Morning Report

Janet Wilson on Luxon's response to latest poll; Warning over side-effects from unapproved peptide injections; Students' invention targets $1.2m tractor fire problem; AA explains upcoming changes to WoF rules

We cross the Tasman to talk to our correspondent Richard Willingham from ABC in Victoria.

Nearly 20,000 runners and walkers will line up this weekend for the Auckland Marathon, the biggest field in more than a decade. It's the 35th anniversary of the annual event this year, although the very first marathon was 90 years ago. Nicky van den Bos is the Regional Director of The IRONMAN Group and spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

The latest market updates and news from RNZ's business team.

1 News Sports Editor Abby Wilson and All Black and Manu Samoa player, Lima Sopoaga join Morning Report for this week's sports panel.

Voters unsure if they're enrolled will be given special votes at polling booths, but they won't count if it turns out they weren't enrolled on time. Unlike past elections, voters are no longer able to enrol to vote at the polling booth. Electoral Commission Chief Executive Karl Le Quesne spoke to John Campbell.

Last election, fewer than 30 votes separated the top two candidates in Nelson, prompting a recount. Labour's Rachel Boyack claimed the victory after a swing back to red. But it could be a different story this election, if the Opportunity and Greens candidates split the left vote. The Chamber of Commerce and the Blue House hosted the electorate's last debate - giving candidates a final chance to ma...

Exactly 40 years ago, Prime Minister Rob Muldoon surprised the nation by appearing as the narrator in a famously raunchy, cult-classic musical. Now, for the first time in Australasia, the Rocky Horror Show is being staged by a community theatre group. And as reporter Peter de Graaf found out, there were also a few surprises in store for last night's audience in Kerikeri.

There are some big Warrant of Fitness changes on the way from this weekend. From Sunday older vehicles will remain on annual inspections, while newer vehicles will only need a WoF every two to four years. The AA's Terry Collins spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss.

Selwyn remains New Zealand's fastest-growing district, according to new estimates from Stats NZ. And with more housing developments in the pipeline, growth is concentrating around Rolleston. Rolleston Residents Association chair Mark Alexander has lived in the district for more than 30 years. He's also a former community board member and district councillor. Alexander spoke to John Campbell.

An early morning sports news update.

The latest market updates and news from RNZ's business team.

Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua has ditched a long-standing policy requiring players to meet a mandatory fitness standard. The change means players no longer have to reach a minimum score on the Yo-Yo test to be picked for the Silver Ferns. Silver Ferns management say they've adopted a more tailored approach as part of a wider shake-up of the high performance programme. Sports reporter Brid...

With the price of a full tank for even a modest car getting close to $200, motorists are looking for the best value at the pump. At the moment, fuel prices can vary by as much as 35 cents per litre. But often finding the most affordable involves a drive out of your way. Bill Hickman asked motorists in Wellington how far they'll go to save money.

National Party leader Christopher Luxon has warned of "dire consequences" if the latest RNZ-Reid Research poll becomes reality. Luxon, who doesn't routinely comment on polls, even posted a warning on social media, saying that outcome could result in Chlöe Swarbrick as Finance Minister, higher taxes and skyrocketing mortgages. Broadcaster, columnist, comms strategist, and former National Party chie...

A mum of four is urging people to make sure they know what they're injecting, after she suffered worrying side-effects taking unapproved peptides. Weeks into injecting herself, Oceane Ceballos wasn't seeing any benefits, and instead suffered headaches and digestive issues. Peptides are widely promoted on social media for anti-ageing, bodybuilding, or accelerated recovery. Ceballos spoke to Ingrid...

An early morning update from RNZ's business team.

Eden Park is sold out for tonight's Black Caps versus India clash and Auckland Council is making transport changes to avoid a repeat of transport delays seen after the All Blacks Wallabies match, which saw thousands of frustrated fans waiting for trains at Kingland Station. Councillor Shane Henderson heads the new Road Controlling Authority Subcommittee, which has taken over some of Auckland Trans...

A Russian drone strike at the main railway station in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro has killed at least fourteen people waiting to board a train. BBC Monitoring's chief analyst, Vitaly Shevchenko spoke to John Campbell.

The latest rural news with Gianina Schwanecke.

An early morning sports update.

A Fire and Emergency report has revealed major flaws in the way firefighters are trained including a claim an old-school military style approach called "beasting" is used to belittle trainees. In response FENZ is launching a reset. Phil Pennington reports.

Catch up with the latest headlines from around the world with RNZ's Alice Wilkins.

Birds nesting in tractor engines cause an estimated $1.2 million in tractor fire claims each year, according to rural insurer FMG. A group of Year 13 students at St Hilda's College in Dunedin are working to tackle the problem, developing a green strobe-light device designed to sit under a tractor bonnet and deter nesting birds. The invention is already receiving positive feedback from farmers, and...

New needle exchange kits target people injecting peptides; Nicola Willis discusses Reserve Bank's OCR decision; Political editor Jo Moir discusses latest RNZ poll; Wayne Brown wants government to back Auckland or step aside