Morning Report for Friday 26 January 2024

8:50 AM.This week's first-ever piano festival in Hamilton attracted international stars to the city.

It was held at the University of Waikato's Gallagher Academy of Performing Arts, where 40 piano students… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.Traces of Covid-19 infections in wastewater samples are declining nationally, indicating a move out of the country's fifth wave.

Wastewater detection peaked on January the 7th at 8.46mil genome… Read more Audio

8:27 AM.The stage has been set for the Australian Open Women's singles final on Saturday.

Last year's tournament winner, Russia's Aryna Sabalenka beat ASB Classic champion Coco Gauff in two sets last night… Read more Audio

8:20 AM.It's been a sweltering week across the motu. Some of us opened every door and window in a desperate search of a cooling breeze... while other lucky souls shut themselves inside with air conditioners.

8:19 AM.Fiordland locals are devastated a 10-year-old girl from Australia died after being swept down a creek in Fiordland National Park.

Emergency services were alerted shortly after 11:30am on Thursday… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.One year on from the Auckland Anniversary weekend floods, the location of new housing in Tāmaki Makaurau remains a difficult issue.

More than 1400 housing consents have been granted in flood plains… Read more Audio

7:58 AM.Wellington's waterfront will be play host this weekend to the first ever Manu World Championships.

Contestants across the motu will be bringing their best their best v-shaped divebombing techniques… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.The Silver Ferns will meet the England Roses on Sunday morning, with a final against Australia to play for.

The Ferns started 2024 with a loss against Australia and a win against Uganda at the… Read more Audio

7:50 AM.One word - dire.

That's how a primary school principal is describing their staffing situation just a week away from classrooms opening.

On the 29th of January, the first of the country's students… Read more Audio

7:45 AM.The coalition government is being accused of expanding the reach of its public service cuts to pay for its promised tax relief.

National campaigned on slashing spending across 24 public agencies… Read more Audio

7:40 AM.Oranga Tamariki doesn't know whether it has been implementing basic health checks for the children under its care, according to a new report from the Independent Children's Monitor.

The review… Read more Audio

7:26 AM.Qatar says it's "appalled" by leaked remarks allegedly made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in which he criticised the country's role in mediation efforts between Israel and Gaza as… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.Public health experts say it's almost certain New Zealand will have significant measles outbreak this year - and it could be fatal.

Britain has had hundreds of cases since October, there has been a… Read more Audio

7:22 AM.Public health campaigners want the Associate Minister stripped of her portfolio, after revelations she's investigating freezing increases to tobacco tax.

Casey Costello has asked the Ministry of… Read more Audio

7:19 AM.Transport Accident investigators will be poring over a ship that ran aground and was stranded on the rocks in Doubtful Sound on Wednesday evening.

The vessel, called the Fiordland Navigator, had 57… Read more Audio

7:12 AM.More than 1400 new house consents have been granted in flood plains in Auckland since devastating flooding damaged thousands of homes a year ago.

The number has been released just days before the… Read more Audio

6:47 AM.Heritage advocates say they're seeing the most significant threat to Dunedin's old homes and other buildings in decades.

Meanwhile, momentum is growing in the business community to invest in the… Read more Audio

6:43 AM.New Zealand nurses are calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza, with concerns about reports that hospital and health workers in the war-ravaged territory are being targeted.

Sean Casey… Read more Audio

6:20 AM.Three people have been killed in a ski-helicopter crash in a remote area of Canada.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in west-central British Columbia said seven people were aboard the helicopter… Read more Audio

6:17 AM.Apple lovers everywhere, relax.

After a long wait, growers are now starting to pick the fruit, and it'll be appearing in supermarkets soon.

Popular varieties of apples have been largely absent from… Read more Audio