Morning Report

Christmas songs often get a bad rap but one in particular has people ducking for cover.

A festive game has stretched the globe where the players have to avoid a classic Christmas tune from the 1984.

Charlotte Cook has this report.

This year's Census showed New Zealand has become even more diverse - but what about our canine population?

The national dog database, which contains registration data from every council in the country, shows our dogs are diversifying as rapidly as we are - with greyhounds, schnauzers and shih tzus among breeds on the rise.

But, as RNZ's data journalist Kate Newton reports, clinging on stubbornly at the top is a labrador called Bella.

Politicians have signed off for 2019 - a year bookended by tragedy and set against the backdrop of dramatic international events.

On 15 March a pair of deadly attacks rocked New Zealand, and more recently the fatal volcanic explosion on Whakaari/White Island.

MPs here have watched on as the United States and China launched a trade war, Boris Johnson won power in the UK and Donald Trump was impeached.

Next year though it will be them heading to the polls, and even as they break for the summer, the 2020 election is never far from their minds.

RNZ political editor Jane Patterson looks back on the year that was.

Could lollies, chippies and fizzy drinks soon be consigned to the same plain packaging as the biggest health baddy - cigarettes?

The Northland DHB is pushing for the change as part of a strategy to make it easier for people to make healthy decisions.

Rowan Quinn starts her report by talking to some discerning consumers.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison has apologised for going on holiday while the country struggled with a mounting wildfire crisis.

He cut his family holiday to Hawaii short after he was widely criticised for leaving Australia during the crisis.

One person was found dead on Saturday, and wildfires are raging in three states.

Corin Dann speaks to correspondent Scott Levi.

A collapsed sewerage pipe has caused more than five million litres of sewage to spill into Wellington Harbour since Friday morning.

People are being told to stay out of the water, particularly along the waterfront between the port and Oriental Bay.

Wellington Water crews have been working in dinghies to scoop out offending material along the shoreline.

City traffic will continue to be disrupted with streets closed so urgent work can be done on fixing the wastewater system.

Wellington Water's chief executive Colin Crampton speaks to Corin Dann.

Roads are closed in Wellington this morning as authorities struggle to fix wastewater pipes to stop the flow of raw sewage into the harbour.

Swimmers are being urged to stay out of the water because of the risk to health.

RNZ reporter Emma Hatton has more.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority says the number of complaints about the police have surged by about a third in the past year, putting a strain on its resources.

Up until 2018 hundreds of complaints received each year were being ignored but now police have been told to hand them on to the police watchdog, the IPCA.

With more on this story, RNZ police reporter Ben Strang speaks to Susie Ferguson.

The newly promoted Black Caps opener Tom Blundell says he will not change his approach too much when he faces the Australian quicks in the second cricket Test in Melbourne.

News from the business sector, including a market report.