Midday Report

Thousands of dead birds are washing up along the edges of a Waikato wetland as a disease spreads through populations.

Poor water quality has seen a deadly bacteria grow and infect birds, which become paralysed before drowning.

Almost two thousand birds have been found at Whangamarino wetland in the last month, following a slew of outbreaks in previous summers.

Fish & Game chief executive Corina Jordan spoke to Māni Dunlop

The Airline Pilots Association are not phased by what could be Chinese Warships interfering with commercial flights over the South China Sea.

Some aircrafts have been experiencing Radio interference and GPS jamming while flying over the area.

The international Federation of Air Line Pilots Association has since issued orders to ignore contact from the warship and report it to Air Traffic Control.

President Andrew Ridling told Māni Dunlop it was predominantly affecting Australian pilots who frequenty travel the route.

News from the rural farming sector

Midday sports News for 20 March 2023

The Black Caps have snared two wickets in the opening session of day four of the second cricket against Sri Lanka, to have the tourists 206 for four, following on in their second innings.

News from the business sector

A grower from Gisborne says there is little demand for the Government's 3-million dollar coastal shipping service to Napier. 

Gisborne's Eastland Port is getting ready to unload its first container ship in more than 40-years tomorrow in a bid to move produce without relying on the devastated roading network. 

The port's chief operating officer Andrew Gaddum said it had been a hard slog getting to this point. 

The MV Rangitata is en-route from Napier, currently waiting in Tūranganui-a-Kiwa carrying 13 empty refrigerated containers - waiting to dock tomorrow. 

Leaderbrand Chief executive Richard Burke told Māni Dunlop 10 containers of squash will be loaded onto the ship.

The New Zealand sharemarket took a hit when trading opened this morning, following the biggest global banking crisis since 2008.

The New Zealand market was the first in the world to open after a takeover deal backed by the Swiss government was announced for Credit Suisse.

The Swiss bank UBS has agreed to buy its rival and assume millions of dollars in losses, in an effort to avoid further market-shaking turmoil.

Craigs Investment Partners - investments director Mark Lister spoke to Māni Dunlop.

FIFA has dropped plans to make a Saudi Arabian tourism body a major sponsor for this year's Women's World Cup, co-hosted by New Zealand and Australia.

More police will be on patrol today in Dunedin as the infamous St Patricks day celebrations begin in the student centre.

News from the rural farming sector