Checkpoint

Middle East correspondent Jacob Brown spoke to Lisa Owen about Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu asking for a presidential pardon in the numerous corruption cases against him, as well as Syria witnessing its most deadly attack by a foreign nation since its former President was ousted last year.

Has flexible or remote work made work more fun and has the freedom made us happier? The nine to five has changed a lot of recent years; covid forced some business to adapt with working from a home a major shift. But it's not without its challenges, as the lines between work and home have blurred. Auckland University Social Scientist, Barbara Plester has been exploring these questions and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Checkpoint producer Johnny Sutherland Spoke to Lisa Owen about one Kiwi business that doesn't hop on the Black Friday sale bandwagon.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about two prisoners in France escaping by using bed sheets, as well as the UK's Labour government reversing a key promise on workers rights.

The road to the 2027 Basketball World Cup starts for the Tall Blacks against their closest rivals in Hobart tonight. Home and away games against the Australian Boomers begin a qualification process that will stretch 16 months with the end goal being the Tall Blacks attending the World Cup for the eighth time. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Another day, another public service strike, with 2000 firefighters and 17,000 health workers walking off the job nationwide. For both members of the Professional Firefighters Union and the PSA, it was their second strike action in a month, as battlelines with their employers harden. Industrial conflict over deadlocked contract negotiations in health, education and emergency services has the public sector in limbo, with more than 100,000 people taking action in the last month. Ruth Hill reports.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The New Zealand Transport Agency has doubled down on its stance that a braking system linked to six deaths is not inherently unsafe. The Coroner determined that these brakes, found in about 70,000 vehicles in New Zealand, could not be relied upon as a sole braking system, because even a well-maintained brake can fail without warning. Despite this, the Transport Agency told Transport Minister Chris Bishop it doesn't accept the coroner's views about the breaks being inherently unsafe. It comes as RNZ can reveal another instance of a cardan shaft brake failing. And further investigations by Louisa Cleave and Jimmy Ellingham have found trucking firms that have long since stopped importing vehicles with cardan shaft parking brakes.

Police say they've busted up a major international crime syndicate trafficking massive amounts of drugs through Auckland Airport. They have arrested eight members of the Brotherhood 28 MC gang, including its president; they face 170 separate offences. Detective Inspector Tom Gollan spoke to Lisa Owen.

The gigantic home retail store IKEA throws open its door next week in Mount Wellington, just off the city's southern motorway and a stone's throw from the Sylvia Park Mall. It's anticipated there will be a stampede of eager shoppers. So much so, Auckland Transport and NZTA are warning there could be 40-minute queues just to exit the motorway at Mount Wellington. Auckland Transport Operation Centre Manager Claire Howard spoke to Lisa Owen.