Holiday Breakfast

Brian Tamaki has arrived at Mt Eden Prison, after being arrested for breaching his bail conditions.  The controversial Destiny Church leader was arrested at rural Papakura home – with his journey to prison being livestreamed online.  Dozens of supporters have gathered outside the prison to perform a haka – briefly blocking the unmarked police car he was being transported in.  New Zealand Herald se...

No green light from Auckland, or the rest of the country – for the time being.  Health officials will provide advice to Cabinet this week on the current traffic light settings – following confirmation that a border worker has the Omicron strain.  However, Cabinet isn't expected to meet this week to review those settings, as originally planned.  Viv Beck – the Chief Executive of the Heart of the Ci...

Uptake of the Covid-19 children's vaccine is expected to be high.  From this morning, almost half a million kids aged between five and 11 are now eligible for the children's Pfizer dose.  In preparation for the rollout, 120-thousand doses of the paediatric version of the vaccine have been delivered to 500 sites across the country.  Starship Hospital Developmental Paediatrician Dr Jin Russell told...

More details are emerging about a dramatic hostage situation in a Texas synagogue.  A man was shot dead, after taking a Rabbi and three others hostage during a religious service that was being streamed online.  One witness says the man was saying anti-Semitic things, talking about Islam, and implied he had a bomb in his backpack.  US correspondent Richard Arnold told Tim Dower it appears the hosta...

Water is urgently needed in Tonga following Saturday's devastating eruption.  An Air Force Orion is due to undertake a reconnaissance flight from Auckland's Whenuapai Air Base this morning.   It will work with Australia, to assist in an initial impact assessment of the area near Tonga and low-lying islands, provided ash cloud dissipates enough to make flying safe.  Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta s...

Australia has said goodbye – and good riddance – to Novak Djokovic.   The world number one flew out of Melbourne overnight, after losing his latest legal battle over his visa cancellation.  His deportation came just hours before he was due to take the court at the Australian Open.  Australian correspondent Murray Olds, told Tim Dower the tennis star now faces a three-year ban from Australia, and t...

It's December 1991, the Royals gather at the Queen's Estate for Christmas.  Things are frosty, to say the least between Princess Diana and Prince Charles - and the press is already speculating about divorce.  There's eating and drinking, shooting and hunting.   Diana knows the game, but this year, things will be profoundly different.  Pablo Larraín has directed ‘Spencer’ a movie that follows just...

The South Island continues to struggle with worker shortages.  Lincoln University researchers have found that by next year Canterbury will reach a peak in the work force population, if the borders remain closed.  Researcher David Dyason told Tim Dower the labour force is shrinking, which will lead to even more gaps in the market.  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The first tourist flight to the Cook Islands in five months has left Auckland this morning.   The two-way quarantine free travel bubble has resumed.   Travellers must be aged over 12, fully vaccinated and have negative pre-departure and on arrival Covid-19 tests.   Cook Islands Health Secretary Bob Williams told Tim Dower the country has high vaccination rates but has been preparing for positive C...

Rowdy street preachers on Auckland's Queen Street triggered more than three hundred noise complaints last year.   The group, armed with a microphone, has rallied against abortion, and regularly preaches messages such as "hell is real" and "Jesus saves".   But the 25 excessive noise direction notices issued as a result can only legally stop the din for 72 hours.   Manurewa-Papakura councillor Danie...

2021 was a pretty messy year for the events industry, but that's made the organisers of one festival all the more determined to steam ahead.   'That Weekend' is a two-day camping event, being held just outside of Tirau at the end of the month.   The Black Seeds, Summer Thieves, and even international DJ Netsky will be there.   James Bristow is one of the organisers of 'That Weekend' and he joined...

A big blow to the music scene.  Northern Bass was cancelled yesterday - due to Northland's low vaccination rate and the threat of Omicron.  The event was first due to be take place at Mangawhai on New Year's Eve, but then postponed until January 28.  Organiser Gareth Popham says the event is too risky.  “What if we weren’t just a location of interest, what if we were a super-spreader event? What i...

Chris Parker is well established on the NZ entertainment circuit - touring for years with stand up and on 7 Days and Jono and Ben.  You'll also know him from films including the Breaker Upperers and Kiwi Christmas.   During lockdown we followed him taking out TV2's Celebrity Treasure Island.   And he's kept himself busy with an upcoming tour called the Gentle Man - Chris Parker joined Tim Dower. ...

