Checkpoint

An advisory group set up to tackle retail crime is in the spotlight again over its spending, It was revealed earlier that the Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime, or MAG, has spent $100,000 a year for office space in the Auckland CBD, and paid chairman Sunny Kaushal $230,000 for his first year of work. Now documents show MAG has spent over $24,000 on catering and venue hire to run stakeholder engagement meetings around the country. Correspondent Jimmy Ellingham spoke to Lisa Owen.

The man found guilty of five counts of murder over the Loafers Lodge blaze will spend a minimum of 22 years behind bars. Esarona David Lologa was found guilty in September of setting the Wellington boarding house alight in May 2023, which killed five residents. Nick James reports.

Researchers at the University of Auckland have been given an $850,000 grant to investigate the power of music for people with dementia. The collaboration with Yale University in the US aims to find out why patients still respond to music even as their memory fades. Felix Walton has more.

Vital lab tests for Gisborne patients are facing unnecessary delays as samples are flown or driven hundreds of kilometres across the country for analysis, according to one union. Apex represents MedLab workers who are currently locked in a pay dispute. It says delays to key diagnostic tests for life threatening conditions like meningitis, leukaemia and antibiotic resistance are because the medical lab at Gisborne is 50 percent owned by a private company that is profit driven. National Secretary for Apex, Deborah Powell spoke to Lisa Owen.

As Kiwi's flock to the beaches in the summer heat, the need for surf lifeguards couldn't be greater. But Surf Life Saving New Zealand says that with the growing population, they'll need 1000 volunteers over the next three years, especially at Auckland's wild west coast beaches. One of those popular black-sand beaches, Bethell's, has been identified by Water Safety New Zealand as one of the country's drowning blackspots. But with its club house still yellow-stickered after Cyclone Gabrielle, they're struggling to retain some volunteers they need to keep people safe in the water. Bella Craig reports.

A retired Waikato couple who worked for Hamilton's hospital for over six decades between them are facing a lengthy wait for tens of thousands of dollars of holiday pay. Errors in calculating holiday pay date back over 15 years and will cost Health NZ about $1.8 billion in payouts. Most current employees have been repaid, but Health NZ has only recently started paying former staff, and many won't see a cent for another year. It says the process is a complex, requiring constant checks and accessing different payroll systems. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

The Black Ferns have a new coach, with Whitney Hansen set to take charge of the side on a two-year deal after the six-time world champions came up short at this year's global showpiece. Sports Reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

'Tis the season for corporate gifts. But have you had one from your KiwiSaver provider? It turns out, some people have been treated to a few early Christmas presents - an umbrella in one case and a bottle of wine for another lucky saver. Money correspondent Susan Edmunds has been looking at what's on offer and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Asia correspondent Adam Hancock spoke to Lisa Owen about the death of a prominent activist has sparked protests in the capital of Bangladesh, as well as a group of scientists in India who have modelled how bird flu could spread to humans.

While a bunch of us are winding down for the festive season, others are gearing up for one of their busiest times of the year. Animal shelters are among them. The charity Helping You Help Animals or HUHA is spending its first official Christmas in its new home built on about 150 acres on Haywards Hill near Wellington. It's a full house with 600 animals to look after over the summer break. HUHA founder and chief executive Carolyn Press McKenzie spoke to Lisa Owen.