Morning Report

GPs and emergency departments are on extra alert for a once-rare strain of meningococcal disease that has killed six people in the past year. The MenW strain, which is being blamed for an overall… Read more Audio

Doctors and emergency departments are on alert for a rare strain of meningococcal disease which has killed six people this year. The number of cases of Men-W has doubled over the last 12 months and… Read more Audio

More than 30 million people have cast early ballots ahead of election day in the United States. The first polls are due to close at midday on Wednesday (NZ time). Kevin McAleese is in Washington DC… Read more Audio

It's mid-term election day in the United States - one third of the seats in the US Senate and the entire House of Representatives are up for grabs. At stake is control of Capitol Hill, where the… Read more Audio

Australian animal welfare groups have renewed their calls for an overhaul of the racing industry after the death of an Irish colt in yesterday's Melbourne Cup. Audio

The Productivity Commission asks if there are better ways to fund local government. The Privacy Commissioner takes banks to task for lax information security. The little ice cream company with big… Read more Audio

A second lower North Island community is grappling with a spate of sudden deaths and wondering when health authorities will do more. Ōtaki, in the Kāpiti region, has had four such deaths since mid… Read more Audio

A union which represents migrant workers hopes a new investigation into their exploitation will finally reveal the true scale of the problem. The Immigration Minister Iain Lees-Galloway has directed… Read more Audio

News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

An early look at the day's business news and a catch up of overnight financial market action. Audio

New Caledonia's political leadership is invited to Paris next month to discuss where to next after the victory of the anti-independence camp in last Sunday's referendum. A start was made in Noumea on… Read more Audio

Bad weather does not appear to be dampening voter turnout in the United States midterm elections. There are reports of long lines at polling places across the country. Our correspondent Kate Fisher is… Read more Audio