Morning Report for Thursday 20 March 2025

10:00 AM.On today's episode, Donald Trump says things are "very much on track" after a conversation a short time ago with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Green MP Steve Abel has visited hunger striker… Read more Audio

8:54 AM.Tourism New Zealand has launched a collaboration with Minecraft. Brodie McLeish from Tourism New Zealand spoke to Corin Dann. Audio

8:51 AM.Aucklanders are being warned to go easy on the long showers and car washes as the city begins to 'prepare for drought'. Watercare chief operations officer Mark Bourne spoke to Corin Dann. Audio

8:48 AM.Tauranga teen running sensation, Sam Ruthe, who on Wednesday night became the youngest person in history to break the four-minute mile barrier at 15-years-old. Nick Willis spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Audio

8:42 AM.The Western Bay of Plenty District Council has become the latest local body to leave Local Government NZ. Tracey Coxhead is the councillor who proposed that Western Bay of Plenty leave. Coxhead spoke… Read more Audio

8:39 AM.Over the past month, we've seen home loan rates fall significantly. That's had lots of people wondering when the right time to fix for longer might be - and more commentators are saying the answer is… Read more Audio

8:36 AM.A massive boost in talent was announced for the Black Ferns yesterday. Audio

8:30 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio

8:25 AM.The number of reports of concern about at-risk children made to Oranga Tamariki jumped more than a third last year. Lauren Crimp has more. Audio

8:20 AM.Green MP Steve Abel has visited hunger striker Dean Wickliffe in Spring Hill prison. 77-year-old Wickliffe, who was returned to prison after breaching his parole conditions, stopped eating in protest… Read more Audio

8:16 AM.The Prime Minister is calling for new norms on how armies use artificial intelligence, but also says rules are 'giving way to power'. Phil Pennington reports. Audio

8:11 AM.Businesses are lamenting the time it's taking for New Zealand's economy to rebound from recession. The Employers and Manufacturers Association's head of advocacy, strategy, and finance Alan McDonald… Read more Audio

7:53 AM.A new report has been released detailing the trends, habits, and surprises of New Zealand's internet use in 2024. Internet NZ chief executive Vivien Maidaborn spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Audio

7:49 AM.Primary principals say they have been blindsided by a government decision to develop a new system for testing children's reading, writing and maths. Education correspondent John Gerritsen spoke to… Read more Audio

7:46 AM.But one bit of relief for consumers has been fuel prices, which have actually dropped by up to 5 percent over the past month. Gaspy spokesperson Mike Newton spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Audio

7:42 AM.Travellers calling for a non-stop flight between New Zealand and India now have a date on which to pin their hopes - but it is still more than three years away and comes with some big caveats. Deputy… Read more Audio

7:38 AM.Israel has hit Gaza for a second night, a day after its devastating bombardment which ended the fragile truce with Hamas. Correspondent Giles Gibson spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Audio

7:31 AM.New Zealand's middle-distance prodigy, Sam Ruthe, has become the youngest person in history to break the four-minute mile barrier. Sam's dad, Ben Ruthe, spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Audio

7:27 AM.Tauranga teenager Sam Ruthe became the youngest runner in the world to break the four minutes mile on Wednesday night. Sports reporter Grant Chapman was there at the finish line. Audio

7:23 AM.Major bank economists are expecting gross domestic product to be back in the positive when the numbers are released on Thursday. Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon spoke to Corin Dann. Audio

7:17 AM.Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters says New Zealand's relationship with the U.S is a two-way street, and that both countries have expectations of each other. Audio

7:10 AM.Donald Trump says things are "very much on track" after a conversation a short time ago with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Washington DC correspondent Simon Marks spoke to Corin Dann. Audio

6:54 AM.News from the business sector, including a market report. Audio

6:47 AM.The Ombudsman has released a lengthy list of concerns about the Official Information Act ahead of his departure at the end of this month. Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Audio

6:43 AM.Auckland schools are frustrated with speed limit reversals soon to hit their areas and worry it will put children at risk. Maia Ingoe reports. Audio

6:40 AM.An update from RNZ's sports team. Audio

6:28 AM.News from the rural and farming sector. Audio

6:24 AM.A brief update of movements in the financial sector. Audio