Morning Report

In an amazing tale of survival, a woman walked from the sea alive at the weekend after she was washed down a West Coast river and out into sea.

Her car had crashed near the Arahura River, north of Hokitika, after midnight on Friday.

Her six year old son, who was in the car with her, tried but failed to pull his mother from the river before he walked almost two kilometres in the dark for help.

The 41-year-old woman was found - the next morning - walking out of the sea by Bronwyn Vercoe and her partner, John.

Bronwyn Vercoe told Corin Dann the woman's survival was a miracle.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will return to Downing Street with a big majority after the Conservatives swept aside Labour in its traditional heartlands.

Mr Johnson won a Commons majority of 80 in last week's general election --his party's biggest election win for 30 years.

Meanwhile Labour suffered its worst election result since 1935 and saw its vote share fall by eight points.

The BBC's political correspondent Rob Watson speaks to Corin Dann.

The number of Asians in Auckland seeking help for mental health in the last five years has risen dramatically with one DHB reporting an 82 percent increase in cases.

Mental health is one of the government's key targets and its come up with a $1.9 billion mental health package.

But as Jessie Chiang reports, the growing Asian population feels largely forgotten.

Divers and recovery teams have been unable to locate the remaining two bodies who died in the Whakaari/White Island disaster.

Teams were back on the island on Sunday.

The bodies are believed to be in the water surrounding the island, and the dive squad will be back out tomorrow, weather permitting.

Special Operations Component Commander Colonel Rian McKinstry, is from the Defence Force and has been overlooking operations.

He speaks to Susie Ferguson.

For the first time ever, the government is going to allocate radio spectrum to Māori.

The Broadcasting, Communications and Digital Media Minister, Kris Faafoi, has announced he'll be making spectrum available in 2020 to help develop 5G networks.

The rights to spectrum will only be short-term to 2022, before the next long-term rights go on offer.

RNZ Māori news correspondent Leigh-Marama McLachlan reports.

At 2:11pm it will be one week since the eruption at Whakaari/White Island. Fifteen victims remain in burns units across New Zealand after 13 patients were flown back to Ausralia for treatment.

Ngati Awa has invited those who can to join them at Te Manuka Tutahi Marae to observe a moment's silence in acknowledgement of the sixteen so far confirmed to have lost their lives.

Paul Quinn is the Chair of Ngati Awa Group Holdings and White Island Tours.

He speaks to Corin Dann.

Police divers are expected to continue their search today for two bodies missing since last Monday's volcanic eruption on Whakaari White Island.

The official toll from the disaster rose to 16 on Sunday with the death of a patient who'd been transferred to a hospital in Sydney.

That total does not include the two people whose bodies are being searched for.

Twenty-six people remain in hospital - 14 here and 12 in Australia.

RNZ reporter Andrew McRae is in Whakatāne.

The New Zealand men's sevens team scored a late try to claim a thrilling 7-5 victory over hosts South Africa at the Cape Town leg of the World Series.

News from the business sector, including a market report.

The cruise ship company, Royal Caribbean, could be sued for damages over the deaths or injuries caused by the eruption on Whakaari last Monday, if people bought their tickets to visit White Island overseas.

An honorary academic at University of Auckland's faculty of law Bill Hodge says accident compensation laws effectively prevent New Zealanders launching legal action.

But he told RNZ reporter Anusha Bradley that because the company does business in the United States, that opens the door to law suits.