Holiday Breakfast

Arguably one of the best regions in the country is next on our Summer Roadtrip.

The next stop on this journey is Napier, known as New Zealand's Art Deco capital.

Napier offers fantastic views from Bluff Hill, historic sights and duck ponds at their Botanical Gardens, and opportunities to see a diverse range of aquatic animals, including little blue penguins, at the National Aquarium of New Zealand.

Napier mayor Kirsten Wise says Napier could also be a strong contender for the Art Deco capital of the world, even when compared to Miami.

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A claim an article in a conspiracy magazine sold in Whitcoulls could cause readers to run afoul of the law.

The book chain is stocking a copy of New Dawn, a magazine with anti-vax conspiracies and an article insinuating that the Christchurch Mosque attack was a false flag operation.

Disinformation Project Director Kate Hannah says that while some of the articles will be harmless, the one about the mosque attack details where to find the banned livestream of the attack.

She says a naive reader may choose to look it up, which would be illegal.

Whitcoulls has been approached for comment.

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The health system in the U.K. is under severe strain.

24 hour waits for Accident and Emergency have become common, and some patients have been forced to spend that time in corridors.

Around 500 people a week are reported to be dying because they can't get into accident and emergency.

UK Correspondent Rod Liddle says that there are a variety of factors to blame, not just under funding.

He says Scotland's NHS has 20 percent more funding but has even more problems.

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Fire officials are bracing for a busy summer ahead as hot weather dries out much of the country.

A high fire danger is expected for the West Coast over the next couple of days and residents are urged not to light outdoor fires, even if they have a permit.

Fireworks have also caused headaches, with crews estimating the volume of call outs this New Year's Eve to be higher compared to previous years.

Fire and Emergency Community Education manager Adrian Nacey says at one time they were responding to about 15 incidents. All of them were completely avoidable, and mainly relating to fireworks.

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A call for a cautious approach as the country waits for the decision of whether it will require a negative Covid test from travellers arriving from China.

An announcement is expected today, with other western countries such as Australia set to bring in the measures on Thursday.

Auckland University epidemiologist and data scientist Janine Paynter says that China hasn't been very forthcoming with data on their case numbers, and there's some evidence to suggest they're higher than what's being mentioned.

She says pre-departure testing may also become appropriate if there's a huge surge in cases in the UK and US, due to the risk of different variants.

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An information vacuum out of China is forcing countries to put COVID restrictions in place.

The Asian country is grappling with a surge in Covid cases and outbreaks, at a time where it's abandoning its Covid-zero policy, and allowing people to fly in and out.

Some countries, such as the US, Japan, and India, have taken action by introducing negative test requirements for all Chinese air travellers.

Otago University Epidemiologist Michael Baker says that China has stopped reporting cases, deaths and genome sequencing.

He says many countries will be concerned they don't know the level of risk within China and travellers coming from the country.

Our Health Ministry says New Zealand's current public health measures remain appropriate.

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The National Party leader is talking up his front bench heading into this election year.

Polls are leaning towards National, with a recent Taxpayers Union Curia poll finding the party slightly favoured as economic managers over Labour.

Chris Luxon says the current Government has been too reliant on working groups and, if elected, his ministers would have real world expertise in their portfolios.

Luxon says his health spokesperson in particular has a background in the field.

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Some of New Zealand's well-known athletes are planning to race the length of the North Island in an effort to normalise mental health.

Former World triathlon champion Rick Wells, along with former All Black Ian Jones, and the Blue70 athlete crew will be swimming, biking, and running from Cape Reinga to Wellington's Beehive in 16 days next month.

Their goal is to raise funds for Mike King's charity I AM HOPE.

Wells says what King is doing with the youth counselling is fantastic and with New Zealand relying on its future youth, they need help.

He says times are tough and it's more about starting a conversation, but hopefully the money will come after that.

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Some of the big names in tennis are set to take to the courts as Auckland's ASB Classic begins today.

After a three year hiatus, organisers had just six-months—compared to the usual 12—to prepare the event at ASB Tennis Arena.

Tennis star Venus Williams will be among the first up in the Women's Week, along with rising star Coco Gauff, before the men play next week.

Tournament director Nicolas Lamperin told Tim Dower that it's important to come back strong and make a statement by bringing top talent to Auckland.

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A tragic start to the year as a close-knit Gisborne community grapples with the death of two people near the Rhythm and Vines festival.

A man in his thirties and a teenager died when they were hit by a car on Back Ormond Rd shortly after 9pm.

Gisborne Deputy Mayor Josh Wharehinga says that there has been a massive outpouring of love for the friends and family of those involved.

He says they've received messages of support from people nationally and internationally, which has been a comfort for the community.

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