Checkpoint

New figures from ACC show 11 claims for babies or toddlers with carrier related injuries in 2024, more than twice the number the year before. It's prompted renewed calls for the government to introduce official safety standards for baby carriers, wraps and slings. It also follows a rise in social media videos often showing babies snuggly strapped to an adults front, in some cases with their faces and airways obscured. Louise Tanguay, founder of Auckland-based The Sleep Store, spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's likely to be at least a week until some of the key tracks in Tongariro National Park reopen after a wildfire tore through thousands of hectares of land. Prolonged periods of precious rain have been a big help in quelling the huge blaze, but not before it severely disrupted the region's tourism businesses as they head into peak season, and had an as-yet untold impact on the park's flora and fauna. The wet weather has now eased enough for a helicopter to go up to assess the damage, and give us an indication how long it may take to rejuvinate. Robin Martin reports from Waimarino.

It was a big day for racegoers at the New Zealand Trotting Cup meeting at Addington in Christchurch. The Cup, with a purse of $1 million is one of New Zealand racing's pinnacle events. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about the Senate being on track to end the longest ever government shutdown, as well as the US President has pardoned a number of his allies, including Rudy Giuliani in relation to efforts to overturn the 2020 election.

It's a charged issue, electric to be exact and it is catching some riders out. Electric dirt bikes are featuring in a growing number of crashes and cases of illegal riding, according to the police. Western Bay of Plenty police are dealing with about four incidents a week involving electric dirt bikes. The district's road policing manager Senior Sergeant Wayne Hunter spoke to Lisa Owen.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about BBC director general Tim Davie and CEO of News Deborah Turness resigning over a Donald Trump documentary edit.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

A group of Wellington students have turned a page on history today, moving some of the last books into the capital's redeveloped central Library. Te Matapihi was forced to close its doors in 2019 when it was deemed earthquake prone but is set to reopen next year, after a spend of $216 million. Nick James reports.

The Black Caps went into the penultimate T20 against the West Indies in Nelson this afternoon with the upper-hand in the five match series. The first three games were all decided in the final over of the game. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

"Dinner or debt"; that's the choice some people receiving the pension say they're forced to make after taking on student loans later in life. One Taupo woman says she's still got a $58,000 student loan, from a business degree two decades ago. Her super's now being docked to pay the debt and she says she's sacrificing the basics just so she can pay for rent and power. It's prompted calls for better guidelines on student loan eligibility and better communication between Inland Revenue and older students. Bella Craig reports.