sentencing Trust is asking the Department of Corrections to apply for an Extended Supervision Order for John Tekuru, if granted an ESO allows sexual or violent offenders to be monitored for up to ten years at a time after release. Louise Parsons from the Sensible Setencing Trust spoke to Lisa Owen.

People are dancing with joy in the capital with the debut of an international electronic music festival promising good news for music fans and hospitality alike. The ULTRA music festival makes its New Zealand debut on the Wellington Waterfront on Friday - in the spot previously held by the Homegrown festival before it decamped to Hamilton this year. It had left a large hole in the city's entertainment offering, but Ultra - featuring the likes of Chainsmokers and Zedd - has local businesses and leaders hoping it will have cash registers' ringing. Krystal Gibbens reports.

First Dave Rennie hinted at changes to the selection rule book, and now incoming defence coach Tana Umaga has admitted to changing his tune on the issue. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

In a bid to learn more about New Zealand's tiniest frog, researchers attached little backpack trackers to the hotchstetter frogs that are no bigger than a two dollar coin and live in the Maha-kirau Forest Sanctuary in the Coromandel. University of Otago researchers rigged-up eleven of the little hoppers. Associate Professor Stephanie Godfrey spoke to Lisa Owen.

While the shaky US-Israeli truce with Iran hangs in the balance, Donald Trump has taken a swipe at NATO for its lack of assistance in the war - saying it wasn't there when the US "needed them". The comments came after a meeting with NATO's Chief where the president discussed leaving the alliance. United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen.