Morning Report for Wednesday 7 October 2020

6:08 AM.Strong winds that were hampering efforts to contain the Lake Ōhau fire have subsided, and Fire and Emergency says things are looking better with currently just light winds in the area. 

The fire has… Read more Audio

6:23 AM.A brief update from the business sector. Read more Audio

6:26 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Read more Audio

6:38 AM.A Lake Ōhau resident who helped to sound the alarm during Sunday's fire says people need to prepare for the unthinkable because it saves lives.

About 40 homes were destroyed or badly damaged when… Read more Audio

6:43 AM.All bars in Paris are closed from today as the region goes on maximum Covid-19 alert after health authorities reported a sharp rise in the number of infections.

Gyms and swimming pools will also be… Read more Audio

6:49 AM.In his first video interview since leaving hospital, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny says he was poisoned by Russia's intelligence service because they saw him as a threat ahead of next… Read more Audio

6:55 AM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Read more Audio

7:10 AM.A Covid-19 Alert Level 1 crowd has taken the election debates between Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins to a whole new level.

The two faced off in front of a packed audience in the Christchurch Town… Read more Audio

7:14 AM.Jacinda Ardern and Judith Collins faced off at the Press Leaders' Debate last night.

The lively debate covered issues like housing, climate change and the economy.

RNZ's Political Editor Jane… Read more Audio

7:19 AM.The 150 firefighters involved in battling the SkyCity blaze last year acquitted themselves well in handling the mammoth task.

That's from an external review into the fire, which concluded that… Read more Audio

7:27 AM.Judith Collins is standing by her claims Samoa went harder and earlier against Covid-19 than New Zealand did.

Samoa did introduce some restrictions before New Zealand but the borders were closed here… Read more Audio

7:41 AM.A former Corrections Officer says someone impersonated him to fabricate a key piece of evidence used to help knock back Gail Maney's appeal against her murder conviction.

Maney is on life parole… Read more Audio

7:48 AM.Fire and Emergency says things are looking up as it continues to battle the fire at Lake Ōhau, which now has a perimeter of 43 kilometres.

Strong winds that were hampering efforts to contain the… Read more Audio

7:55 AM.A tournament that helped to put New Zealand tennis on the international map is off.

January's ASB Classic tennis tournament in Auckland has been cancelled due to complications running the event amid… Read more Audio

8:06 AM.The All Blacks coach Ian Foster says he's had to rein his players, his coaching team and himself in as the All Blacks prepare to finally play some test rugby. Read more Audio

8:10 AM.New Zealanders could be holidaying in the Cook Islands by the end of the year.

That's according to the Cooks Prime Minister Mark Brown, who says that the formal arrangements for a travel bubble are… Read more Audio

8:15 AM.Boos, cries and audience interruptions were all part of last night's Press Debate Labour Leader Jacinda Ardern and National Party leader Judith Collins faced off before a lively audience in… Read more Audio

8:21 AM.A still contagious Donald Trump has continued tweeting this morning, including one all in capitals reading "I FEEL GREAT".

Trump is back at the White House after three days of hospital treatment… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.Drones will be in the air this morning to map hot spots of the Lake Ōhau fire in the Mackenzie Basin.

Crews remained on site overnight to keep track of the fire, which started on Sunday.

It now… Read more Audio

8:29 AM.Farmers are pointing to wilding vegetation as fuel for the devastating fire that destroyed almost half of the lakeside village.

Federated Farmers High Country Committee chairman Rob Stokes says… Read more Audio

8:38 AM.Test rugby returns to Aotearoa this weekend with the All Blacks taking on the Wallabies in the first Bledisloe Cup test in Wellington.

Centurion Lock Sam Whitelock will no doubt be selected to start… Read more Audio

8:40 AM.National has promised a four percent unemployment rate by 2025 and 10,000 jobs a month.

However, last month the Treasury's Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Update said unemployment is already… Read more Audio

8:48 AM.Labour's Māori caucus denies its worried about losing the Waiariki seat, despite flocking to the electorate yesterday to convince voters to back their candidate Tamati Coffey less than two weeks out… Read more Audio

8:54 AM.Big cuts to Massey University's science teaching are on the table.

Up to 100 jobs could be slashed in efforts to cut costs.

Science staff have been sent a revised discussion document setting out two… Read more Audio

8:56 AM.Prime Wellington land earmarked for a substantial development is being described by some iwi as too sacred for housing.

Government officials are working with a Maori settlement trust to develop the… Read more Audio