Checkpoint for Tuesday 12 November 2019

6:26 PM.Māori teachers and parents are calling for the qualifications authority to change the NCEA timetable to stop disadvantaging Te Reo Māori students.

Many of them are sitting in an exam room for six… Read more Audio

6:19 PM.School zones are set for a major shake-up as part of sweeping education reforms unveiled on Tuesday.

Individual schools will no longer set their own enrolment policies it will done by a network of… Read more Video, Audio

6:14 PM.There are three thousand firefighters currently battling the blazes, and many are feeling the heat.

In the last ten minutes, one firefighter in the Hunter Region has suffered a heart attack and… Read more Video, Audio

6:08 PM.Over 80 fires are now burning up large parts of New South Wales as some people flee their homes while others have been told it's too late to leave.

Eleven of those fires have been classified as… Read more Video, Audio

5:56 PM.On Tuesday Christchurch held the nation's biggest day for horse racing.

Thousands showed up to the 116th Christchurch Casino NZ Trotting Cup, at Addington Raceway.

Addington Cup Day organisers say… Read more Video, Audio

5:49 PM.Three deaths have been reported to the Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring after Pharmac forced patients using the medicine Lamotrigine to switch brands.

About 11,000 people - most with epilepsy… Read more Video, Audio

5:45 PM.The ambitious plan to move Auckland's freight operations up north has inched one close step closer, with Cabinet ministers now considering final recommendations to push ahead.

A… Read more Audio

5:41 PM.The former Ministry of Social Development boss says it wasn't possible to brief his Minister about the full implications of Winston Peters' pension overpayment, without naming him.

Brendan Boyle is… Read more Audio

5:37 PM.The defence has thrown a curveball in the murder trial of former Dunedin doctor Venod Skantha by accusing a key Crown witness of being involved in the death of Amber-Rose Rush.

Mr Skantha is on trial… Read more Audio

5:32 PM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Video, Audio

5:26 PM.It's hoped a new one stop shop to see when big infrastructure projects are due will help move the construction industry away from its boom or bust cycle.

Known as the 'Pipeline', the online tool has… Read more Audio

5:22 PM.A major overhaul of the school system is being heralded as the biggest shake-up in 30 years - but the Education Minister has backed down on a controversial proposal for regional education hubs.

The… Read more Audio

5:17 PM.Thousands of people have registered at evacuation centres in New South Wales and more are expected to flood in as changing winds drive the fires toward more built up areas.

Teresa Duncan is a… Read more Video, Audio

5:14 PM.New South Wales is burning, with eleven fires now upgraded to emergencies, as residents in hot spots are told it's too late to leave, and to seek shelter.

There are 71 fires burning across the state… Read more Video, Audio

5:09 PM.Warning: This story and related coverage of the trial contain graphic details that may be distressing.

British backpacker Grace Millane was killed by pressure to her neck, according to an expert… Read more Video, Audio