Morning Report for Tuesday 30 January 2024

8:56 AM.Now to Northland, where the world's oldest-known "parkrunner" has recently celebrated his 100th birthday and his 175th ParkRun.

Whangārei man Colin Thorne turned 100 years old a couple of weeks ago.

8:48 AM.The Canadian man alleged to have sold poison to more than 40 countries including New Zealand has had his charges upgraded to first-degree murder.

Kenneth Law has received 28 charges in total, half of… Read more Audio

8:45 AM.When most of us think of tsunamis walloping our country, a place like Kāpiti isn't what comes to mind.

That perception may need to be revisited in light of some dramatic new research into what might… Read more Audio

8:42 AM.National says it has no party position on a four-year term, despite committing to introduce legislation on it and such a move having broad support in Parliament.

The ACT Party's proposal also has a… Read more Audio

8:28 AM.A new report shows more children than ever are being harmed in Oranga Tamariki care.

The agency's latest Safety in Care report shows more than 500 children were harmed in the year ending June 2023… Read more Audio

8:24 AM.The creator of a Wellington sharing store says she is closing its doors after staff have been threatened and abused.

Free For All's Dee Glentworth says police have been called six times since the… Read more Audio

8:16 AM.Fresh from her meeting with Local Government Minister Simeon Brown, Wellington City Mayor Tory Whanau says she is eager to work with central government and others to fix the local water woes.

This… Read more Audio

8:11 AM.More countries have halted funding to the largest UN agency operating in Gaza, as the crisis deepens over the alleged role of some staff in the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel.

According to a… Read more Audio

7:55 AM.What happens when the biggest sports event in the United States meets the biggest name in entertainment?

We'll find out in two weeks when American Football's Superbowl is played in Las Vegas.

There… Read more Audio

7:51 AM.The courts may not be exempt from the Finance Minister's search for spending cuts.

The Minister has asked all government agencies to identify potential annual savings of either 6.5 or 7.5 percent.

… Read more Audio

7:48 AM.A "celebration ceremony" will be held in Vancouver to remember the life of New Zealander Lewis Ainsworth, who died following a helicopter crash in a remote part of Canada last week.

Ainsworth was the… Read more Audio

7:43 AM.Upper Hutt's Mayor says it would be a mistake to think central government will be handing out blank cheques to fix the capital's water problems.

Wayne Guppy and his Wellington City counterpart, Tory… Read more Audio

7:34 AM.Wellington Water is asking Wellington City Council for $2.5 billion over the next ten years to achieve the best outcomes for water infrastructure in the city.

Chief executive Tonia Haskell says it's… Read more Audio

7:23 AM.Waitangi Tribunal members and claimants are meeting on Tuesday in Waitangi to consider the design of a constitution inquiry.

The inquiry will reportedly seek to establish what a contemporary… Read more Audio

7:18 AM.The United Kingdom is charging ahead with plans to limit accessibility of smoking and vaping in an attempt to create a "smokefree generation."

The move is based on New Zealand's smokefree laws… Read more Audio

7:14 AM.MPs are converging on the capital this morning as Parliament kicks back off again for 2024.

Deputy political editor Craig McCulloch spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.  Read more Audio

7:11 AM.A group of former Gloriavale members have filed a claim for lost wages and compensation at the Employment Relations Authority that is believed to total more than $5 million.

The claim follows two… Read more Audio

6:49 AM.An independent councillor wants to cut staff numbers at the council to help pay for Wellington's broken pipes.

Mayor Tory Whanau told Midday Report she's open to some council projects being put on… Read more Audio

6:45 AM.Labour's public service spokesperson says New Zealanders could lose frontline services as the finance minister looks for public sector funding cuts.

Treasury confirmed last week that department… Read more Audio

6:22 AM.In Mexico City, animal rights activists are protesting against the return of bullfighting, years after it was outlawed.

The Mexican Supreme Court repealed its decision last month, citing a lack of… Read more Audio

6:09 AM.Austria has joined the US and ten other countries in suspending aid to the UN Agency for Palestinian refugees.

The country's foreign ministry called on UNWRA to carry out a comprehensive… Read more Audio