Morning Report for Wednesday 13 April 2022

8:54 AM.A new political alliance against deep-sea mining in the Pacific kicks off today.

Members of the alliance share concerns about corporations and governments exploiting the ocean floor for minerals. The… Read more Audio

8:46 AM.A sanctioned Russian oligarch's superyacht is reportedly refuelling in Fiji this week before returning to its home port and authorities here expect that's the closest any will come to New Zealand.

… Read more Audio

8:38 AM.In one of New Zealand's most vaccine-hesitant regions, the vast majority of tamariki Māori haven't had a Covid-19 jab.

The Northland DHB is spending five-million dollars on campaigns against Covid… Read more Audio

8:37 AM.Heavy rain is falling in the ranges around Tairāwhiti this morning. 

In Waipiro Bay, a temporary river crossing has washed out... it was installed after the last major storm just three weeks ago. 

… Read more Audio

8:28 AM.Queenstown tourism businesses aren't expecting Australians will return en masse until they hear the ski slopes calling this winter.

Australians are now allowed back in without isolating with the… Read more Audio

8:18 AM.A Hercules aircraft carrying New Zealand Defence Force personnel has departed Auckland for Europe to help distribute donated military aid to Ukraine.

The deployment - New Zealand's biggest to the… Read more Audio

8:15 AM.The government contends that two new reports reveal progress is being made to lift children from poverty.

The reports are the first statutory Annual Report for the Child and Youth Wellbeing Strategy… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Heavy rain and strong wind has struck Gisborne and the Wairoa District overnight. 

Farmers on the East Coast have prepared as best they can for the storm. 

A Tairāwhiti farmer says flooding three… Read more Audio

7:57 AM.A Defence Force deployment is leaving for Europe to help distribute donated miltary aid for Ukraine.

 A Hercules carrying nine personnel is departing soon, with the rest of the remaining 41 troops… Read more Audio

7:50 AM.National Party leader Christopher Luxon says he does support public transport subsidies, after making conflicting comments yesterday.

On Tuesday he told media public transport needed to stand on it's… Read more Video, Audio

7:44 AM.Cabinet will decide today whether to shift the country - or certain regions - from "red" to an "orange" Covid-19 traffic light setting.

Under red, children and teachers at school and kura have been… Read more Audio

7:39 AM.The Reserve Bank is expected to raise interest rates today with the only issue being by how much.

The bank has already clearly signalled that rates need to rise to counter surging inflation, which is… Read more Audio

7:27 AM.An overhaul of the Holidays Act has thrown up a new, curly problem that could cost employers.

Officials are belatedly advising that employers are liable for public holiday pay for a worker on ACC.

… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his most senior minister Chancellor Rishi Sunak have been fined for breaking lockdown laws.

It comes after a string of breaches of Covid-19 restrictions at… Read more Audio

7:19 AM.Otago University researchers have found asbestos fibres are leaching into Christchurch's drinking water from ageing underground pipes.

While they insist there's no immediate cause for public health… Read more Audio

7:14 AM.Heavy rain has started hitting Gisborne and Hawke's Bay in the last hour - with the area still recovering from a storm three weeks ago.

A red rain warning - MetService's highest - is still in place… Read more Audio

7:10 AM.Steady rain is falling in Tairāwhiti region, with the area still recovering from a storm three weeks ago.

A red rain warning remains in place until late tonight for Gisborne and Wairoa... with up to… Read more Audio

6:50 AM.Travellers from across the Tasman are flying in this morning.

Australians are now allowed into the country without isolating.

The first flight was an Air New Zealand flight from Perth, which was due… Read more Audio

6:43 AM.Heavy rain has started hitting Gisborne and Hawke's Bay in the last hour - with the area still recovering from a storm three weeks ago.

A red rain warning - MetService's highest - is still in place… Read more Audio

6:21 AM.Russians who get their information from the state media are being consistenly misled about the war in Ukraine. 

Madeline Roache is a media misinformation analyst for NewsGuard who has been reporting… Read more Audio

6:17 AM.US police are searching for a man who opened fire in a New York subway train, injuring at least 16 people - 10 of whom suffered gunshot wounds.

Five people are in critical but stable condition.

New… Read more Audio

6:14 AM.Waka Kotahi is asking people to drive carefully while rain and strong winds batter the Tairāwhiti and Hawke's Bay regions this morning.

Contractors were not called out to any damage overnight… Read more Audio

6:08 AM.Steady rain has been falling in Gisborne overnight - and it's getting heavier - as former Cyclone Fili bears down on the country. 

MetService has issued red rain warnings for Tairāwhiti and the… Read more Audio