Checkpoint

After two games in two days the Silver Ferns and England Roses can't be separated and the series will be on the line in Manchester on Thursday. New Zealand had the upper-hand in game one, with a 61-58 win, but this morning the hosts won with an identical score-line. Game three will be the Silver Ferns' final act in a tumultuous season. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Displaced Gaza families have been hit with a winter storm that's flooded 13,000 shift homes, according to the UN. In its most recent situation report it said due to food parcel shortages in the North it was having instead to hand out high energy biscuits and flour. It has also been reported that the UN will start discussions this week on the shape of a transitional governance body for Gaza and an international stabilisation force as part of President's Trumps peace plan. Medical team leader at one of Medicines San Frontieres field hospitals in central Gaza, Dr Thienminh Dinh spoke to Lisa Owen.

RNZ understands the death of four people at the scene of a Manawatu house fire is being treated as a murder suicide. They included three children - August, Hugo and Goldie, aged 7, 5 and 1. The fourth person to die was their father. Nick James reports.

More than 20 schools and childcare centres have closed, or plan to close, due to concerns about asbestos in contaminated coloured play sand that is sold in K-mart and a number of other stores. The scare has raised serious questions about safety checks for toys. The recall began last week - but escalated over the weekend; with a warning about four other products; a 14 piece sand castle building set and containers of blue, green and pink magic sand. MBIE's Product Safety Spokesperson Ian Caplin spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government is tinkering with the Clean Car Standard again, saying most importers are unable to meet the targets under the scheme as it currently stands. Last year it watered down the standard to align CO2 emissions standards with Australia - saying that change would strike the right balance between reducing transport emissions and ensuring vehicles would be affordable. But it now says the market has changed and the scheme as a whole will be reviewed. Political reporter Giles Dexter spoke to Lisa Owen.

A soldier has been accused of twice attempting to strangle his former partner, to the point she says she was about to pass out and was seeing stars, The Army corporal has pleaded not guilty to two charges of assaulting the woman, who was also a member of the Defence Force at the time. Rachel Graham has been at the court martial in Burnham Military Camp.

Big questions are now being asked about the direction of the All Blacks under coach Scott Robertson and his staff after a big defeat to England over the weekend. It is the All Black's third loss this season. Sports reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen.

The Supreme Court has upheld a ruling that Uber drivers are employees. The company argued it simply provides a digital platform for drivers and riders to connect. Four drivers took the case to court, but it paves the way for thousands of workers to pursue full employment rights. Workers First Union believes the Uber model is a method of exploitation. Deputy secretary of Workers First Union, Anita Rosentreter spoke to Lisa Owen.

Middle East correspondent Jacob Brown spoke to Lisa Owen about Iran hitting the panic button on its severe drought, as well as a mysterious plane load of Palestinians from Gaza who ended up stranded on a South African tarmac.

New Zealanders have lost $3 billion to scams in the last year according to a new report. 72% of adults encountered a scam in the past year. The average amount of money lost was $3,352, and shopping scams are the most common. But 26% of people surveyed admitted they had committed fraudulent acts in the past year too. Chief Online Safety Officer Sean Lyons spoke to Lisa Owen.