Midday Report

Midday sports News for 29 May 2023 American Josef Newgarden has edged out Marcus Ericsson to win the Indy 500 in a nail-biting finish, denying the Swede back-to-back victories at the Brickyard.

News from the business sector

Nurses and other health workers are stopping work for two hours from today to attend meetings to consider the health authority's latest pay offer. Nearly 60 meetings are being held over the coming days for nurses, midwives and health care assistants, who belong to the Nurses Organisation and work for Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand. The union says members have asked for a pay offer to match inflation but the proposed deal falls well short. Charlotte Cook speaks with Tracy Black, a nurse at Whakatane Hospital and an NZNO delegate.

From today Police will take a more aggressive approach to pursuing fleeing drivers in the hopes it will lead to more arrests. Police Commissioner says the new framework, which begins today, balances safety and holding offenders to account. In 2020 Police softened their approach after more than 70 people died as a result of Police pursuits in the previous decade Police Commissioner Andrew Coster tells Charlotte Cook that today's two ammendments to the policy will strike will allow police the power to stop more people while managing the risks.

Scientists in Europe are puzzled over a spate of attacks where Orca have been ramming boats - sinking some of them. Experts are questioning whether the pods are deliberately going after the vessels, and is a behaviour they are learning. So far no one has been injured in the most recent incidents but New Zealand faced it's own tragedy last year when 5 people were killed when charter boat in Kaikoura capsized after potentially colliding with a whale. Co-founder of WhaleResuce.org Jo Floppy Halliday speaks to Charlotte Cook about what might be behind the orcas' behaviour.

The Gore District Council will next month consider a petition calling for its chief executive, Stephen Parry, to resign. Mr Parry and the district's 24-year-old Mayor, Ben Bell, haven't been speaking since December, and the fractured relationship has reverberated around the council table with councillors in the last fortnight calling for Mr Bell's resignation and then publicly backing down on a vote of no confidence. Mr Parry is on leave at the moment and the council's acting chief executive, Rex Capil, received the almost 5000 signature petition a week ago. Charlotte Cook speaks with RNZ's Otago-Southland reporter, Timothy Brown, who broke the story of the mayor and chief executive's chilly relationship in March.

News from the rural farming sector

Midday sports News for 26 May 2023

News from the business sector

Mourners have gathered in Newtown this morning for the funeral of Michael Eric Wahrlich, affectionately known as "Mike the Juggler", one of the victim's of last week's deadly hostel fire. Michael's family decided on an open funeral so that the people of Wellington could attend. He was one of five people known to have died in the fire at Loafers Lodge, while police are still trying to account for up to ten others. RNZ reporter Soumya Bhamidipati is outside the funeral home in Newtown, and speaks with Charlotte Cook.