Morning Report for Friday 4 March 2022

8:52 AM.A leading immunisation specialist says parents should not be worried about US research showing plummeting immunity among children who received the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.

A United States study has… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.A former Ukranian city council staffer says civilians in her hometown are refusing to bend to Russia's demands.

Tetiana Zhurba is in constant communication with those in the north-eastern city of… Read more Audio

8:41 AM.Many Ukranians are desperately trying to get to Lviv, a city in the country's west, which serves as a gateway out of the country.

But many, like the family of 22-year-old Inga Tokarenko, are unable… Read more Audio

8:31 AM.A number of anti-mandate protesters are now camping along Wellington's coastline.

Some are at Owhiro Bay and others are camped at Lyall Bay and others on the Miramar Peninsular.

Wellington City… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.As many as 100 protesters fresh from the parliamentary occupation this week wanted to stay at a Lower Hutt marae, only to be told in no uncertain terms: kahore he ara, there's no way.

Kokiri Marae… Read more Audio

8:15 AM.Kyiv is still fully in the control of the Ukrainian government.

Overnight there has been large explosions on the outskirts of the city and the Russian armoured convoy remains on track for the city.

… Read more Audio

7:56 AM.Conservationists are celebrating a bumper breeding season for a critically endangered subspecies of diving petrel.

There are now 210 of the birds, a modest increase from previous years.

Department… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.Winemakers in New Zealand's oldest and second-largest wine region, Hawke's Bay, are worried Omicron will disrupt their busiest time of the year - the grape harvest.

Growers are hoping they can get… Read more Audio

7:49 AM.Members of the disabled community are worried they'll been left on their own, unable to get out of bed or go to the toilet when the Omicron outbreak hits its peak.

Twenty-five percent of New… Read more Audio

7:45 AM.An Auckland emergency doctor, who's at home with Covid-19 herself, says staff shortages are heading towards the worst she's seen.

There are hundreds of frontline staff off because of Covid-19 across… Read more Audio

7:40 AM.The union covering thousands of Allied Health workers says it's angry that it's been ordered to cancel a strike planned for today.

The PSA had already agreed to call off the planned day-long strike… Read more Audio

7:35 AM.As international sanctions increase athletes from Russia and its close ally Belarus have been banned from competing in the Winter Paralympics in Beijing Internationally assets such as super yachts are… Read more Audio

7:28 AM.The Women's Cricket World Cup gets underway in Mount Maunganui today, 12 months after the tournament was originally scheduled to begin.

Covid-19 is still having an impact on the tournament, with… Read more Audio

7:24 AM.An RNZ reporter went out to visit some of the sites that protesters are currently occupying after the dramatic removal of their camp at Parliament lawn on Wednesday.

Susie Ferguson got an update. Read more Audio

7:21 AM.Some of the protesters forced off parliament's grounds are regrouping in Wellington and say they hope to re-occupy the site, maybe as soon as this weekend.

They're calling on others to join them.

… Read more Audio

7:17 AM.The global markets are beginning to absorb the effects of the the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

There are no sanctions on Russia's oil exports, but fears of trading restrictions have driven up oil and… Read more Audio

7:09 AM.Russian forces are continuing to make significant advances in the south of Ukraine.

Yesterday there were reports the city of Kherson had fallen and now the port city of Mariupol is under sustained… Read more Audio

6:48 AM.Friday's planned strike by thousands of Allied Health workers at public hospitals nationwide has been called off.

The PSA pulled the plug on the day-long strike from 6am, and a strike planned for… Read more Audio

6:42 AM.Laryssa Talaluyeva was meant to be in Kyiv today, having a belated Christmas with family.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine has destroyed any hopes of that.

She spoke to Corin Dann. Read more Audio

6:39 AM.It's still not clear how much the mammoth restoration of Parliament's grounds will cost.

The Prime Minister has been inspecting the damage left in the wake of the violent end to the 23-day… Read more Audio

6:18 AM.The cruise ship industry is urging the government to hurry up and reopen the maritime border.

The government has announced a phased reopening of the border but it's focused on air, not sea travel.

… Read more Audio

6:16 AM.The Professional Firefighters Union is demanding an inquiry into riot police comandeering fire hoses to use on rioters in Parliament grounds on Wednesday.

They say firefighters and their equipment… Read more Audio