Checkpoint

News from the business sector, including a market report.

All Blacks star Wallace Sititi has revealed his mum wanted him to quit rugby after suffering a severe concussion last month. Footage showed Sititi visbly shaking on the field in a confronting scene for fans, teammates and especially his whanau. Sports reporter Jonty Dine spoke to Lisa Owen.

A key witness who saw someone running from the scene of Arthur Easton's murder in 1985 says he still believes the person he saw was Māori. The ethnicity of the suspect is important as Alan Hall, the man wrongly convicted of the murder, is Pākehā and went on to serve 17 years in prison. The former senior police officers have gone on trial at the High Court in Auckland, charged will wilfully attempting to obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice. Reporter Matthew Theunissen was in court and spoke to Lisa Owen.

An outbreak of a highly contagious horse disease is spreading among thoroughbreds in the North Island , raising concerns about exports. Strangles is a serious bacterial infection for horses, ponies and donkeys that causes a fever and painful abscesses in the throat. The disease has been confirmed on a dozen stud farms - all but one are in Waikato and the horses have been isolated to prevent it spreading further. New Zealand Thoroughbred Racing general manager of welfare Sam Fursdon joins Lisa Owen on Checkpoint.

Emergency services, including a specialist water rescue team, spent more than three hours freeing a driver trapped in his car, in rising flood waters near Lyford. Team Leader of Fire and Emergency's Specialist Water Rescue Team in Kaikoura, Hamiora Taite spoke to Lisa Owen.

A state of emergency remains for the Kaikōura district after the Kowhai River breached its banks, with the evacuation area extended and evacuation centres heaving. More rain is forecast overnight. Locals have told RNZ the current flood feels ominously similar to the 1993 flood which devastated the region. Keiller MacDuff reports from Kaikōura.

The Prime Minister has expressed concern over China's missile test - saying it's inconsistent with Pacific values. Shortly after Australia and Fiji inked a new security pact, China fired a long-range missile with a dummy warhead into the Pacific. While China gave NZ a heads-up, it was only hours before the test happened. Political reporter Giles Dexter has more.

An alcohol industry group says it has a "fundamental right to be consulted" over a review of official health advice on so called "low risk drinking". The Health NZ guidelines are being reviewed as part of a three year cancer action plan, released last week. Executive director of the Alcohol Beverages Council, Virginia Nicholls spoke to Lisa Owen.

Residents of a lower North Island retirement village lost their first battle to stop the speed limit on the highway outside their gate returning to 100km/h. But Speldhurst Country Estate near Levin has now won the war with transport officials confirming a drop back to 80km/h. Jimmy Ellingham reports.

More than 50 child protection and sexual assault cases are being re-opened following concerns about how a senior police officer handled them. It follows a rapid review of 1000 files that were under the oversight of Detective Inspector Kevan Verry while working in different locations over a three-year period from May 2023. Assistant Commissioner District Support Tusha Penny spoke to Lisa Owen.