Morning Report Podcast Options

7:25 AM.The National Party is not impressed with the Government's plans to manage an outbreak of the Omicron variant of Covid-19.

Yesterday, the government urged New Zealanders to prepare for potentially… Read more Audio

7:22 AM.New Zealanders are being urged to prepare for potentially thousands of daily Covid-19 infections once the Omicron variant starts spreading in the community.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern set out the… Read more Audio

7:18 AM.Communication is trickling through to ash-blanketed Tonga, but the sheer number of people trying to check on whanau and friends is overwhelming the system.

It's been a tough week for Tongans -… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.Today specialist New Zealand Defence Force staff will be busy checking Tonga's shipping lanes are passable and its main wharf is safe so desperately needed humanitarian supplies can get through.

So… Read more Audio

8:54 AM.The Kākāpō Recovery breeding programme is on track for a bumper season, offering hope for the critically endangered bird's future.

There are only 200 or so Kākāpō in the world.

The nocturnal… Read more Audio

8:49 AM.New Zealand driver Marcus Armstrong has signed on with Hitech in this year's Formula 2 Championship, hot off his maiden F2 win last month in Saudi Arabia.

2022 will be his third season in F2 which is… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.Hazardous "summer ice" is hampering travel on South Island roads.

The phenomenon occurs after extended hot days, followed by rain, which causes ice-like surfaces as the water loosens road dust and… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.Parts of Aotearoa are heading towards a third consecutive year in drought.

The spring rain may keep some hopeful, but many farmers have had land dry out before their eyes in recent weeks.

RNZ… Read more Audio

8:37 AM.The eruption in Tonga has triggered a global response with nearby countries stepping up to assist.

A New Zealand C-130 Hercules is loaded with supplies and ready to go; and the Nuku'alofa airport… Read more Audio

8:35 AM.Almost five days on from one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the past 30 years, more details are emerging about the impacts of Tonga's Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano blast and subsequent… Read more Audio

8:23 AM.A Te Tai Tokerau iwi health provider believes the region can shift to orange under the Covid-19 traffic light system.

Northland is currently in red.

The Government will today announce decisions from… Read more Audio

8:21 AM.The Government will announce today whether Northland will remain in red under the Covid-19 traffic light system.

Cabinet ministers met yesterday to decide whether to tweak the settings.

Currently… Read more Audio

8:16 AM.Covid-19 cases around the Pacific are prompting concerns of a third wave of the virus.

Papua New Guinea has confirmed its first case of the Omicron variant, and it's also spreading in Fiji.

In the… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.The Defence Minister says a Hercules loaded with aid supplies is ready to fly to Tonga today now the main island's runway has been cleared of ash.

Relief efforts have begun following the country's… Read more Audio

7:52 AM.The Government's being urged to invest more in water safety education after another deadly year.

The latest provisional report from Water Safety New Zealand shows 74 drownings last year - the same as… Read more Audio

7:48 AM.The Government's being urged to invest more in water safety education after another deadly year.

The latest provisional report from Water Safety New Zealand shows 74 drownings last year - the same as… Read more Audio

7:44 AM.The Government is being urged to make the mental health of Asian New Zealanders more of a priority, with the number of suspected suicides among that population more than doubling in recent years.

… Read more Audio

7:39 AM.Tensions between Russia and Ukraine are intensifying.

100,000 Russian troops have gathered near the border, and the White House has already warned a Russian invasion of Ukraine could happen at any… Read more Audio

7:36 AM.Limited communications have been restored to Tonga, with the local telecommunications provider Digicel saying international calls are now possible.

But they warn full services won't be up and running… Read more Audio

7:31 AM.The pressure on the United Kingdom's prime minister Boris Johnson to resign keeps intensifying - over his handling of allegations of rule-breaking parties at Downing Street.

Johnson is under massive… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.The Labour Party caucus is meeting today in New Plymouth for its annual get-together.

And midway through the retreat, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will also announce if Northland will move to… Read more Audio

7:19 AM.The Ministry of Health has confirmed the airport worker who tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday has the Omicron variant.

The Ministry released the genome sequencing results late last night.

A… Read more Audio

7:13 AM.It's now been five days since Tonga's major volcanic eruption and tsunami - and as more information comes to light, aid is beginning to reach the island nation.

The World Health Organisation says… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.It's now been five days since Tonga's major volcanic eruption and tsunami - and as more information comes to light, aid is beginning to reach the island nation.

The World Health Organisation says… Read more Audio