Morning Report for Wednesday 25 January 2023

8:56 AM.Thousands turned out in Christchurch last night for Sir Elton John and the biggest concert the city has seen in several years.

RNZ reporter Adam Burns was there.

He spoke to Guyon Espiner.
  Read more Audio

8:52 AM.Rolling case numbers of Covid-19 are down, so have we passed the peak of the most recent outbreak?

The third covid wave of 2023 put a dampener on many people's Christmas holidays, but infected fewer… Read more Audio

8:48 AM.A report into a 19-year-old patient who died in a suspected suicide at Palmerston North Hospital's mental health ward has identified failures in his care.

His death was seven years after two patients… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.After almost half a century, Wellington's university bookshop Vic Books is set to close.

The closure of the bookshop and cafe at Victoria University's Kelburn campus was announced via Twitter on… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.The 2023 academic year will soon take off, and it'll be the first with the new artificial intelligence tool, Chat G-P-T, at students' fingertips. 

There are concerns students will use the software to… Read more Audio

8:36 AM.Being given a whole new body might sound like something from a sci-fi movie - but a New Zealander says a new genetic treatment has felt just like that. 

Hereditary angioedema is a rare immune… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.Auckland's mayor, Wayne Brown, accepted just two requests for an interview in the month after taking office.

He received 108 media requests, according to council data, half of which were interview… Read more Audio

8:21 AM.Prominent Northland kuia and controversial campaigner for Māori rights,Titewhai Harawira has died in Avondale aged 90. 

Māori News Editor Jamie Tahana spoke to Corin Dann.
  Read more Audio

8:15 AM.Prominent Northland kuia and controversial campaigner for Maori rights Titewhai Harawira has died.

She was proud matriarch of a close-knit family she was heavily involved in Maori activism with… Read more Audio

8:12 AM.Dame Sue and Professor Phil Bagshaw have just released a statement saying their son's body has been found in Ukraine.

The statement reads their son Dr Andrew Bagshaw and a colleague, Chris Parry… Read more Audio

7:50 AM.The National Party leader made his first visit to Rātana yesterday, touting the performance of the Māori economy under previous National governments.

Christopher Luxon made admissions to those who… Read more Audio

7:46 AM.New Zealand-based company MediaWorks intends to lay off up to 90 staff in an attempt to cut costs, according to an internal email from chief executive Cam Wallace.

In the email Wallace said… Read more Audio

7:41 AM.The latest year on year inflation figures are due to be released this morning.

Economists have mixed views on what the numbers will show, with some countries seeing inflation start to ease.

ANZ… Read more Audio

7:36 AM.Seven people have been killed in the United State's 33rd mass shooting so far this year.

The attack happened at a mushroom farm at Half Moon Bay, south of San Francisco.

The 67-year-old suspect… Read more Audio

7:29 AM.Most of you know the artist behind pop hits like 'Thinking Out Loud' and 'Perfect', but would you be able to recognise him in person?

Well, if you're like Ed Sheeran superfan Debbie Sinclair, then… Read more Audio

7:25 AM.Signs re-instating the name - Pākaraka - at a settlement on the outskirts of Whanganui have been ripped out of the ground just hours after being installed.

Ngāti Maika hapu says the act of vandalism… Read more Audio

7:19 AM.Jacinda Ardern's last official duities were yesterday at Rātana Pā.

The leaders of all parties except ACT were at the small settlement near Whanganui yesterday, marking the return of the annual… Read more Audio

7:14 AM.Chris Hipkins will be sworn in as Prime Minister this morning, formally completing the handover of power from Jacinda Ardern. 

Ardern will head to Government House to officially tender her… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.Prominent Northland kuia and controversial campaigner for Māori rights, Titewhai Harawira, has died aged 90.

The proud matriarch of a close-knit family she was heavily involved in Māori activism with… Read more Audio

6:50 AM.Some families in Tolaga Bay are still stranded, two weeks on from the devastation of Cyclone Hale.

There are 300 identified faults across the Tairāwhiti region, such as dropouts and damaged bridges… Read more Audio

6:48 AM."Love, empathy and kindness."

That's how outgoing Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern described her overwhelming experience of New Zealanders on the job, as she bows out of her duties.

She's grappled with… Read more Audio

6:42 AM.Prominent Northland kuia and controversial campaigner for Māori rights,Titewhai Harawira has died in Avondale aged 90. 

Jemima Huston looks back at her life.

Former MP Hone Harawira says his mother… Read more Audio

6:20 AM.Unlawful executions in Iran are continuing more than four months on from the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini.

Her death at the hands of Iran's morality police sparked waves of protests across the… Read more Audio

6:14 AM.Microsoft has announced a new multi-billion investment into the AI company which owns ChatGPT.

It's the third installment of a set of investments into OpenAI, which which was co-founded by Elon Musk… Read more Audio

6:08 AM.In her final outing as prime minister, Jacinda Ardern has bid farewell to the top job, describing it as the greatest privilege of her life. 

This morning, she will head to Government House and… Read more Audio