Checkpoint for Monday 7 March 2022

5:08 PM.The government is slapping sanctions on Russians with connections to New Zealand and President Putin.

New legislation will let the government freeze the assets of people associated with Russia, and… Read more Video, Audio

5:15 PM.National leader Chris Luxon has tested positive for Covid-19. It comes after his 'attack on tax' in yesterday's state of the nation address zeroed in on Auckland's controversial regional fuel levy.

… Read more Video, Audio

5:21 PM.'This is murder - and I have not heard a reaction'. The words of the Ukrainian president - as he angrily condemned Russia's ruthless bombardment of his country.

The UN says 1,100 civilians have been… Read more Audio

5:25 PM.Up to 1,500 people in the Queenstown Lakes and Central Otago area will have to be re-vaccinated, after a major mishap with the storage of the Covid-19 vaccination.

The jabs were given between the… Read more Video, Audio

5:32 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. [embed] https://players.brightcove.net/6093072280001/default_default/index.html?videoId=6299848273001 Video, Audio

5:36 PM.As New Zealanders battle to budget for growing bills, talk of tax cuts is tempting some voters looking to balance the books.

National is promising cuts across the board if elected, to deal with what… Read more Audio

5:43 PM.It has the makings of a Jurassic Park-esque film but it could be closer to reality than we think.

Scientists are trying to resurrect a creature extinct from mainland Australia for about 3000 years -… Read more Video, Audio

5:50 PM.Otago's new cycle trail has eclipsed expectations in its first year, with nearly ten times more visitors than predicted.

The Lake Dunstan cycle trail opened in May last year and goes from Cromwell to… Read more Video, Audio

5:55 PM.The domestic netball league gets underway this weekend under a massive Omicron cloud.

With the latest modelling suggesting that the outbreak is likely to peak in the next two weeks, the timing… Read more Audio

6:06 PM.An international affairs expert says New Zealand's tailored approach to further sanctions on Russia is a strategic move.

The Russia Sanctions Bill is will pass under urgency this week and soon freeze… Read more Audio

6:11 PM.National Party leader Christopher Luxon has become the fifth MP to test positive for Covid.

He says he feels fine, and will be isolating at home. Meanwhile after more than two years, Covid-19 has… Read more Audio

6:14 PM.The Abuse in Care Royal Commission has heard of young Māori being torn from their families and put into a system that wrote them off from the start.

Today is the first day of a two week hearing into… Read more Audio