Morning Report for Thursday 1 February 2024

8:56 AM.As we get back from the summer break and into a new year of work, the sweltering heat may have you wondering what you can wear to the office.

What breathable shoes are acceptable? And have… Read more Audio

8:53 AM.A group of scientists on an expedition to the Bounty Islands has been fitting satellite tags to penguins, and screening albatrosses and penguins for diseases.

The Bounty Islands lie about 670… Read more Audio

8:49 AM.Thousands of competitors are preparing to test their skills at the Masters Games in Dunedin, in events ranging from squash to jigsaw puzzle racing.

The 35th Games kick off on Saturday with… Read more Audio

8:43 AM.The Dunedin City Council has bought a former racecourse in its southern suburbs and there are hopes it could be the long-awaited answer to flood mitigation in the area.

The council confirmed on… Read more Audio

8:22 AM.The whole country, bar four councils, will now follow one set of rules about what can and can't be recycled via kerbside collection.

Previously, each council determined what was accepted.

While some… Read more Audio

8:18 AM.Wellington councillors and residents alike want the city's failing water pipes fixed, but there's less agreement on how to pay for the billions of dollars of work needed.

Libraries, swimming pools… Read more Audio

8:14 AM.Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Defence Minister Judith Collins are in Melbourne for the inaugural Australia and New Zealand Foreign and Defence Ministers' Meeting.

They are meeting with their… Read more Audio

7:57 AM.A significant win for some of the country's top sportspeople, after the Employment Relations Authority ruled they have the right to engage in good-faith collective bargaining with High Performance… Read more Audio

7:49 AM.Public health experts are calling on the government to be completely transparent on any past or present dealings MPs have had with tobacco companies.

It comes as the Associate Health Minister Casey… Read more Audio

7:45 AM.An Auckland business group says Kāinga Ora needs to take some responsibility for crimes committed by tenants.

Over the last two months, the Parnell Business Association says it has traced 40… Read more Audio

7:42 AM.Public health experts are calling on the government to be totally transparent on any past or present dealings MPs have had with tobacco companies.

The coalition is set to repeal Labour's smokefree… Read more Audio

7:37 AM.Auckland was issued with a heat alert on Wednesday due to a sustained period of hot weather predicted for the city, and much of the upper North Island.

Many towns and cities have peaked at more than… Read more Audio

7:27 AM.A former police officer says the compulsory fitness test is too hard and needs to change if police want to recruit and retain more front-line staff.

Other officers, both former and current, agree.

… Read more Audio

7:22 AM.Documents show Defence officials began pitching the benefits of joining the AUKUS military alliance months ago.

The Defence Minister, Judith Collins, is expected to raise the prospect of joining the… Read more Audio

7:19 AM.Documents show Defence officials have for months been promoting the benefits of joining the AUKUS military alliance.

Defence Minister Judith Collins meets her counterpart in Melbourne on Thursday… Read more Audio

7:08 AM.Winston Peters and Judith Collins will attend the first meeting between both the foreign and defence ministers of New Zealand and Australia on Thursday.

The pair travelled to Melbourne Wednesday… Read more Audio

6:50 AM.The recently rebranded Woolworths is also revamping its loyalty programme, claiming customers will benefit from targeted ads based on information collected about them.

Everyday Rewards is replacing… Read more Audio

6:46 AM.The death toll in Israel's continued bombardment of Gaza is nearing 27,000, with another 150 Palestinians killed in the last 24 hours.

This comes as the UN tries to shore up support for their Relief… Read more Audio

6:24 AM.Songs from artists such as Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, and Drake are set to disappear from Tik Tok.

Universal Music is planning to pull millions of its tracks from the platform, after talks about… Read more Audio

6:14 AM.The country's top rowers and cyclists have scored a significant win over government agency High Performance Sport New Zealand in their bid for better treatment and fairer pay.

The Employment… Read more Audio