Midday Report

Weekly chat about the week in politics with Patrick Gower and Guyon Espiner.

Michael Laws has told Midday Report that he wants to be Minister of Broadcasting if he returns to Parliament after the November election. He spoke to Guyon Espiner.

News from the rural farming sector.

News from the business sector.

Sports tycoon and billionaire Jared Novelly has presented his credentials to Governor Dame Cindy Kiro and officially taken up his post as the US ambassador to New Zealand. Phil Goff, who served two terms as Foreign Minister of New Zealand and was an ambassador himself to the UK, before being removed by Winston Peters for questioning Trump's vision and leadership, spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Sports tycoon and billionaire Jared Novelly has presented his credentials to Governor Dame Cindy Kiro and officially taken up his post as the US ambassador to New Zealand. Political Reporter Lilian Hanly was at his media conference this morning and spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Parent speaks out after airborne asbestos study; Chris Sidoti on UN inquiry into Palestinian rights; Weta Workshop chair to help drive Wellington growth

An update on the latest news and results from RNZ's sports team.

Wellington City Council has appointed three expert business advisory groups to help propel economic growth in the city. One of those in the business advisory groups is Phil Royal. He's a former Wellington managing partner and board member of PwC and current chair of Weta Workshop. He spoke to Guyon Espiner.

The latest news from the United States with Nine News' Lauren Tomasi.

An update on the latest news from RNZ's rural team.

The latest news from RNZ's business team.

The Australian human rights expert Chris Sidoti is on the United Nations Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He's been in Geneva, presenting findings to the United Nations Human Rights Council on human rights violations against Palestinian children. Sidoti spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Elle Chrisp, a mum whose children played with asbestos-contaminated play sand and has been demanding more accountability and long term health monitoring. She spoke to Guyon Espiner following this morning's findings from a study that found airborne asbestos in children's play sand products.

Ombudsman criticises PM office over withheld lobbyist documents; Questions over overseas reach of China's ethnic unity law; Former Trump official on Iran, tariffs and New Zealand.

An update on the latest news and results from RNZ's sports team.

How does the US-New Zealand relationship stand after the Iran War and the tariffs of the Trump administration? Guyon Espiner spoke to American Brigadier General David Stilwel, a veteran of US military and diplomacy.

The latest news from Australia with correspondent Amanda Copp in Canberra.

An update on the latest news from RNZ's rural team.

The latest news from RNZ's business team.

China's new ethnic unity law comes into effect today and could be used to allow Beijing to target people living in New Zealand. China's Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion law is designed to create a "shared" national identity among the country's ethnic minority groups, including Tibetans and Uyghurs. But one clause of the law says that people and groups beyond China's borders could be held legall...

The Chief Ombudsman has rebuked the Prime Minister after his office failed to hand over documents supplied to a member of his staff by corporate lobbyists pushing their case for climate change laws. The ruling has just been made by Chief Ombudsman John Allen. RNZ political reporter Lillian Hanly has been following this story closely and spoke to Guyon Espiner.

Community Housing Aotearoa's Paul Gilberd on homelessness; Police raid Brian Tamaki's house to take firearms; The Nord Stream Conspiracy.

An update on the latest news and results from RNZ's sports team.

In September 2022 several devastating explosions destroyed Nord Stream, the $20 billion pipeline carrying cheap Russian gas to Europe under the Baltic Sea. Bojan Pancevski is the award-winning Chief European Political Correspondent of the Wall Street Journal, and the author of the book The Nord Stream Conspiracy. Bojan spoke with Guyon Espiner about his book.