Morning Report for Wednesday 4 January 2023
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Divers' filthy Christmas keeps Tauranga waters pristine
8:56 AM.Some divers in Bay of Plenty spent Christmas cleaning algae and barnacles from ships off the coast of Tauranga. There has been an increase in demand for the work due to a shortage of international… Read more Audio
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Thirty-hour deluge begins in Northland
8:52 AM.Thirty hours of non-stop heavy rain started falling in Northland overnight. Weather watches are in force for the top of the North Island, with torrential rain, gales and high seas expected, as well as… Read more Audio
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Witness horrified at fatal Gold Coast helicopter crash
8:50 AM.A Christchurch woman has described her horror at witnessing a mid-air crash between two Sea World helicopters on Australia's Gold Coast, just a day after her son and his girlfriend took the same… Read more Audio
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WWII veteran celebrates 100th birthday in Auckland
8:45 AM.Ernest Davenport was just 20 years old when he'd already survived twenty air missions over occupied Europe, before being captured by German troops. He is one of the last remaining veterans who served… Read more Audio
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Fractured Republicans control House
8:42 AM.The new session of US Congress begins today, this time with Republicans taking control of the House and Democrats keeping hold of the Senate. A vote for the new speaker of the House is the first order… Read more Audio
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Iranian warships in the South Pacific 'unusual', expert says
8:40 AM.An international law expert says the emergence of two Iranian warships through the South Pacific is unusual - but not threatening. The New Zealand Defence Force has confirmed it is tracking the… Read more Audio
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Thousands mourn in Santos as Pele laid to rest
8:35 AM.Thousands of people have gathered in Sao Paulo to pay their respects to Brazilian football legend Pele. Pele has been lying in state at the grounds of his former club Santos, with fans lining up to… Read more Audio
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Holiday road toll at five-year high
8:28 AM.More people died over the Christmas and New Year holiday period this year than any other since 2017.
As of this morning, at least 19 people have died on the roads over the past fortnight.
The… Read more Audio
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Regional leaders push back against $90M Dunedin Hospital cut
8:26 AM.Otago and Southland mayors and regional chairs are urgently requesting a meeting with the government following significant budget cuts to a new hospital. In the week before Christmas the health… Read more Audio
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China travellers may be subject to extra COVID restrictions
8:19 AM.The government is still considering whether it will introduce blanket Covid testing for people travelling from China. The Australian government has introduced compulsory testing, ignoring advice from… Read more Audio
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Amazon asks Prime Minister to help fast-track approvals
8:11 AM.Mega-company Amazon has asked the Prime Minister for a leg-up over billion-dollar data centres it's building here, and to have input on policy. An OIA response from Jacinda Ardern's office contains… Read more Audio
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Two girls missing, woman arrested in Wellington
8:09 AM.Police have serious concerns for two young girls, who have been missing since December the 24th. Detective Senior Sergeant Kevan Verry says police believe the children may be staying anywhere between… Read more Audio