New Zealand has a long way to go in addressing its major obesity problem, but there's optimism for the upcoming generation of youth.  Alarming figures show a 16-year-old is among hundreds of Aucklanders who've had bariatric weight-loss surgery.  But Starship Hospital paediatric endocrinologist Wayne Cutfield says over the last 7 to 8 years, pre-school obesity rates have fallen.  He told Tim Dower...

National's unimpressed with allegations the Prime Minister's fiance tried to acquire a rapid antigen test for mates.   Clarke Gayford allegedly told a Tauranga pharmacist the rules had changed - and he could sell the test to his friends.  It's understood a friend sought the test as he was potentially a close contact of UK-based DJ Dimension - who had Omicron.   Rapid Antigen Tests can currently on...

Hospitals across the country may be at breaking point.   An internal email from Auckland's emergency department has described it as an unsafe situation, in light of staffing becoming so stretched.   One senior clinician is quoted as saying 'we cannot continue like this', in reference to a shift that started with 60 patients waiting to be seen.  College of Emergency Medicine spokesperson Dr John Bo...

Thanking the bus driver may be a thing of the past for some kiwi commuters.   Drivers across the country are copping abuse both verbally and physically - and calling for more security and support.  Tramways Union President Gary Froggatt told Tim Dower drivers are now reporting around one serious incident a week, but more minor issues are becoming constant.  He says some passengers aren't wanting t...

The unearthing of a giant sea monster fossil has astonished paleontologists worldwide.   A mammoth 10 metre long ichthyosaur has been discovered in England.   The bones of the large marine reptile were uncovered when a lagoon was drained in the East Midlands.   Paleontologist Hamish Campbell told Tim Dower it's a spectacular find for Britain.  LISTEN ABOVE  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy...

Businesses may soon be required to make public the details of what they're paying staff.    It's part of a government effort to close pay gaps between men and women - and different ethnic groups.  More than 6,000 businesses would be impacted.   Labour MP Camilla Belich told Tim Dower generally two-thirds of OECD countries have pay transparency regimes.   She says its not about compromising individ...

Covid-19 could be prompting some people to learn a new language.  The deaf community is reporting a dramatic rise in those wanting to learn sign language, after seeing interpreters at the 1pm televised press conferences.   But Deaf Aotearoa Chief Executive Bridget Ferguson told Tim Dower says many people don't realise it takes years to get the level seen in those briefings.  “We train at AUT in Au...

A health expert says it's important there's continued checks and balances for doctors.  The medical council has taken action against a North Canterbury doctor, under investigation for allegedly issuing fake vaccine exemptions.   They've confirmed Dr Jonie Girouard won't be able to practise medicine at all in New Zealand.   Bryan Betty from the Royal College of GPs' supports the move.  “We need to...

Protestors are taking to the streets in parts of Europe amid a surge of the Omicron variant.   This comes as countries move to tighten restrictions and introduce more rules around vaccination.     Europe correspondent Catherine Field told Tim Dower there have been demonstrations in Paris, Vienna and Italy.  “In Vienna about 40,000 people turned out in the end, really to protest more about the fact...

Novak Djokovic is out of court, but is hoping he'll back on court by next week.  The world tennis number one was released from detention yesterday after a judge quashed the decision to cancel his Australian visa.  But, he's not in the clear yet, as the Australian Immigration Minister will decide today whether to use his discretionary power to deport Djokovic anyway.   Sunrise Reporter Nathan Curri...

Former Green party MPs aren't happy with the party's current leadership and agreement with the Government.    Some members have stepped away from the party amid concerns.   Former MP Catherine Delahunty told Tim Dower the party has little power.   Delahunty says current co-leader James Shaw is failing to live up to Green vision and principles on climate change, and not enough is being done on welf...

A movement dubbed The Great Resignation is expected to grow.   Internationally, the number of workers wanting to leave their jobs has risen during the pandemic, and Labour shortages have made recruitment difficult in a number of industries.   Employment relations expert Max Whitehead told Tim Dower the word is that people are ready for change – but there's some risk involved in moving jobs.  “Will...