Checkpoint for Friday 23 July 2021

5:06 PM.The trans-Tasman bubble has officially burst and with it the plans of those hoping to visit loved ones across the ditch.

The government today announced quarantine-free travel with Australia will be… Read more Audio

5:11 PM.It is a different deal for New Zealand returnees depending on what Australian state they are in.

New South Wales is the worst hit with 136 new community Covid-19 cases in greater Sydney today, with… Read more Audio

5:19 PM.Air New Zealand is doing a lot of the heavy lifting as New Zealanders look to bail out of Australia within the seven-day exit window, and the race is already underway.

There are no flights out of… Read more Video, Audio

5:26 PM.New Zealand's rowers have made a good start to their Olympic campaign ahead of tonight's opening ceremony in Tokyo.

Four of the five New Zealand boats have made it through their heats today.

Day one… Read more Video, Audio

5:33 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6264851275001 Video, Audio

5:36 PM.Yet more pressure is mounting on the Fijian government to impose a national lockdown amid the worsening Covid-19 crisis.

More than 16,000 people infected with the virus are in isolation - with a… Read more Audio

5:40 PM.Negotiations over a new pay agreement for police officers have hit a brick wall, with the Police Association saying the government has shown a lack of respect and for the job they do.

The… Read more Audio

5:45 PM.Officials are investigating how a Covid-19 pamphlet showing a cartoon virus with a full face moko being kicked was able to make it through quality checks. The Bay of Plenty health staff have… Read more Audio

5:49 PM.There's something in the water in a Canterbury town, and it isn't pretty.

Methven business owners say they've reached boiling point after more than 10 years of contamination issues with the busy ski… Read more Video, Audio

5:55 PM.Search efforts to find baby orca Toa's pod will ramp up this weekend as crews make the most of a fine weather window.

The orphaned calf was moved from a pool to a sea pen last night where he began… Read more Video, Audio

6:06 PM.New Zealand Rugby league is considering the future of unvaccinated players on the world stage after pulling out of the 2021 World Cup in the UK because of Covid-19 safety concerns.

It's not convinced… Read more Video, Audio

6:14 PM.If you're a New Zealander in Sydney without a flight home, you could be stranded there for some time.

It comes as New South Wales recorded a record 136 Covid-19 infections overnight with officials… Read more Audio

6:17 PM.A woman of Samoan descent who was adopted out to a palagi family says it resulted in a complete disconnect from her cultural roots.

Known as Ms CU, she has told the inquiry into abuse, that although… Read more Audio

6:20 PM.Protesters took their chants to Auckland Council today, calling for the resource consent for a marina on Waiheke Island to be revoked.

But the Council has made it clear that it cannot do anything.

… Read more Audio

6:24 PM.The small predominantly Māori communities in Te Tairāwhiti north of Gisborne are almost fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

In Te Araroa this week, close to two hundred second doses were given over… Read more Video, Audio