Midday Report Podcast Options

12:48 PM.The National Party wants an inquiry into banks phasing out cheques and closing branches - as it says vulnerable people are finding it harder to manage their money. MP Andrew Bayly says more than a… Read more Audio

12:45 PM.A Wellington City Councillor wants to rid the central city of fossil fuel cars by 2025. The idea was put forward at a council meeting today by councillor Tamatha Paul, and council staff will now look… Read more Audio

12:35 PM.The number of bee colonies dying has increased again this year Audio

12:26 PM.The Black Caps are apparently keen to get Colin de Grandhomme on the tour of England. Audio

12:20 PM.Law changes to cartel conduct today could mean jail time. Audio

12:15 PM.European drug regulators have now linked AstraZeneca's Covid-19 vaccine to very rare cases of blood clots. New Zealand does have an advance purchase agreement for this particular jab, but there's… Read more Audio

12:11 PM.Coal-fired boilers used by heavy industry are on the way out. A ban on some new boilers will take effect at the end of the year, while existing ones will be phased out by 2037. This is the… Read more Audio

12:45 PM.A New Zealand gold medal winner and former member of the International Olympic Committee says Tokyo officials have discussed not holding some events due to the pandemic.

North Korea has become the… Read more Audio

12:43 PM.The police watchdog has found the use of force against a man while he was being released from custody went too far.

The man was arrested for reckless driving in January last year - and was later… Read more Audio

12:27 PM.The White Ferns have conceded they'll have to temper their aggression against Australia today. Audio

12:19 PM.Economists are warning that the resumption of trans-Tasman travel may not necessarily deliver the economic boon many are hoping for. Audio

12:16 PM.There are growing calls by women for better access to healthcare, and for the government to create a National Women's Health and Wellbeing Strategy and Action Plan. Policymakers, doctors, educators -… Read more Audio

12:14 PM.The long-awaited arrival of a trans-Tasman bubble has sparked calls for seasonal workers from the Pacific to be the next group allowed in. Max Towle speaks to Bruce Mitchell, an orchardist in Hawke's… Read more Audio

12:11 PM.The aviation industry says news of a trans-Tasman bubble with Australia is the light at the end of a dark, grounded tunnel. The long-awaited travel arrangement will start from April the 19th. Max… Read more Audio

12:45 PM.Live traps have been set in the Far North to catch feral dogs. The Department of Conservation was forced to close four popular walking tracks in the area, after hunters and campers reported seeing… Read more Audio

12:42 PM.Police have conceded it's appalling that eight people died on the roads over the long weekend - the most recent death being a toddler in southeast Auckland. Eight is the worst Easter holiday road toll… Read more Audio

12:35 PM.The honey industry is calling for a national discussion on pesticide and herbicide use Audio

12:28 PM.New Zealand golfer Phil Tataurangi believes Lydia Ko is not far off another major title. Audio

12:19 PM.Plans for quarantine-free travel with Australia won't go far enough for some in the travel and tourism sector. Audio

12:17 PM.Members of families split apart by the pandemic are at parliament today, pleading to be reunited. They say their lives are falling apart and the issue is now a critical, humanitarian crisis. Max Towle… Read more Audio

12:14 PM.A top epidemiologist says only the most serious of Covid-19 outbreaks will put a pause on trans-Tasman travel. Cabinet is meeting right now to finalise the date this two-way bubble will open, and… Read more Audio

12:11 PM.Labour MP and Cabinet Minister Kiritapu Allan has revealed she's been diagnosed with stage three cervical cancer. In a Facebook post, the emergency management and conservation minister said she… Read more Audio