Checkpoint

Middle East correspondent Perry Wilton spoke to Lisa Owen about the growing hopes of a potential ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, as well as New Zealand receiving close to 300 visa applications from Israeli, Palestinian and Iranian nationals in the past month.

Auckland Council is going ahead with plans for a flood prevention catchment that will swallow-up at least half of a popular North Shore golf course; despite some strong objections. A chunk of the council owned Takapuna Golf Course will become a permanent wetland that has the capacity to soak up more than half a million litres of water in a flood event. The Insurance Council estimates there were a thousand claims from property owners in the area after the 2023 events. But New Zealand golf the course operators and top golfer Ryan Fox have been fighting to save the course. Auckland Council's head of flood resilience Tom Mansell spoke to Lisa Owen.

Some have rugby or football as their sport of choice, but there is a group in Auckland who spend their free time donning full suits of medieval armour and battling it out with swords and shields. While extreme sports like the Run-It-Straight events have caught headlines recently, Buhurt is a combat sport with a keen eye on safety, though it's not without risk. Training out of a warehouse on Auckland's North Shore, these noble knights have said it is all about the community. Finn Blackwell reports.

United Kingdom correspondent Edward O'Driscoll spoke to Lisa Owen about the BCC which has said it will no longer live broadcast "high-risk" performances after the controversy over Bob Vylan's Glastonbury gig, as well as a pair of same-sex penguins at Chester Zoo, who have successfully hatched and raised a chick.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

Scott Robertson has named an intriguing side to take on France under the roof at Forsyth Barr Stadium. One day out from the first All Black test of the season and one debutant cutting his teeth this weekend has revealed a surprising skill. Sports reporter Jamie Wall spoke to Lisa Owen.

Do you know why your health insurance premiums are paying for someone elses operation? The cost of insurances have shot up recently; Stats NZ figures show as at March last year house insurance was up almost 25%, contents insurance up about 28% and car insurance up almost 23% compared to the previous year. Some companies offering health insurance as part of employment packages are looking to ditch or downgrade their cover as costs go up. Southern Cross had about 955,000 members last financial year or about 60% of Aotearoa's health insurance market by customer numbers. Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Regan Savage spoke to Lisa Owen.

Tasman mayor Tim King gave telecommunications companies a serve at a community meeting in Wakefield earlier in the week, calling the time it was taking to get residents back on line an "epic cock up," and describing himself as "beyond frustrated."

Checkpoint can reveal dozens of supermarket workers are facing redundancy after a fire destroyed the New World Victoria Park in central Auckland.

People in the flooded Tasman and Taranaki districts are starting a mammoth clean up, after heavy rain caused widespread flooding and slips to farms and properties.The recovery is expected to cost millions. Samantha Gee reports.