Checkpoint

Auckland kindergartens have been emptier than usual this week, with some reporting more than half of their children off sick. Flu-related hospitalisations are at a 10 year high in Auckland, and national infection rates are at a four year high. The late season influenza spike has sparked concern for some of the most vulnerable, with reports of under-fives in intensive care, and outbreaks across 20 aged care facilities last week. Jessica Hopkins reports.

A torrent of mud and water has swamped villages on the border of Nepal and Tibet. The devastating floods swallowed towns, roads and bridges in the Rasuwa district of Nepal. It initially registered as a 4.4 magnitude earthquake. More than 160 are dead and hundreds missing, including five New Zealanders. Secretary General of the Nepal Red Cross, Rishi Khanal spoke to Lisa Owen.

An emerging trend of people getting high on so-called space vapes has police worried. High Alert, New Zealand's early warning system for dangerous drugs, has also issued a warning over the vapes laced with illicit substances. There's concern people could be unwittingly consuming them, as they're indistinguishable from legal products, apart from containing an anaesthetic drug. Finn Blackwell reports.

No new taxes is the latest catch-cry from National MPs, but Labour has tried to turn it around on them today with its own promise - no new increases in fuel tax. Labour's leader Chris Hipkins made the commitment this afternoon, which the government has labelled irresponsible. Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

At least five New Zealanders are among the hundreds of people still unaccounted for after flooding and landslides in Nepal. The deadly flash flood on the Nepal-Tibet border has caused widespread damage and Nepalese officials say they anticipate huge scale loss of life. Scientists are now trying to piece together the order of events behind the devastation. Felix Walton reports.

Ryan Fox has a reputation for getting around a golf course at pace. Tomorrow morning he will tee off in the season-ending PGA Tour Championship in Atlanta after just making the qualifying mark. In the lead-up to the tournament, Fox and his caddy were mic'd up by the PGA to get some insight into how one of the fastest players on tour approaches the game. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

A Westport food truck has been sent a cease and desist letter by McDonald's over its burger of the week. Mister Chops recently featured a special burger, the 'Chops Big Mac'. That prompted the letter from McDonald's alleging misuse of a trademark and claiming the burger closely resembles its well known staples. Owners of Mister Chops, Rob Carroll and Alex Hogg spoke to Lisa Owen.

United States correspondent Todd Zwillich spoke to Lisa Owen about Facebook owner Meta has reached a multi-billion dollar settlement in the massive social media addiction case, as well as Trump signing off on a plan to import more beef to the United States.

There are calls for health professionals to be more proactive in screening for malnutrition. New Zealand studies have shown high levels of malnutrition in people aged 80 plus, new admissions to residential care and hospital patients. Chair of Malnutrition care Aotearoa and Auckland University nutrition lecturer, Sue MacDonell spoke to Lisa Owen.

A major incident has unfolded in South Auckland, with two people confirmed dead in Wattle Downs. Two schools and an early childhood centre were forced into lockdown earlier. Reporter Erin Johnson spoke to Lisa Owen from the scene.