Morning Report for Wednesday 20 December 2023

8:53 AM.Hawke's Bay youth are learning traditional Māori carving by turning a power pole into a couple of pou, under the guidance of a local master.

The power pole was damaged during Cyclone Gabrielle, so… Read more Audio

8:47 AM.King Country shearer Sacha Bond has taken out a world record by becoming the first woman to shear more than 700 sheep in a nine-hour day.

She reached 720 on Tuesday at Centre Hill in Southland, 59… Read more Audio

8:37 AM.Fourteen New Zealand cricketers went under the hammer in the Indian Premier League auction - including rising star Rachin Ravindra.

Six of them were 'sold' to the League's franchises. Daryl Mitchell… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.Air New Zealand is asking travellers to be respectful of staff and customers this holiday season as poor customer behaviour increases.

The national carrier says reports of unacceptable behaviour have… Read more Audio

8:21 AM.The number of unqualified people working as school teachers has more than doubled since the pandemic began.

Education Ministry figures show more than 1,800 people were working in schools in December… Read more Audio

8:17 AM.The purse strings are expected be pulled tight in the government's mini budget, released Wednesday afternoon.

It will also give more detail on the tax cuts that underpinned the National Party's… Read more Audio

8:10 AM.Voting on a resolution calling for fighting to stop in Gaza at the UN Security Council has been delayed again.

There has been speculation ahead of Wednesday's vote about whether the United States… Read more Audio

7:57 AM.Wait times to see a specialist in New Zealand are ballooning. Te Whatu Ora data shows almost 60,000 people are waiting more than four months to get a first appointment at the specialist.

That's up… Read more Audio

7:47 AM.The union for corrections staff says it had been sounding the alarm about corruption at Rimutaka Prison for years before complaints were taken seriously.

A three-year police investigation has… Read more Audio

7:42 AM.The mother of slain police officer Matthew Hunt says she is bitterly disappointed the coroner will not open an inquiry into his death.

Eli Epiha is sentenced to 27 years before he can be considered… Read more Audio

7:25 AM.The government is storming ahead with plans to dissolve mega-polytech Te Pūkenga, but it's yet to shed light on how the once again separate institutes will operate.

The individual polytechs have made… Read more Audio

7:20 AM.The weapons race in space is heating up and the bills are going up, including for us.

New Zealand is in a group the US has asked to stump up more money for military satellites.

Phil Pennington spoke… Read more Audio

7:16 AM.The Prime Minister is on a one-day trip to Sydney on Wednesday to discuss defence and security with Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Christopher Luxon says he wants to have a higher… Read more Audio

7:10 AM.Finance Minister Nicola Willis will pull back the curtain on the government's finances on Wednesday - revealing what she calls the snakes and snails left behind by Labour. Willis will debut her… Read more Audio