Checkpoint

A Dunedin cafe is looking for keen home gardeners to supply it produce, in a trial backyard to plate project. To begin with Taste Nature hopes to contract four gardeners for 12 months, but would like to continue the scheme longer term. It is all part of the cafe's push to use seasonal produce and know exactly where the ingredients come from. Home gardeners will be paid for what they grow. Managing Director of Taste Nature, Clinton Chambers spoke to Lisa Owen.

US correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about whirlwind talks to bring an end to the war in Ukraine which wrapped up in Washington DC today. Flanked by European leaders - Ukraine's president Volodymyr Zelensky returned to the White House for the first time since his heated exchange with president Trump earlier this year. It was a very different White House welcome for Zelensky this time - but it was not without some oddities.

A public health expert is calling for the health star ratings on packaged food to be compulsory, but said it needs to be a more rigorous scheme. It's a voluntary system and the most recent figures show an uptake of less than 40%. The government previously said it will look at making the star ratings mandatory if a 70% target is not achieved by November. Nutritionist and co-chair of Health Coalition Aotearoa, Doctor Sally Mackay spoke to Lisa Owen.

UK correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the UK Prime Minister and European leaders preparing to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Donald Trump in Washington. There were no committments toward ending the war at the summit between the Russian and US presidents in Alaska over the weekend. However, the White house says Vladimir Putin did agree to a proposal which could see the US offer security guarantees to Ukraine if a peace deal is struck.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Nearly a year after winning her first WTA 1000 doubles title, New Zealand tennis player Erin Routliffe has once again lifted the Cincinnati Open trophy in straight sets. Routliffe and her regular doubles partner Gaby Dabrowski have won titles on outdoor hard courts, indoor hard courts, grass and clay, but this is their first title at this level together. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

Should all Māori born overseas automatically be New Zealand citizens? Currently, that is not how things work, and a father of three is fighting to change that. John Bryers Ruddock, who is Ngāpuhi, recently returned to Aotearoa with his three children. Currently his children are illegal overstayers here, meaning they can't even go to school. He is now navigating an expensive and bureaucratic process to get his tamariki Māori recognised as New Zealand citizens, complicated by the fact they were born in Hawaii, and John, a New Zealand citizen was born in Australia. John Bryers Ruddock spoke to Lisa Owen.

A soldier with links to far-right groups has admitted handing over and attempting to hand over sensitive military information to a person he thought was a foreign agent. But the soldier was actually caught in an undercover sting. He also possessed a video of the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks and the mosque attacker's manifesto. He appeared for a court martial at Linton Military Camp near Palmerston North today. Reporter Jimmy Ellingham was there and spoke to Lisa Owen.

Compulsory home warranties for all builds is the only way to properly protect homeowners against defective work according to a building industry group. The government revealed its refurb of consent rules today. It plans to spread liability for defective buildings away from just councils with each party involved in the build responsible for their share of the work on. Industry group Certified Builders is backing the move to proportional liability but wants the government to go further. Chief executive, Malcolm Fleming spoke to Lisa Owen.

Interislander's Aratere ferry has cruised to the other side of the Cook Strait for the last time. The ship is now retired after its final trip from Picton to Wellington this morning. Nick James reports.