Checkpoint

A nitrate emergency has been declared in Canterbury, after regional councillors voted in favour of a declaration by a narrow majority of two votes. It comes after ECan's recent annual groundwater survey found both E. coli and nitrate concentrations were increasing. Councillor Greg Byrnes voted in favour of the emergency declaration and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Health Minister Simeon Brown says he doesn't rate his accomplishments by applause - which is just as well, because he didn't get any today at the Nurses Organisation annual conference in Wellington. Dozens of angry delegates stood and turned their backs on him during his address, in which he criticised the union for strike action that's delayed care for thousands of patients. Ruth Hill reports.

A series of text messages are set to be used as evidence against Kiwis and Rabbitohs hooker Brandon Smith. Smith has been charged with supplying a dangerous drug as well as providing insider information for gambling purposes. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

There are calls for private operators to come down harder on drivers using mobility carparks illegally. The government has increased infringement fees for illegally parking in council monitored mobility spaces, but Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People said too many drivers continue to park illegally. Rebecca Elvy from Whaikaha, the Ministry of Disabled People spoke to Lisa Owen.

Asia correspondent, Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about protesting in Asia's youngest country over a government plan to buy new cars for MPs, as well as Singapore seizing thosuands of vapes at its border amid a major crackdown.

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about warnings from Australia's first ever National Climate Risk Assessment that shows heatwave deaths could soar by more than 400% if global warming predictions are accurate.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Two French players are appealing bans that would rule them out of the rest of the Rugby World Cup, and one of them is for biting another player. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

Te Pāti Māori's leader Rāwiri Waititi has finally responded to questions about Tākuta Ferris's controversial race comments, but with a catch, he would only answer question in te reo. It comes after Tākuta Ferris took aim at "Indians, Asians, Black and Pakeha" in an Instagram post two weeks ago, criticising them for campaigning alongside Labour for the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election. His co-leaders apologised - but Mr Ferris has since doubled-down - and now the party's president John Tamihere has weighed in too. Political reporter Tuwhenuaroa Natanahira spoke to Lisa Owen.

This weekend, the foreign minister will leave for New York to take part in the United Nations General Assembly, where it's expected he'll reveal New Zealand's position on whether to recognise a Palestinian state. So far, we're lagging behind partner countries like Australia who've already declared that they'll use the event to recognise a Palestinian statehood, and more than 40% of voters think New Zealand should do the same. The latest RNZ-Reid Research poll tested public sentiment about the government's response to the conflict in Gaza. Anneke Smith reports.