Midday Report

The UN's official report is out on the world's happiest countries, and New Zealand has slipped down on the list to number 11. New Zealand only cracked the top ten for those aged 60 and older. Finland has once again topped the list that looks at things like social support, income, freedom and lack of corruption. Social psychologist Marc Wilson spoke to Charlotte Cook.

A foreign agency ran a spy operation out of New Zealand's main spy agency for years without the government knowing.

The Inspector General of Intelligence and Security has revealed this in an investigation out today.

It has found the Government Communications Security Bureau knew when it agreed to host the signals intelligence system it could be used to support military operations by foreign partners

RNZ reporter Phil Pennington spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Drought has been declared in Canterbury and Otago.

Minister of Agriculture Todd McClay made the announcement this morning alongside $70,000 dollars of funding for several Rural Support Trusts across the regions. 

Sally Murphy has the rural news.

New Zealand has been drawn to play hosts France in both the men's and women's football tournaments at this year's Paris Olympics. 

Barry Guy has sports.

Weak consumer spending and wholesale trade have driven the economy back into recession. 

Stats NZ data shows gross domestic product - the broad measure of economic growth - fell 0.1 percent in the three months ended December.

Anan Zaki has the business news.

Critics of the banking sector say the strongly worded Commerce Commission report should push the government into forcing open banking and increased competition.

It has released an interim report on its market study into personal banking services which says there is a two tier market where the big four Australian-owned banks have the major share, and smaller operators cant threaten that dominance.

The commission says the sector lacks disruptive forces to drive change and deliver benefits to consumers. Labour's spokesperson for Commerce and Consumer Affairs is Arena Williams.

Williams spoke with Charlotte.

New GDP figures say Aotearoa slipped into a recession in the final quarter of last year.

Stats NZ says gross domestic product, the broad measure of economic growth, fell 0.1 percent in the three months ended December, taking the annual rate to negative 0.3 percent.

It was the second consecutive quarter of contraction, fulfilling the technical definition of a recession.

Each individual's share of the economy shrank 0.7 percent during the quarter because of the surge in migration.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis spoke to Charlotte Cook.

As of this week, students at Westlake Boys High School are allowed to wear lavalava as part of their official school uniform.

A proposal from year 13 student Jarlon Lesatele was accepted by the Board of Trustees without any contention.

The school's Pasifika community has grown from 70 students five years ago, to 200.

Westlake Boys High School Pasifika dean Che Muller spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Wednesday marks one year since solider, Kane Te Tai was killed in battle in Ukraine.

He was the third New Zealander to lose his life in the war which is now into its 3rd year.

Kane Te tai had been in the conflict zone for almost a year was one of the more vocal Kiwis on the front line.

His mother, Ngaire Te Tai, spoke to Charlotte Cook.

Farmers near the Greenstreet Creek on the outskirts of Ashburton say the Canterbury Regional Council sitting on its hands has resulted in the death of native fish and crayfish. 

Sally Murphy has the rural news.