How would you feel if that little voice in your head went completely quiet? You know the one that stresses about all the mistakes you've made just as you're trying to get to sleep or replays that same pesky ear worm over and over again. Well for some people that's a reality and it's called anauralia. Checkpoint producer Johnny Sutherland spoke to Lisa Owen about one person's experience living with a silent mind.

United Kingdom correspondent Lucy Thomson spoke to Lisa Owen about the UK Covid-19 Inquiry pubishing a damning report on how political leaders responded during the pandemic, as well as the UK Home Secretary unveiling another policy cracking down on migrants.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Wellington Phoenix women have suffered a double blow with two players out for the remainder of the A-League season with an increasingly common injury. Female footballers are more at risk of ACL injuries than their male counterparts, a phenomenon that is now so prolific it is part a FIFA study. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

A lawyer for Pike River families says police now have enough evidence to lay manslaughter charges over the mine disaster. Twenty-nine men were killed in the 2010 mine explosion and while charges under the Health and Safety Act were laid against former Pike River Coal boss Peter Whittall, they were dropped in exchange for a $3 million payment to the victims families. The police undertook further drilling into the mine in 2021 to gather more evidence and have been working with the Crown Solicitor trying to decide whether to lay charges. Samantha Gee has more.

Competition is picking up between the banks as they fight for home loan customers. But it looks different these days - where once we saw them slashing rates aggressively, now they use cash back offers to get new customers in the door. So who actually benefits here?Money correspondent Susan Edmunds has been checking this out and spoke to Lisa Owen.

The debate over transgender inclusion in sport is heading to court. Auckland Pride is seeking a judicial review after the Minister for Sport and Recreated ordered the removal of the guidelines for transgender inclusion in community sport. First published in 2022, the document asked sporting bodies to consider a set of "guiding principles" to make participating in community sport more inclusive for transgender people. But Sport NZ ditched the guidelines after direction from the government in July this year, also removing the document from its website. Victor Waters reports.

The head of the Principal's Federation is calling for the government to pay for asbestos testing and clean-ups in schools after a contamination scare with kids play sand. Retail giant Kmart has sold 67,000 units of the potentially asbestos laced sand. It's being recalled along with 4000 unites of other similar products. President of the New Zealand Principals' Federation Leanne Otene spoke to Lisa Owen.

It's hoped rams brains may help researchers better understand the long term consequences of repeated head blows on sports people. Rams, which frequently butt heads, will provide Auckland University's centre for brain research a model population to study. Repeated blows to the head often experienced in contact sport have been found to increase the risk of brain diseases, like CTE and forms of dementia. Auckland University senior research fellow Dr Helen Murray spoke to Lisa Owen.

The government has quietly rejected advice to set a much more ambitious long-term target for New Zealand's carbon emissions. The Climate Change Commission wanted the country to aim for net-negative carbon emissions by 2050 - but the government has decided to stick with the current net-zero target. It's hot off the back of another decision last month to weaken New Zealand's methane target. Climate change reporter Kate Newton spoke to Lisa Owen.

"Keep marlin and reef fish off the menu," That's the message from recreational fishers as the government plans to let commercial fishing companies keep and sell bycatch, that right now can't be used. Fisheries New Zealand is proposing 19 regulation changes, which include dropping protections for marlin and 19 reef-fish species outside the Quota Management System. The changes would mean the dead fish could be sold for profit. Advocates say it's putting a target on Aotearoa's vunerable and slow-growing species and will further diminish our already dwindling public fishery. Bella Craig reports.

One of the most highly anticipated series on the cricket calendar has finally got underway in Perth. The build up to the opening test of the Ashes between England and Australia has been on another level. Sports reporter Bridget Tunnicliffe spoke to Lisa Owen.

A gruelling all terrain ultra race where you dont find out the exact course until just hours before you launch yourself in the literal wilderness is back after a two year hiatus and a falling out with DOC. This time a new charitable trust is running the infamous Godzone event. Teams of four, with minimal gear, trek, mountain bike, kayak, canoe and packraft up to 650 kilometres, with a maximum of eight days to finish. Former All Black Captain Richie McCaw, is part of the group responsible for ressurecting the race, and he spoke to Lisa Owen.

Asia correspondent Katie Silver spoke to Lisa Owen about a suspected mass poisoning at a hostel in Bali that has left one tourist dead, and a number of others hospitalised.

Flipping burgers, stacking shelves and folding clothes, the work that students used to dread, is now becoming a pipe dream for many. Students are applying for record numbers of jobs but there just isn't enough work to go around. With student allowance and loan payments wrapping up for the year some are unsure how they'll survive over the next few months, while others are being forced to move home or even drop out of university in order to stay afloat. Evie Richardson reports.

Australia correspondent Nick Grimm spoke to Lisa Owen about Australia losing out the right to host a major world summit on climate change to Turkey, as well as META warning under 16's they have two weeks to download any data they want to keep before they are booted from the app.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The Silver Ferns overcame a stomach bug and the weariness of a long season to seal a series win over the England Roses this morning. The team now leaves Manchester to head in their own directions. When they come back together next year the team environment won't be the same. Sports reporter Felicity Reid spoke to Lisa Owen.

The coalition is in the throes of internal warfare - with Winston Peters and David Seymour slinging barbs over the Regulatory Standards Bill. In a stunning about-face today, Mr Peters has pledged to revoke that law - ACT's brainchild - next term - despite voting it through last week. It has prompted an extraordinary rebuke from David Seymour - who says Mr Peters looks like he's gearing up to jump ship to a Labour coalition. Acting political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Lisa Owen.

Polling has closed in Tonga's national general election which is being conducted amid a massive fuel shortage in the capital. There are 71 candidates vying for a seat in parliament including eight women. More than 64,000 voters are on the electoral roll but the kingdom has struggled with low voter turnout since democratic reforms in 2010. RNZ Pacific senior reporter Teuila Fuatai is in Nuku'alofa and spoke to Lisa Owen.