Author: Press Room

Twenty per cent of Kiwis are struggling to pay their power bills, with 11% cutting back on heating their homes, according to Consumer NZ’s latest energy survey.Stats NZ figures show the price of electricity has gone up almost 9% in the past year.Some people have told Checkpoint they are in bed by 5pm to save on heating costs, while others take extreme measures, like turning off their hot water cylinder or bathing in cold water.However, Consumer NZ Powerswitch manager Paul Fuge told Checkpoint people could make significant savings on their bill, if they cut back on their energy use.New Zealand…

Public health researchers say strong evidence suggests preventing infection is key to preventing Long Covid, after they found more than a fifth of children and young people were suffering ongoing symptoms following Covid-19.Led by the University of Otago, and published in the International Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, the study surveyed more than 4200 children and young adults aged three to 20 years between November 2022 and April 2023, after the first widespread Covid-19 community transmission in early 2022.More than 70% of participants had a confirmed Covid-19 infection.A quarter had suffered more frequent coughs, colds and stomach bugs since…

Protesters gathered in West Auckland demanding justice for a migrant worker who was allegedly assaulted at his workplace.The protest, organised by the Migrant Rights Network and the Migrant Workers Association of Aotearoa, called for greater accountability and stronger protections for migrant workers in New Zealand.The victim, Satnam Singh, was allegedly attacked at his workplace — an Auckland restaurant — on the evening of June 29.He was reportedly later found injured on the roadside by cleaning staff in the early hours of Monday.Singh, who held an Accredited Employer Work Visa, had been living and working in New Zealand for the past…

Several South Taranaki families remain cut off on Saturday following this week’s flooding.South Taranaki District mayor Phil Nixon said some roads remain impassable and crews were working to clear slips and debris.”We still have some families isolated in the Tangahoe Valley and the Waitotara Valley. We’re keeping in touch with them and able to look after any welfare needs if there is any.”Our crews are working their way up through those valleys and getting as much of the slips and that cleared as they can, but we still don’t totally know the state of some of those roads until the…

A jewellery store in Whanganui was robbed by a man with a hammer this afternoon. Police were called to the store on Victoria Avenue around 1pm after several display cabinets were smashed and the items were stolen. Police are asking the public for information on the incident after the man left the scene in a vehicle. “The store’s staff were fortunately not injured, however, they were understandably distressed by what happened,” Detective Sergeant Andrew Jurgens said.  An investigation was launched, and police were appealing for any witnesses who have not yet come forward to do so. Police were also interested in any cellphone…

Published on 05/07/2025 – 20:06 GMT+2ADVERTISEMENTAccording to the fire brigade, the aircraft crashed in difficult-to-access terrain near the Gerlosstrasse B165, a country road that starts in Oberpinzgau and leads to the Zillertal in North Tyrol.Emergency services battled their way through rough terrain to search for survivors. The wreckage and its surrounding forest were already engulfed in flames. The fire has since been extinguished, but no survivors have been found yet.A district fire brigade official says the aircraft was probably a motorised glider. There were several people on board the plane, the BILD newspaper cites police sources and speaks of four…

A 6-month-old baby who was found with critical injuries at a Foxton Beach house last weekend has died.Police were called to the Seabury Ave address, northwest of Levin, at around 5.30am on Sunday, June 29, before the infant was airlifted to Starship Hospital.Detective Senior Sergeant Michael Deegan said a homicide investigation has begun as police worked to establish how the fatal injuries occurred.”A number of people have already been spoken with and we continue to liaise with medical experts,” Deegan said. “We extend our condolences to the baby’s family at this time, and request their privacy be respected.”

It’s no understatement to say that Liam Lawson has had a roller coaster of a 2025 Formula 1 season. The 23-year-old was promoted to top team Red Bull Racing at the end of 2024, after a six-race stint last season at junior team Racing Bulls in replacement of Daniel Ricciardo. But after just two underwhelming races to start the season, Lawson was dropped – swiftly demoted back to junior outfit Racing Bulls and replaced by Yuki Tsunoda, a switch many labelled as ‘harsh’. Since then, Lawson has been steadily rebuilding his confidence and gaining back his previously impressive form. And…

Dozens of supermarket workers could be facing redundancy after a fire destroyed the New World Victoria Park store in central Auckland.The massive blaze two weeks ago took more than 10 hours to put out and left the building badly damaged with a collapsed ceiling.The New World employs more than 180 people.The supermarket has so far continued to pay the staff, but First Union, which represents about 40 of the workers, told RNZ’s Checkpoint there’s now a proposal to make all the workers redundant.Some will have the opportunity to work at other stores.Foodstuffs North Island confirmed in a statement that the…

The biggest nurses’ union is accusing Health NZ of putting money ahead of safety by dropping a safe staffing agreement from its latest contract offer.Negotiations, which began last October, have stalled over what the Nurses Organisation called “big ticket items” centred on public safety, leading to a nationwide strike in December.NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter said in an earlier offer, Te Whatu Ora committed to acting on safe staffing research they had agreed to do together.”Te Whatu Ora has removed that from their latest offer without explanation. This demonstrates their focus is on cost cutting, not patient safety.”A survey of…